GETTING TO WALES

Airlines

Since Wales is readily accessible by land and air from London Heathrow and Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester, it is best to fly into one of these cities and then drive or take the train into Wales. Driving time from London is to Cardiff, for example, takes only a few hours, with trains making the same trip in two hours.

Car

Rental cars from a wide selection of companies are available throughout the United Kingdom, with consequently variable driving times to Cardiff and other Welsh destinations.

Here are some sample driving times to Cardiff from a selection of starting points:

Birmingham to Cardiff: 110 miles, 2 hrs 10 mins 

Bristol to Cardiff: 48 miles, 59 mins

Heathrow to Cardiff: 138 miles, 2 hrs 20 mins

Manchester to Cardiff: 189 miles, 3 hrs 38 mins

These distances and times were provided on the website of the Automobile Association in the United Kingdom. For miles and times from additional UK departure points to other destinations in Wales, consult the AA.

Rail

The two-hour rail trip from London’s Paddington Station departs every half hour and takes a little over two hours. Here is a sampling of other trains available:

Birmingham to the North Wales coast and the Llŷn Peninsula

Crewe to the North Wales coast and the Llŷn Peninsula

London Euston to Llandudno, Bangor and Holyhead

Manchester to Llandudno, Bangor, Holyhead and Newport

Portsmouth, Southampton and Salisbury to Cardiff

Shrewsbury to Newport

Note that if you fly into Gatwick from outside the U.K., you will have to take a train into Victoria Station, then the Underground to either Paddington or Euston to board a train for Wales.

Further more detailed rail schedules and information are available from National Rail and Trainline.

Buses 

National Express provides express coach services to Wales from points of origin all over the United Kingdom. An alternative is Megabus, which offers low-cost service from some major U.K. cities to various destinations in Wales.