It costs £1 to cross Clifton Suspension Bridge by car or motorcycle, each way. Pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users cross completely free, with no toll at all. The Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust, which owns and maintains the bridge, has applied to raise the vehicle toll to £1.50 from 1 January 2027, with automatic annual increases from April 2028, so the £1 figure is current for now but worth double-checking if you're reading this after that date.
How the toll actually works
The toll only applies to vehicles. If you're walking or cycling across, which is how most visitors experience the bridge, you pay nothing at all. Drivers pay £1 per crossing, not per round trip, so a there-and-back trip by car costs £2 in total. Motorcycles are charged the same £1 rate as cars. The bridge uses a barrier and coin machines at each end; keep a pound coin or two handy if you're driving across, since not every barrier accepts cards.
Toll rates at a glance
| Vehicle type | Current toll (each way) | Proposed toll from 1 Jan 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Cars and other vehicles (Class 1) | £1.00 | £1.50 |
| Motorcycles (Class 2) | £1.00 | £1.50 |
| Pedestrians, pedal cycles, wheelchairs (Class 3) | Free | Free |
The Trust's proposal, submitted under the Transport Charges &c. (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1954, also seeks powers to adjust the toll automatically each year from April 2028 in line with the Construction Output Price Index, rather than needing a fresh public application every time. Any change still needs sign-off from the Secretary of State for Transport before it takes effect.
Do you actually need to drive across?
For most visitors, no. The bridge is a short, flat, free walk if you're staying anywhere near Clifton or the Harbourside, and walking gives you the best views of the Avon Gorge anyway rather than a quick drive-through. Driving only makes sense if you're genuinely using the bridge as a route between Clifton and Leigh Woods or North Somerset, rather than visiting it as a sight. If you are driving over to explore, our Clifton guide covers where to park on the Clifton side, since the bridge itself has no visitor car park.
Why there's a toll at all
Clifton Suspension Bridge is privately maintained by the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust, an independent charitable trust, not Bristol City Council or National Highways. The vehicle toll is effectively how the 19th-century structure, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and opened in 1864, pays for its own upkeep, inspections and repairs. Pedestrian and cycle access stays free because the Trust's founding legislation fixes that class of user at nil, which is also why campaigners and the Trust itself have pushed back on past suggestions the toll might ever extend to walkers.
Visiting without a car
If you don't want to deal with the toll or parking at all, the bridge is walkable from Clifton Village, the Harbourside and the Clifton Observatory, and several bus routes stop within a short walk of either end. For the fuller picture on getting around without driving, see our getting around Bristol without a car guide.