Car Recovery in Bristol

Planned car moves to a Bristol garage, on the day you choose

Book the move around the garage's diary. Request a quote for a planned move, choose "On or by a specific date" in the quote form and pick the collection day on the calendar, or choose "I'm flexible" if the garage hasn't fixed a slot yet, and give the pickup address with the garage's name and address. Tell us your preferred destination and check it can accept the car. Confirm any waiting, storage or onward move before booking. Say where the keys will be and whether someone will be at the pickup and at the garage.

That suits a car that failed its MOT in Brislington, one that has sat outside a house in Bishopston with a warning light, or one booked in with a specialist in another town for a repair.

Example scenario, not a real job: a car in Southville won't start and the owner wants it at a garage near Filton, north of the city. What shapes that quote: the two addresses, whether the car rolls and steers, whether the street it's parked on is narrow, and whether the garage is open when the car arrives.

Longer-distance recovery is quoted for the route and the vehicle, so a move from Bristol to a dealer in another city is priced for that journey before you accept.

Bristol pickups by motorway, station and car park

Bristol sits just south of where the M4 and the M5 meet, with the M32 running from the M4 into the centre. A clear description of the pickup helps the quote fit the job.

• Near the Almondsbury Interchange. Once you're safe, send which motorway you're on, the direction, the last junction you passed and the marker post number. The interchange is M4 junction 20 and M5 junction 15.
• On the M32. Say whether the car is still on the motorway or past junction 3, where the road becomes the A4032 Newfoundland Way, and which lane it stopped in.
• At Bristol Parkway or Temple Meads. Name the station, the car park and the row or level. Parkway is in Stoke Gifford.
• In a multi-storey or shopping centre car park. Send the car park's name, the level, the height shown at the entrance and a photo of the access point, for example at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway. For a low car or one that won't roll, the network can match a low loader, wheel skates or a winch to the details you give.
• The car itself. Say whether it starts, rolls and steers, whether the wheels or steering are locked, where the keys are, and whether it's an automatic, electric or hybrid.

How a Bristol recovery quote is put together

Your quote depends on the pickup and drop-off, the car's condition, access and operator availability. You see the total for your job before you accept.

For an indication, a local tow up to 10 miles typically costs £50 to £150, and a jump start typically costs £50 to £100. These are indicative ranges, not a national tariff, and they include Snap's booking fee.

What you get is one quote. Snap assesses the job, contacts suitable operators for prices and availability, and sends a single quote showing Snap's booking fee and the operator's charge separately. Nothing is booked until you accept, and you can turn it down. Because the quote is based on your description, a car that won't roll, a spot a vehicle can't reach or a different car from the one described can change the price. For a Bristol job, mention a narrow residential street, a car park level, a motorway pickup or a drop-off outside the city. More on how recovery prices are built up.

Where in and around Bristol you can request a pickup

Pickups can be anywhere from Clifton, Hotwells and Redland to Bedminster, Southville and Totterdown, and out to Easton, Brislington, Southmead and Avonmouth. Filton, just north of the city, is in South Gloucestershire, and a pickup there works the same way. BS1 to BS11 and BS13 to BS16 cover the city, with BS34 for Filton and Stoke Gifford.

Each request is checked against operator availability for that pickup before a quote goes out.

Bristol's Clean Air Zone covers a small central area and charges private petrol and diesel cars that don't meet its emission standards. If the car was driven into the zone before it broke down, check its registration on the government's clean air zone vehicle checker.

Paying for recovery arranged in Bristol

The quote is free to ask for. If you go ahead:

• Send the request whenever you need to: requests are handled 24/7, round the clock.
• Pay Snap's booking fee by bank transfer, using the bank details on your tracking page. Snap doesn't take card payments on this website. You get a receipt for your booking fee.
• The operator's details and an estimated arrival time then come by SMS or WhatsApp.
• The operator's charge is paid to the operator when the job is done.
• Cancel within 15 minutes of confirming, or before an operator is assigned, whichever comes first, and the booking fee is refunded in full. See paying for your booking, and cancelling a booking.

Bristol recovery questions before you book

Can a car be collected from a car park at Cribbs Causeway or a Bristol station?

You can request a quote for it. Name the car park, the level or row, and the height shown at the entrance, add a photo of the access point, and say whether the car rolls. The quote is built on those access details.

Can my car be taken from Bristol to a garage in another town?

Yes. Give the garage's name and address, check it can accept the car when it arrives, and confirm any waiting or storage before you book. Longer-distance recovery is quoted for the route and the vehicle, and you see the total before you accept.

My car won't start or roll outside my house in Bristol. What should I include?

Say whether it starts, rolls and steers, whether the wheels or steering are locked, whether it's an automatic, and where the keys are. Describe the street: a narrow road, a steep drive or parked cars nearby. Add photos. The quote is built on those details.

Who should I contact first after a collision on the M32?

If anyone is hurt or in danger, call 999. Once you're safe, contact your insurer using your policy documents, and ask whether they arrange recovery. If you're arranging recovery yourself, send the junction, the direction, the damage and photos, and it's quoted for the damage, access and journey.

Can a Bristol garage move be timed around a booked repair?

Yes. Request a quote for a planned move and choose the collection day on the quote form's calendar. Check with the garage that it's open and can take the car that day, and say where the keys will be.

More help for Bristol drivers: services and other cities

Towing and recovery · Breakdown assistance · Accident recovery · Jump start · Recovery cost guide · Help guides

Other areas: Birmingham · Coventry · London · Areas Snap covers