The nearest petrol station to Bristol Airport is the Gulf Bristol Airport Fuel Express Automat on Bridgwater Road, Barrow Gurney, about 2 miles (an 8-minute drive) from the terminal and open 24 hours. On the day this was checked, unleaded was 169.7p a litre and diesel 196.7p, through an unmanned card-pay forecourt with no shop or staff. A slightly cheaper option, Jet Welcome Backwell, is 2.8 miles out (168.7p/litre unleaded) and has toilets and a car wash if you want more than just a pump. Checked October 2026; fuel prices change daily, so treat the figures here as a guide and check a live price app before you rely on them.
Where is the nearest petrol station to Bristol Airport?
| Station | Distance from BRS | Drive time | Unleaded (E10) | Diesel (B7) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf Bristol Airport Fuel Express Automat, Bridgwater Road, Barrow Gurney, BS48 3SW | 2.0 miles | ~8 min | 169.7p/L | 196.7p/L | Open 24 hours, unmanned, card/app pay only, no shop |
| Jet Welcome Backwell, 73 Station Road, Backwell, BS48 3LH | 2.8 miles | ~11 min | 168.7p/L | 195.7p/L | Toilets, car wash |
| TOUT'S Cleeve, 58 Main Road, Cleeve, BS49 4NR | 2.8 miles | ~11 min | 169.9p/L | n/a | Toilets |
| MFG Morrisons Bristol Hartcliffe, BS13 0BE | 3.5 miles | ~13 min | 169.9p/L | 195.9p/L | Supermarket forecourt |
| Sainsbury's, Winterstoke Road, BS3 2NS | 3.7 miles | ~14 min | 168.9p/L | 195.9p/L | Supermarket forecourt |
Prices and distances checked against live fuel-price trackers in October 2026 and change regularly, sometimes several times a month at the same forecourt, so use these as a same-day snapshot rather than a locked-in figure.
The closest option: Gulf on Bridgwater Road
The Gulf Bristol Airport Fuel Express Automat sits on the A38 (Bridgwater Road) at Barrow Gurney, on the same approach road most drivers already use to reach the terminal, car parks and Car Rental Village. It's genuinely the closest forecourt to the airport, roughly 2 miles out, and runs 24 hours a day. The trade-off is that it's an unstaffed "Automat" site: you pay at the pump with a card or the operator's app, and there's no shop, toilets or car wash, so it suits a quick top-up rather than a full stop. Over the 30 days to mid-October 2026 its price changed four times, moving down from 174.7p to 169.7p a litre for unleaded, which is typical of how often forecourt prices move.
A cheaper option a few minutes further out
If price matters more than distance, Jet Welcome Backwell on Station Road is about 2.8 miles from the airport (roughly 11 minutes), and on the same check-in date was around 1p a litre cheaper than the Gulf site, with the added benefit of toilets and a car wash on site. TOUT'S Cleeve, also 2.8 miles out on Main Road, is a similar detour. Neither adds much driving time if you're not in a rush, and the saving on a full tank, while small per litre, is worth knowing about if you're filling from empty.
Supermarket forecourts a little further out, MFG Morrisons at Hartcliffe and Sainsbury's on Winterstoke Road, both around 3.5 to 3.7 miles away, were similarly priced to Backwell on the day checked and are a reasonable option if you're already driving in from that direction.
Why this matters: rental car returns
Most hire car operators at Bristol Airport rent out on a "full to full" basis: you take the car with a full tank and are expected to hand it back the same way, or pay a refuelling charge that's usually well above the pump price. See our guide to returning a rental car at Bristol Airport for the return process itself. Filling up at the Gulf station on Bridgwater Road on your way in is the most convenient option precisely because it sits on the same road you'll already be driving to reach the Car Rental Village, so there's no detour to plan for.
If you've got a few extra minutes and want a cheaper fill before you commit to the full tank, Backwell or Cleeve are the better value stop, just build the short detour into your timing rather than leaving it to the last few minutes before your return slot.
Do you need to fill up before Bristol Airport parking?
No. Unlike a hire car, your own car doesn't need a full tank to park at Bristol Airport, whichever car park you use. Fuel only becomes relevant if you're worried about having enough to get home after your trip, in which case filling up on the way in, rather than searching for a station on a tired drive home, is the simpler plan. See our guide to Bristol Airport parking prices if you haven't settled on a car park yet.
Practical tips
- If you're returning a hire car, fill up at the Gulf station on Bridgwater Road on your final approach, since it's on the direct route to the Car Rental Village and saves a separate trip.
- If you want the cheapest fuel and have a few spare minutes, Jet Welcome Backwell or TOUT'S Cleeve, both under 3 miles out, were cheaper than the airport-adjacent Gulf site on the day checked.
- If it's the middle of the night, the Gulf Fuel Express Automat is open 24 hours and unmanned, so it's usable at any hour, but bring a working card since there's no staff to help if a payment fails.
- Always check a live price before you commit to a specific station, since forecourt prices near Bristol Airport moved multiple times in the month checked, by several pence a litre.
- Don't assume the nearest station is the cheapest. On the day checked here, it wasn't, by about a penny a litre.
Fuel prices and opening arrangements can change without notice. This guide reflects a snapshot checked in October 2026; for the current price at any of these stations, check a live fuel-price comparison app or site before you travel. If you're planning your route to the airport more broadly, see our driving directions and postcode guide.
FAQs
What is the nearest petrol station to Bristol Airport?
The Gulf Bristol Airport Fuel Express Automat on Bridgwater Road, Barrow Gurney, about 2 miles (8 minutes) from the terminal. It's open 24 hours but is an unmanned, card-pay-only site with no shop.
Is there a petrol station right at Bristol Airport?
No, there isn't one inside the airport boundary itself, but the Gulf station on Bridgwater Road (the A38) is close enough to count as an on-the-way stop for most drivers approaching the terminal, car parks or Car Rental Village.
Is the nearest petrol station to Bristol Airport the cheapest?
Not necessarily. On the day checked, Jet Welcome Backwell, about 2.8 miles out, was roughly 1p a litre cheaper than the closer Gulf station, and also has toilets and a car wash.
Do I need a full tank to park my own car at Bristol Airport?
No. Fuel level only matters for hire cars returned on a full-to-full policy. If you're parking your own car, there's no fuel requirement either way.
Where should I fill up before returning a hire car at Bristol Airport?
The Gulf station on Bridgwater Road is the most convenient, since it sits directly on the approach road to the Car Rental Village, avoiding a separate detour right before your return slot.
Is the petrol station near Bristol Airport open 24 hours?
The Gulf Bristol Airport Fuel Express Automat is open 24/7. Always check individual opening hours for other nearby stations, since not all run around the clock.