Walking: Bristol's centre is best explored on foot. The distances involved are not huge, and the congestion on the roads, as well as the one-way systems, can make driving in town frustrating. It's easy to get around the harbourside area and the Broadmead shopping centre on foot - to get to the picturesque suburb of Clifton, you can walk from the centre up a steep hill for a couple of miles, or take a short bus ride (see below). For walking directions, try walkit.com.
Buses: Intercity buses and coaches, including National Express, arrive at the central bus station on Marlborough Street. Local buses, the majority run by First Bus, depart from various locations in the central area. Many leave from the intersection outside the Hippodrome theatre (marked as Colston Avenue/St. Augustine's Parade on maps). This area is known locally as simply, "The Centre". The routes tend to radiate from the centre to the suburbs.
The local bus services are rather expensive compared to some other English cities and their reliability and punctuality can vary considerably both by route and by the time of year. So if you're visiting as a tourist, a good bet is the Number 8 and 9 buses that depart from outside Temple Meads station (as well passing through the centre of town). This route is among the most frequent and reliable in the city. They will take you up to the Clifton Suspension Bridge, as well as other popular spots like Clifton Village and Park Street with its boutique shops.
Fares are cheapest after 9am, and all except season tickets can be purchased on the bus. Change is given, but no notes are accepted above £10. Single tickets only cover you getting on one bus (likewise a return covers one bus to your destination, and one bus back), so if you need to change buses to reach your destination, it's probably worth investing in a day ticket - check with the bus driver. There are lots of different tickets available, especially after 9am (off-peak) and can be good value, especially if travelling with children. For regular travellers, weekly or monthly season tickets or multiple single trip tickets are worthwhile.
On Friday and Saturday nights, night buses (known as "Night Flyers") run hourly between midnight and 6am along eight routes, departing from the area outside the Hippodrome on the hour. Although the central area can be a bit intimidating at night, with a lot of loud drunk people around (especially on Fridays), these night buses have security on board and are pretty safe. Often people are quite chatty!
Cycling: Cyclists are not particularly well catered for around Bristol, although there are an increasing number of bus lanes and cycle paths. There are a few communal cycle racks around the centre, but lock up well or your bike WILL get stolen! There are plenty of lovely places to take your bike outside the centre though, and the cycle/walk to Bath by the River Avon is pleasant on a summer's day.
Ferries: Regular daytime ferries and water taxis connect the harbourside area of Bristol with Temple Meads. Timetable and fare information is available at stops around the harbour, including the SS Great Britain and the area by the fountain. Fares are REDUCED during rush hour! And it's quite a fun way to get around, particularly in the summer. Other companies offer leisure boat trips along the Avon - check out the tourist information office for details.
Air travel and airport links: Bristol has an international airport with increasing links to Europe and further afield - there is now a daily scheduled flight from Bristol to New York. Cheap flights are available with Easyjet to a number of UK and European destinations (book well in advance for the cheapest seats), and it is well-connected should you want to fly within in the south-west of England. The airport is around 20 minutes' drive from the centre of Bristol - hire car firms are available on site. At the time of writing, a taxi cost approximately £17 to the city centre. A bus link also runs regularly during the day between the airport, the main train station and the bus station. The driver will drop you off at any local bus stop on the route, though buses will only pick up at interim stops on the way out to the airport. Some services also drop off in Clifton.
Trains: Some services go via Bristol Parkway, to the north of the city, but the main train station in Bristol is Temple Meads. This connects both local and intercity services, with very frequent daytime services to London and Cardiff. Cross-country services also stop here, so it's very easy to get around. Some local services also operate to small suburban stations around Bristol, although many of these are too infrequent to be useful, and walking or bus is a better option. By far the simplest way to get to Bath from Bristol is by train - the journey takes approximately 10 minutes.
Taxis: Taxis are expensive in Bristol - it seems that no fare costs less than £5. As with all British cities, you can either hail a licensed cab on the street or call for a minicab - reputable firms include Swiftline and Yellow Cabs.
Cars: - Bristol has the most cars in the UK for an area of its size, and talk of a congestion charge (charging all cars entering the central zone) refuses to go away - one is likely to be introduced in the next few years. If you feel the need to use a car, be aware that the city centre is very busy, particularly in rush hour, and much of it is one-way. There are several central multi-storey car parks (well signposted), and almost all street parking in the centre requires you to buy a ticket at the nearby machine and display it in the windscreen. Confusingly, you need to enter the digits from your number plate before you can put any money into the machine!
Most machines allow a maximum stay of a couple of hours, and parking attendants are rife, so chances are you will get fined if you're late back to your car. Most street-side machines will not give change, although multi-storey car parks sometimes do, and a few now support credit cards.
Going further afield, Bristol has easy access to the motorway network, with the M32/M4 (east-west access to London and Wales) and the M5 (north/south to Devon and Birmingham). However, be warned that in the summer months, particularly at weekends, the M5 around Bristol is prone to traffic jams, with huge numbers of holidaymakers heading for the beaches of Devon and Cornwall in their caravans.