Find buses from Bristol to Birmingham

There are around 37 buses from Bristol to Birmingham each day of the week, with roughly 45 buses each leaving on Saturdays and Sundays. This gives you around 250 buses a week on the route. They run from early in the morning on a very busy schedule, with most buses leaving at about 5-15min intervals, except for a couple in the late morning and early evening, which leave roughly an hour apart. During peak times, you could catch about eight buses per hour. These are mostly direct trips, with about 10 buses to Birmingham from Bristol stopping to make another train connection on the way. This can add an hour or two.

On weekdays, there’s an early National Express bus from Bristol to Birmingham, leaving at around 05:50. Megabus offers a route beginning at roughly 06:30, and then the rush hour gets into full swing at about 07:00, with several buses leaving between then and around 07:50, shared between these to operators. The last bus of the day leaves at around 19:25, travelling with National Express. Saturdays are not too different. The first bus to Birmingham from Bristol on Sundays leaves at about 05:45, with the same departure time for the last bus. The first buses every day take roughly 3h 25min, with the last ones taking around 1h 55min.

To board a bus from Bristol to Birmingham, you can pick a number of departure stations. Many leave from Bristol Bond Street Station, which is about 2min from the city centre by bus, travelling with First on the M1 line. A lot also depart from Bristol Bus & Coach Station, which is about 2min from central Bristol on the Stagecoach West No. 3X bus. Others leave from Bristol Frenchay Campus Station, which you can reach either on the First No. Y4 bus or with a Eurotaxis bus No. 626. This generally takes just over 15min. You can also book buses to Birmingham from Bristol directly from the centre of Bristol; they stop at Bristol Bus & Coach Station first. You’ll arrive either at Birmingham Coach Station – about 3min from the city centre on several NX West Midlands bus lines – or at Birmingham New Street Station, from which you can reach Birmingham centre in about 10min on a Line 23 bus.

The Bristol to Birmingham buses operated by National Express have trained staff on board to assist travellers who have limited-mobility needs, and you can also travel with a wheelchair, as long as you arrange this in advance with the company’s passenger assist service. Each bus has a dedicated space for a passenger travelling in a wheelchair, so book early. You’ll also enjoy free Wi-Fi on board, and each seat is equipped with its own air-conditioning controls and a USB charging point. If you book bus tickets from Bristol to Birmingham with Megabus, you can select your own seat and opt for one that has extra legroom for a small extra charge. The buses have air conditioning, and free Wi-Fi is available.

National Express has a standard luggage policy that you’ll find on most intercity buses in the UK. You can bring two items of hold luggage up to a combined weight of 44 lb, measuring no more than 12 x 18 x 28 inches. Alternatively, you can bring a single, large suitcase (up to 12 x 18 x 28 inches) with the same weight restriction. You can also take a single carry-on bag, but it must be made of a soft material. Megabus makes things a bit simpler, by allowing you to bring from one to four hold luggage items, provided the total weight is no more than 44 lb and the total dimensions don’t exceed 79 inches. You can also bring one piece of hand luggage, provided you can fit it under the seat in front or keep it on your lap.

Megabus, FlixBus, and National Express will take you from Bristol to Birmingham. Megabus has been recently found as the cheapest option from £15 return.

There’s 76.8 mi from Bristol to Birmingham. The distance via bus depends on which roads the driver takes - this can change mid-journey.

At 1h 40m, choosing to opt for a train from Bristol to Birmingham for this trip as opposed to a flight from Bristol to Birmingham or a bus from Bristol to Birmingham can save you time on travel.

Expect a bus to be one of the cheapest options available to you for travel. Currently, a bus has deals available from £12. While they may not be the most cost-effective options currently available a flight from Bristol to Birmingham or a train from Bristol to Birmingham can also be options worth looking into if other factors outside of cost are a higher priority.