TICKETS
Terrace: Adults £15, Seniors (Over 65's), Students and 16-21 year olds £8.
Covered Seating: Adults £17.50, Seniors (Over 65's), Students and 16-21 year olds £9.50.
Under-16's FREE if accompanied by an adult.
Last season 295 made the trip on a Tuesday night, expect more this time!
ALL PRICES RISE BY TWO POUNDS IF BOUGHT ON THE DAY.
COACH
For the latest news and prices and pick-up points for the supporters club coaches click on www.shrimperstrust.co.uk/default.asp?page_id=567
For an alternative journey keep up to date with SoL Travel at www.theshrimpers-online.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=8.
National Express coaches have reintroduced £3 fares on some routes from London Victoria, still missing those pounders though, and introduced a 50p booking fee, but if you can grab one it may be worth the Travelcard cost if you value some independence but if you own a season ticket or live in London it's definitely worth checking their site for most away games.
Bristol coach station is right in the centre of town and a good 30-40 minute walk to the ground but a straight line up!
From the arrow go north up Cotham Brow and you'll on your way, but via Highbury Hill first for a pint!
There is a £3 fare available at www.nationalexpress.co.uk but you'll be in at 10.30 am! Best to pay £7 or £8 and take the 2 hour 30 minute journey, a full hour longer than the train but depending on the M4 behaving, on the 9.00, 10.00 or 11.00.
Back, it's all a fiver with choices with the best choice the 18.45-21.20.
Stagecoach also go into Bristol Colston Street from Victoria, offers on www.megabus.co.uk. There's a £4 left if you'll fit and catch the 17.30-20.00, other services from £6 with the 10.30 getting in at 13.00 going out. Also charges a 50p booking fee.
TRAIN
Not quite a Yeovil but working on it! Filton Abbey Wood is the nearest station, 20-25 minute walk, and only 4 mts. from Bristol Parkway. It can be cheaper to buy a single from London to Parkway and then a £1.70 return to Abbey Wood than a fare straight through, daft! The services to aim for, there's only one an hour, is the 13.19 in at 13.23 and back, 17.48/17.52, in time for the Parkway services after 18.00.
Bristol Parkway is the best Bristol station for Rovers, Temple Mead for City, but it's a long walk. I know, I've done it, but it's nice not to be running for the last train back to London after years of midweek fixtures, Saturday at last for the first time since Freddie's hat-trick against City or for Rovers, Gower's equaliser.
Fares are proving more expensive than Temple Meads due to less trains on the service from Paddington. There's still £13.50 available on the 11.30/12.59 or 12.30/13.59 but back it's now £17 for the 18.02/19.30 and 19.02/20.30.
Cab is best but can get caught up in traffic so jump out when you see the floodlights, plenty of pubs on the way! Or jump on the No. 73 or 74 buses at the stop right outside the station, both go past the stadium.
The advantage of Temple Meads, along with the fare situation, is that you get dropped off in the centre of town, so better choice of pubs! There are always cabs, but add a tenner than from Parkway and the buses from the Marlborough St. bus station. So can be done of course but the other side of town from the ground and Parkway.
Get out there for £13.50 on the 11.00/12.43, 11.30/13.14, other services from £17. Back for a tenner on the 18.03/19.42, 19.35/21.17 or £13.50, 18.35/20.17.
(All prices and times given are correct as of Thursday October 9 2008)
ROAD
Fill in the details from your home postcode to Bristol Rovers FC here for a full route plan www.theaa.com/travelwatch/planner_main.jsp but for an edited version;
Approx. 174 miles, 3 hours.
Join M25 leaving at Junction 15. Join M4, leave J19. Join M32, leave J2. Join B4058 then B4469. Turn left into Downend Road, (see map below), turn right onto Alton Road. There is a fair amount of street parking available away from the ground.
Just try and avoid the city centre and one of the world's worst one way systems!
The ground's at Filton Avenue and north of the town centre, this shows the way if walking from Bristol Parkway, not recommended!
FOOD AND DRINK
A glorious selection but the pub of choice if coming into the town centre is the Highbury Vaults at the top of St. Michaels Hill.
For a decent choice near the ground also click onto the Pub Crawl in Bristol: www.thelittlegazette.com/news/loadsngl.asp?cid=EDW8
SHORT BREAKS
Bristol is a great area with plenty of accomodation within a decent distance of the ground. In fact the city of Bristol itself, as with most places with a high student population, is recommended for a short stay if you have any holiday left or just a long weekend.
If you require hotel accommodation in the area then first try a hotel booking service provided by Football Hotels who are powered by Activehotels, who specialise in locating accommodation near or within a short travelling distance of the football ground. They also have the added advantage over some other hotel booking services that you pay on departure. Yes this site will earn a small commission if you book through them, but it will go to help with the running costs of keeping the Guide going. To access their Bristol Rovers page click here.
(Thanks to the Internet Ground Guide, www.footballgroundguide.com/brisrvrs.htm, and DoDtS's excellent Shrimperzone Away Travel section, www.shrimperzone.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=24, for their help in preparing this article.)