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CARDIFF HAS STRONG TRANSPORT LINKS, SO TRAVELLING HERE COULDN’T BE EASIER.
Cardiff is an easily accessible city. With so many ways to travel here, there’s really no excuse not to pay us a visit. Cardiff has it’s very own airport; high-speed rail links from London; the M4 motorway passes the north of the city; and you can even arrive on a ship! We’d love to welcome you, so what are you waiting for?
If you need advice for getting around Cardiff, parking your car, or anything else head over to our visitor information page.
WHERE IS CARDIFF?
Cardiff – in Welsh ‘Caerdydd’ – is the capital city of Wales and is located on the Southern coast of Wales. Wales is one of four countries within the United Kingdom of Great Britain, along with Scotland, England, and Northern Ireland.
More specifically, Cardiff is located within the historic county of Glamorgan on the Bristol Channel, at the mouth of the River Taff, about 150 miles (240 km) west of London.
BY AIR
Cardiff Airport offers direct flights all year round from capital cities such as Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam, along with many other European destinations, as well as connecting routes to hundreds of destinations worldwide.
The Airport is located in the Vale of Glamorgan, 13 miles to the west of Cardiff. Customers can travel to and from the airport with ease by using public transport, which runs regularly and frequently.
BY TRAIN
Cardiff is less than two hours from London by train, with services every 30 minutes. Cardiff Central station is conveniently located in the city centre, close to many hotels and top attractions like the Principality Stadium and Cardiff Castle.
Transport for Wales Rail run services within Wales and an hourly service from Manchester. Great Western Railway directly connect Cardiff with London, Bristol, Bath, Southampton, Portsmouth, Reading and Exeter. CrossCountry run an hourly service from Birmingham and Nottingham.
BY CAR
Cardiff is easily accessible via the M4 motorway, which runs through the north of the city, with central London only a 3 hour drive away. From the Midlands, the North of England and Scotland it is a straightforward drive via the M6, M5 and M50/M4. From the South and South West of England the approach is by the M5 and M4. Access from West Wales is by the M4.
You can find lots of conveniently located car parks in the city centre, Cardiff Bay and our neighbourhoods.
BY COACH
It’s easy and affordable to travel to Cardiff by coach, so why not rest up and enjoy a leisurely ride to the Welsh capital? National Express offer regular services from cities such as London, Birmingham and Swansea along with direct connections to the airports in Heathrow, Gatwick and Bristol. Board from their dedicated coach station in the scenic Sophia Gardens.
Megabus run services that connect Cardiff with the cities across the UK including Bristol, Birmingham, Canterbury, Hull, Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham, Reading, Sheffield, Swansea and York; alongside Heathrow and Gatwick airports. Flixbus are the newest coach operator to the city, offering a daily service from London.
BY SEA
Did you know that you can sail to Cardiff? The Cardiff Harbour Authority is responsible for the operation of the Cardiff Bay Barrage. For all access and navigational information visit the Cardiff Harbour Authority website. There are short-term moorings in Cardiff Bay and moorings available in nearby Penarth.
If you’re arriving in the UK by ferry at Portsmouth or Southampton, there are direct train connections from these port cities to Cardiff. The ferry ports also link with the national motorway system to provide fast access to Cardiff. You can also travel by ferry from Rosslare in Ireland to either Fishguard or Pembroke in West Wales. These ports then connect to Cardiff by train and road.
