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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.
OUR WEEKEND PARK & RIDE SERVICE FOR CHRISTMAS 2024
Between 29 November and 22 December 2024, FOR Cardiff and Cardiff Council are operating a weekend park and ride service for those heading into the city centre to shop or visit attractions. Park at Q-Park Cardiff Bay and catch the bus from outside Wales Millennium Centre every 15 minutes, dropping off behind Cardiff Central Library.
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 COACH
An easy and affordable to travel to Cardiff. National Express offer regular services from London and along the M4 corridor, as well as to Birmingham, and from Heathrow, Gatwick and Bristol airports.
Megabus multiple daily services connect Cardiff with over a dozen UK cities and airports. Flixbus offer a twice-daily service from London, while TrawsCymru run a daily service from mid Wales and Big Green Coach run coaches to Cardiff’s major concerts. For hire, Mainline have a modern fleet of coaches with sizes ranging from 8 to 75 seats, and more than 40 years of national and international travel experience.
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 BIKE
For a much more active way to get to Cardiff, why don’t you get on your bike? If you’re coming from the south of England, then use the M48 cycle bridge and follow the A48 into the city centre.
The Taff Trail (NCN 8) is a great way to enter Cardiff from the Rhondda valleys. You can also use the National Cycle Network, the A-road network (unless stated), or a combination of both, to make your way to our capital.
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.
