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PARKING IN CARDIFF
Cardiff has plenty of parking options, from city centre multi-storeys to neighbourhood car parks and Cardiff Bay. Council-run car parks in the neighbourhoods offer the first 30 minutes free, and Blue Badge holders park free at any council car park, including in the city centre. NCP’s Saver ID (VISITCARDIFF) gets you a discount at most of their central sites. If you’d rather leave the car behind, Cardiff’s train, bus and Park & Ride links make it easy to reach the city centre without driving in.
OUR CITY CENTRE CAR PARKING MAP
Cardiff city centre car parks
| NCP Dumfries Place, 955 bays NCP Knox Road, 747 bays NCP Adam Street, 428 bays NCP Pellett Street, 296 bays NCP Rapports, 131 bays NCP Stadium, 82 bays |
Cardiff Council Sophia Gardens, 284 bays Cardiff Council North Road, 189 bays Cardiff Council Castle Mews, 48 bays APCOA Central Station, 681 bays APCOA The Capitol, 388 bays |
Q-Park Greyfriars, 254 bays St David’s Dewi Sant, 2000 bays John Lewis & Partners, 555 bays Q-Park Westgate Street, 330 bays |
Cardiff on-street parking
| City Centre North (Civic Centre): | City Centre East: | City Centre South & West (Riverside): |
| Museum Avenue, 373 bays King Edward VII Avenue, 308 bays College Road, 136 bays Park Place, 115 bays Saint Andrew’s Crescent, 52 bays Gorsedd Gardens Road, 31 bays City Hall Road, 30 bays Park Grove, 28 bays Museum Place, 23 bays |
The Parade, 97 bays East Grove, 57 bays Howard Place, 28 bays Fitzalan Road, 25 bays West Grove, 23 bays Davis Street, 21 bays Windsor Road, 18 bays Howard Gardens, 16 bays |
Pendyris Street, 65 bays Taffs Mead Embankment, 50 bays Fitzhamon Embankment, 36 bays Dumballs Road, 26 bays Trade Street, 23 bays Bute Street, 21 bays Taff Embankment, 20 bays Callaghan Square, 14 bays |
Cardiff Bay car parks
There are a few large car parks in Cardiff Bay with Q-Park Cardiff Bay, 1239 bays, opposite the Wales Millennium Centre the biggest. The newest is the rebuilt Mermaid Quay, 679 bays, and there is also Havannah Street, 238 bays, which backs onto the Wetlands.
Hotels with paid parking for guests
In the city centre; Leonardo, Novotel, Holland House by Sunday, Marriott, Majestic Hotel and Holiday Inn have paid parking available for guests. In Cardiff Bay, voco St David’s, IHG has paid parking for guests, while Future Inn has free parking for guests.
Cardiff neighbourhoods parking
Heath – Heath Park, 243 bays; Heathwood Lane, 30 bays; Heath Park Model Railway, 38 bays
Pontcanna – Pontcanna Fields, 142 bays; Llandaff Fields, 80 bays
Canton – Gray Street, 110 bays; Harvey Street, 78 bays; Severn Road, 102 bays; Wellington Street, 39 bays
Llandaff – Llandaff High Street, 81 bays
Roath – Penylan Library, 52 bays
Whitchurch – Merthyr Road, 73 bays; Penlline Road, 57 bays
Park & Ride
Cardiff doesn’t have a park and bus ride into the city centre, however you can park for free at many suburb railway stations and catch the train into Cardiff Central or Cardiff Queen Street. From the motorway, you can exit at J32 for Taffs Well station or J27 for Pye Corner station. An alternative way of avoiding driving into and around the city centre, is parking at Cardiff Bay, and using the Baycar bus or a train from Cardiff Bay station for the last part of your journey. More info: Cardiff Park and Ride | Transport for Wales
Paying for on-street parking & council car parks
There’s many ways to pay:
- Use a parking ticket machine (cash or card)
- Use the MiPermit app on Android or iPhone. More info.
- Use the MiPermit portal website. More info.
- Call 0333 123 6006, providing the nearest location number to where you’ve parked. More info.
- Text ‘PARK’ and your vehicle registration number to 61600. MiPermit will call you back to arrange your payment. More info.
NCP Car Parks & NCP App
Cardiff is home to central car parks operated by NCP and you can get cheaper NCP parking in the city with Visit Cardiff! Book via the NCP app and enter the Saver ID, VISITCARDIFF for a great discount (not available during major events).
You can also use the NCP app to pre-book most of the city’s NCP car parks. NCP is currently being operated by their administrator, so you can park as normal, although some NCP locations have moved to new operators.
Disabled Car Parking
For parking spaces, you can use the MiPermit app to find car parking then display your Blue Badge to park in these for free. While Cardiff Council car parks offer free parking for badgeholders, other car parks may offer disabled parking spaces but require payment.
Note: during major event days, Sophia Gardens is usually recommended for disabled guests and during major event days, all car park users in Sophia Gardens are required to pay for parking.
Charge Up
If you’re bringing an electric car, then NCP’s Greyfrairs, Pellet Street and Dumfries Place also have charging facilities. If you’re staying at Marriott Hotel, they have charging points for guests. Additional costs might apply for this.
Parking for Other Vehicles
Sophia Gardens (9 mins walking distance from Principality Stadium) is ideal for parking motorhomes, coaches and vans. For coaches, please see our coach parking guide. For bikes, please see our secure cycle parking guide.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
As in most cities and larger towns, it is expected that you’ll be required to pay for parking in our city centre, however some of the on-street parking is only chargeable during 9am-6pm, generously allowing for free evening parking.
Yes, Blue Badge holders park free in all Cardiff Council car parks, though on major event days tariffs apply to everyone, including badge holders. Private operators like NCP and Q-Park often still charge or have separate rules.
Sophia Gardens car park is set up for larger vehicles, including coaches, motorhomes and vans, and sits 9 minutes’ walk from Principality Stadium.
Council-run options include North Road, Sophia Gardens, Pontcanna Fields, Severn Road and Penlline Road. NCP’s Greyfriars, Pellet Street and Dumfries Place car parks also have charging bays.
Yes, entering the code VISITCARDIFF in the NCP app gets a discount at most NCP car parks in the city, though this isn’t available during major events.
Use a ticket machine, the MiPermit app or website, call MiPermit on 0333 123 6006, or text PARK plus your registration to 61600.
Yes, at council car parks like North Road and Pontcanna Fields, Sunday pricing is capped lower than weekday rates — for example, up to 4 hours costs £1.50 rather than £5.
PLAN YOUR VISIT TO CARDIFF
Find out everything you need to know before heading to the Welsh capital.
