The A3 Airport Flyer bus is the standard way from Bristol Airport to Weston-super-Mare, with an adult single at £5 and services running up to every 30 minutes through the day and hourly overnight, 24 hours a day. A taxi covers the roughly 20-mile route faster but is not a fixed price, so it is worth getting a live quote rather than assuming a figure in advance.
How to get from Bristol Airport to Weston-super-Mare
By bus (A3 Airport Flyer)
The A3 Airport Flyer runs directly between Bristol Airport and Weston-super-Mare via Worle, Congresbury and Cleeve, operated by First Bus. It runs 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day, with departures up to every 30 minutes during the day and roughly hourly between 7pm and 7am. Fares, checked 2026, are:
- Adult single: £5
- Adult return: £7 (valid for one month)
- Child single: £4
- Child return: £5
- Family return: £20 (up to 2 adults and 2 children under 16)
At the airport, the A3 uses stand 2 at the Public Transport Interchange, opposite the terminal. At the Weston-super-Mare end, the bus also serves the railway station forecourts in both Weston-super-Mare and Worle, so it doubles as an onward connection if you are travelling further by train. On-board wifi is fitted on the service.
By taxi
A taxi is the quicker option for a direct, door-to-door trip, particularly with luggage or if you are travelling outside the A3's daytime frequency. There is no single published fixed fare for this route, since it depends on the operator, time of day and demand, so treat any figure you see online from a generic fare calculator as an estimate only rather than a quote. Ask a pre-booked operator for a fixed price before you travel, or check the fare shown by a ride-hailing app once you land. Given the distance is more than double the airport-to-Bristol-city-centre route, expect the fare to be noticeably higher than the roughly £35 to £55 quoted for that shorter trip on this site's taxis guide.
Comparison table
| Option | Cost | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A3 Airport Flyer (adult single) | £5 | Up to every 30 min daytime, hourly overnight | Runs 24/7, also serves Worle and Weston station forecourts |
| A3 Airport Flyer (adult return) | £7 | Valid one month | Family return £20 |
| Taxi / pre-booked car | No fixed fare, get a quote | On demand | Faster point-to-point, worth pre-booking for early or late travel |
Which option suits your trip
For most travellers without heavy luggage, the A3 is the practical default. It runs around the clock, the fare is modest, and because it calls at both the Weston-super-Mare and Worle station forecourts it works well if you are catching an onward train rather than staying in Weston itself. The 30-minute daytime frequency also means you are rarely waiting long even without checking a timetable first.
A taxi makes more sense for a family with luggage, a very early or very late arrival where you want to avoid a wait at the stop, or if your final destination in Weston-super-Mare or the surrounding villages is some distance from the bus route via Worle, Congresbury and Cleeve. Pre-booking a fixed-price transfer removes the uncertainty of a longer-distance fare and means a driver is waiting when you land, similar to the process described in this site's guide on arranging pickup at the terminal.
Journey and timing notes
The A3 route runs via Worle and Congresbury on the A370 corridor, which is generally reliable outside peak commuter hours, though it can slow around Weston-super-Mare itself during the summer holiday season when the town is busiest. If you are catching a specific onward train from Weston-super-Mare or Worle station, build in a buffer beyond the bus's advertised frequency, since a delayed flight or slow airport exit can eat into a tight connection. See this site's guide on what to do if your flight is delayed for how that affects onward travel more generally.
For a taxi, allow more time at weekends and during school holidays, when demand across all Bristol Airport routes rises and pickups can take longer to arrange on the day, as covered in this site's piece on why prices and waits change at peak times.
Luggage and accessibility
The A3 Airport Flyer is a standard low-floor coach service rather than a dedicated airport transfer, so there is no assistance loading heavy cases beyond what the driver can reasonably offer, and space for bags is limited during busy periods. If you are travelling with a lot of luggage, mobility equipment, or need door-to-door help, a pre-booked taxi is the more practical choice. This site's guide on wheelchair-accessible taxis at Bristol Airport covers how to arrange an accessible vehicle in advance if that applies to your trip.
Booking tips
- Use First Bus's contactless tap-on, tap-off system on the A3 for single and day-return fares, which also caps automatically if you connect onto other First Bus services.
- Standard local First Bus tickets, BristolRider, AvonRider and Freedom Travelpass are not valid on the A3 Airport Flyer, so budget for a separate fare.
- English national concessionary bus passes are not accepted for free travel on airport Flyer routes, though they work on the wider network once you are not starting or ending at the airport.
- If booking a taxi, confirm the fare and any waiting-time policy before you travel; see this site's guide on taxi waiting time and delays for how that generally works at Bristol Airport.