Travelling to Bristol for a Tattoo

A lot of my clients travel a long way for their tattoo, from all over the UK and from abroad. This page is how a trip works: booking the days, getting to the studio, where to stay, and healing on the way home.

I work from a private studio in Clifton, Bristol, one client at a time, on large custom blackwork, geometric and blackout pieces. Most of it is sleeves, backs and legs, booked in full-day sessions. If you're coming from a distance, the plan is to make the trip count: a proper block of days, everything sorted before you arrive.

Who travels, and why

People travel for the big pieces: a sleeve, a back, a full leg, the work you'll see on yourself every day from now on. When you're putting that much time and money into your own skin, you go to the artist whose work you want, even if that means a train or a flight.

That's how collectors think, and it's how I think. I've sat for plenty of big work myself, and a few times a year I cross the country to get tattooed by the artists I trust. Serious collectors go further and fly across the world for one artist.

I only do blackwork and geometry. No colour, no lettering, no realism. I design the piece on your body, freehand and with stencils, built around the shape of your body. I'm obsessed with composition and with tattoos that read clearly, and I like bold work because it ages best. That's what people come here for, from all over the UK and from abroad, and we plan the trip so it's worth coming.

How a multi-day booking works

For geometric and blackwork pieces, we book consecutive full days. Two or three days in a row gets a lot done on a sleeve, and it saves you a second trip. As a guide, geometry-based sleeves usually take four to seven sessions, so a bigger project is often two trips rather than one.

Blackout work is different. Solid black needs time to settle, so I space blackout sessions out rather than stacking them. A blackout sleeve is usually three or four half-day sessions, and we plan the gaps around your travel.

The day runs from the morning until late afternoon, with a half-hour lunch break around 1pm. There are numerous cafes and restaurants within a few minutes' walk.

Before you travel

• Consultation by video. Consultations are free. Most travelling clients do it over a video call, then come for the sessions.
• Deposit. A deposit secures your dates. It's not an extra cost, it comes off your final session.
• Design on the day. Nothing to approve in advance. I design the piece on your body at the start of the first session, freehand and stencil, around your idea and what we agreed at the consultation. If you'd rather see options first, there's a pre-design package.
• Sleep, eat, hydrate. Full days are long. Arrive rested, have breakfast, and bring anything you like to have with you.

Getting to the studio

The studio is at 39 Alma Vale Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2HL. It's a three-minute walk from Clifton Down station, a short local train from Bristol Temple Meads. Direct trains run to Temple Meads from London Paddington, and Bristol has its own airport. If you're driving, I have a parking permit for clients, so you can park outside the studio. There are numerous cafes around the area for coffee and lunch.

Where to stay

Stay in Clifton and you can walk to the studio. The closest places to the door:

• The Alma Taverns Boutique Suites, rooms above the Alma Tavern on Alma Vale Road. One minute from the studio, same street.
• The Clifton Hotel, on St Paul's Road. About five minutes on foot, and where a lot of my clients stay.
• The Channings, a Clifton townhouse hotel with a pub and restaurant on Pembroke Road. A few minutes on foot.
• The Washington Guesthouse, a Victorian B&B with breakfast, next door to The Clifton Hotel on St Paul's Road.

There are plenty more hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments around Clifton if you're staying for a block of days. Ask when you book and I'll point you to the right one for your budget.

Healing on the way home

You can travel the day after a session. Keep the tattoo clean and dry, keep it out of the sun, and stay out of pools and saunas until it's healed. A blackout is essentially a big open wound while it heals, usually around two weeks, so plan the trip home with that in mind. I take you through the full routine in the chair, and it's all written up in my aftercare guide, with day-by-day videos.

Common questions

Do people travel to Bristol to get tattooed by you?

Yes. I have clients from all over the UK and international clients who fly in for their work. The studio is set up for it: private, one-to-one, and a three-minute walk from Clifton Down station.

Can I book several days in a row?

For geometric and blackwork pieces, yes. Booking two or three consecutive full days is the usual way to make a trip worth it. Blackout sessions are the exception: solid black needs time to settle, so I space those out rather than doing them back to back.

Do I need to come to Bristol for the consultation?

No. Consultations are free and can be done over video call. In person is nicer if you're already in Bristol, but most travelling clients do the consultation by video, then come for the sessions.

How do I get to the studio?

The studio is at 39 Alma Vale Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2HL. It's a three-minute walk from Clifton Down station, which is a short local train ride from Bristol Temple Meads. Direct trains run from London Paddington to Temple Meads, and Bristol has its own airport. If you drive, I have a parking permit for clients, so you can park outside the studio.

Where should I stay?

Clifton, so you can walk to the studio. The closest are The Alma Taverns Boutique Suites on the same road, The Clifton Hotel on St Paul's Road, about five minutes on foot and where a lot of my clients stay, The Channings on Pembroke Road, and The Washington Guesthouse next to The Clifton Hotel. Ask when you book and I'll point you to the right one for your budget.

Can I fly home the day after a session?

Yes. Keep the tattoo clean and dry, keep it out of the sun, and skip pools and saunas until it's healed. A blackout is essentially a big open wound while it heals, usually around two weeks, so plan the trip home with that in mind. The full routine is in my aftercare guide.

How do I book a trip?

Send your idea and photos of the area through the enquiry form. We do a video consultation, I quote the project, and a deposit secures your dates. The deposit isn't an extra cost, it comes off your final session.

About Si

I'm Si, a custom blackwork, geometric and blackout tattoo artist in Bristol. I've been tattooing for over ten years, working alone from a private studio on bold custom pieces. There's behind-the-scenes work and aftercare on my YouTube, and my latest pieces on Instagram.