Bristol in South West England, 115 miles (185km) west of London has a characteristic hilly landscape set around the River Avon. With a population of about 500,000, it received a Royal Charter in 1155 and has been a major English city ever since.

From its earliest days, its prosperity has been linked to that of the Port of Bristol, which was in the city centre but has now moved to the Bristol Channel coast at Avonmouth. In more recent years the economy has been built on the aerospace industry, and the city centre docks have been regenerated as a centre of heritage and culture.

There are two principal railway stations in Bristol, Bristol Parkway is located to the north of the city and for quicker trains to London and Bristol there's Temple Meads located in the centre. The city is connected by road to London and Wales by the M4 motorway, and to the north and southwest by the M5. The city is also served by its own expanding airport which is 8 miles south-west of the city centre. Express buses to Temple Meads take 30 minutes.