Shipshape and Bristol Fashion

Local departure by coach or Home Connect service then on to Bristol and the centrally located Mercure Holland House for a four-night stay.

No visit to Bristol would be complete without acknowledging its maritime history. Our boat tour of Bristol’s floating harbour is a great way to get to know the city’s past and present.

The maritime theme then continues with a visit to the SS Great Britain, a museum ship and former passenger steamship, which was advanced for her time. She was the longest passenger ship in the world from 1845 to 1854, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Steamship Company's transatlantic service between Bristol and New York City.

Relax at your hotel, explore Bristol’s maritime heritage some more, or join our optional excursion to Bath.

Situated on the River Avon, between the Cotswolds and the Mendip Hills, Bath’s striking architecture and sweeping Georgian terraces combine to produce one of the most elegant cities in Europe. Attractions include the Abbey, Victoria Art Gallery, the Royal Crescent, Pulteney Bridge and the Roman Baths which in Georgian times were the focal point of out-of-town London activity.

We head across the River Severn and enjoy a relaxing, nostalgic journey along the Dean Forest Railway behind one of their steam locomotives. Your nine-mile round trip will last approximately 85 minutes along the forest line, beginning at Norchard Station and travelling south to Lydney Junction and north to Parkend, before returning to Norchard.

Return home.