The cheapest way from Bristol Airport to Gloucester or Cheltenham is the FlixBus coach, from around £5 to £10 and taking about 2 hours. The train is faster door-to-station at roughly 1 hour 40 minutes but costs more, from around £20 to £21. A taxi covers the 49 to 50 miles in about an hour but has no fixed fare. Checked 2026.
The options at a glance
| Option | Indicative price | Journey time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FlixBus coach | From about £5 to £10 | About 2 hours 5 minutes | Direct from the airport, no changes |
| Train (via Bristol Temple Meads or Parkway) | From about £20 to £21 | About 1 hour 38 to 43 minutes | Combines the A1 Flyer bus with a mainline train |
| Taxi or private hire | No fixed fare, agreed at booking | About 1 hour | Door to door, best for groups or late arrivals |
Both towns sit close together in Gloucestershire, with Cheltenham a short additional hop beyond Gloucester, so most of the routing below applies to either.
FlixBus: the direct budget option
FlixBus runs a direct coach from Bristol Airport to Cheltenham, departing from Bay 7 at the airport's bus station. According to FlixBus's own route page, the minimum trip duration is 2 hours 5 minutes, the minimum distance is 49 miles, and fares start from £4.99, with at least 2 trips a day. This is the only direct, no-change option that does not require going into Bristol first, which makes it worth checking even though it is not the fastest.
Train: quicker but not direct from the airport
There is no railway station at Bristol Airport, so a rail journey means first taking the A1 Flyer bus into Bristol (from £9.50, about 35 minutes) and then a mainline train onward. Fare-comparison sites tracking the combined "Bristol Airport by bus" journey quote trains to Cheltenham Spa from about £21.26 and to Gloucester from about £20.92, with a fastest Gloucester journey of around 1 hour 38 minutes and 20 trains running daily between roughly 05:00 and 15:00 on the routes checked. Because this involves changing from bus to train, allow extra time and a buffer at Temple Meads, particularly if you have a tight onward connection.
Taxi: fastest and most flexible, but not fixed-price
Gloucester is about 49 to 50 miles from Bristol Airport by road, roughly an hour's drive depending on traffic on the M5. There is no official fixed taxi tariff for a trip this long, so treat any quote as indicative until you book. Local Bristol Airport taxi operators publish quotes for longer transfers on request; always get a fare agreed before you travel, and check whether it is fixed-price with flight tracking rather than metered, since metered fares can run higher if the M5 is congested. See fixed price vs metered taxi for how the two compare, and the taxis page for booking options.
Which should you choose?
- Choose FlixBus if price is the priority and you do not mind a longer, single coach journey with no changes.
- Choose the train if you want the quickest public transport option and do not mind changing from bus to train in central Bristol.
- Choose a taxi if you are travelling as a group, have heavy luggage, are arriving late at night when coach and train frequencies drop, or want to go straight to a specific Gloucester or Cheltenham address.
Getting back to the airport
The same three options run in reverse. FlixBus coaches to Bristol Airport depart from Cheltenham and Gloucester on a similar schedule to the outbound service; trains reverse via Temple Meads onto the A1 Flyer; and taxis can be pre-booked from either town. Bristol Airport recommends arriving at least 2 hours before a flight, so build your journey time backward from that, especially if you are relying on the FlixBus coach, which takes the longest of the three options.
Cheltenham versus Gloucester specifically
Cheltenham and Gloucester sit a short hop apart, and most of the routes above serve both, though not always with identical stops or times. FlixBus's Bristol Airport service runs to Cheltenham; if Gloucester is your actual destination, check whether your coach continues there or whether a short local onward bus or taxi from Cheltenham is quicker than waiting for a Gloucester-specific departure. On the train, Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa are both served from Bristol Temple Meads, on slightly different fares and times, so search both stations separately when booking rather than assuming they are interchangeable.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way from Bristol Airport to Cheltenham? The FlixBus coach, from around £5 to £10, though prices vary by date and demand. It takes about 2 hours 5 minutes and runs direct from the airport.
What is the fastest way from Bristol Airport to Gloucester? The train, at around 1 hour 38 to 43 minutes once you factor in the A1 Flyer bus connection into Bristol, though a taxi at about an hour can be faster door to door if traffic is light.
Is there a direct bus from Bristol Airport to Gloucester or Cheltenham? Yes, FlixBus runs a direct coach to Cheltenham from the airport with no changes, at least twice a day.
How far is Gloucester from Bristol Airport? About 49 to 50 miles by road, roughly an hour's drive.
Is there a train station at Bristol Airport? No. Any rail journey starts with the A1 Flyer bus into Bristol Temple Meads or Bristol Bus Station, then a connecting train.
How much does a taxi from Bristol Airport to Gloucester cost? There is no official fixed fare for this distance. Get a quote agreed at booking, ideally a fixed price with flight tracking rather than a metered fare.
More: Overview, Public transport, Taxis, Routes, FAQs.