Getting Around Cardiff: A Practical Guide for Visitors
Cardiff, the capital of Wales, is a major centre for employment, government, retail, business, culture, media, sport and higher education. The city offers visitors multiple transport options for getting around, from walking and cycling to an extensive network of buses, trains, and water transport.
On Foot
Much of Cardiff is highly walkable. The city centre features several pedestrianised shopping areas, including parts of St Mary's Street, The Hayes and Queen Street, where you can move freely without vehicular traffic. The walk between the city centre and Cardiff Bay is approximately one mile along flat, roadside pavements, making it manageable on foot. Attractions in both the city centre and Cardiff Bay are signposted to help you navigate.
By Bike
Cardiff's flat terrain and network of signposted cycling routes make it bike-friendly. Many routes are segregated from other traffic. There are three major off-road cycle routes following the city's rivers:
- The Taff Trail (National Cycle Network Route 8) runs south to north from Cardiff Bay through the city centre, Llandaff and onwards to Brecon, with connections to North Wales.
- The Ely Trail runs west to east from St Fagans through Fairwater and Leckwith to Cardiff Bay, with a connection to Penarth via the Pont y Werin cyclist bridge.
- The Rhymney Trail follows the River Rhymney east to west in Pentwyn and Llanrumney.
Rail and Metro Network
Cardiff has an extensive rail network with two main stations as hubs:
- Cardiff Central - the main long-distance station, serves national routes to London Paddington (via Bristol Parkway), Swansea, West Wales, and other UK cities including Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester, Southampton and Portsmouth. It also connects to North Wales via routes to Wrexham, Llandudno and Holyhead.
- Cardiff Queen Street - the hub of the suburban rail network.
Both stations are operated by Transport for Wales and controlled by ticket barriers. You can buy tickets at staffed ticket offices (available during daytime hours) or at vending machines.
Cardiff has an urban rail metro network called Valley Lines, operated by Transport for Wales, which connects the city's northern, southern and western suburbs to the city centre. Eight lines link Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street stations to smaller stations within the city and wider urban area, including Taffs Well, Penarth and Dinas Powys, as well as destinations across the South Wales valleys and the Vale of Glamorgan. Since 2024, new Class 756 trains have been operating on Valley Lines as part of the South Wales Metro project, which has included electrification of the Cardiff City Lines.
Buses and Public Transport
Cardiff has a comprehensive bus network. Cardiff Bus, which is council-owned, provides the vast majority of local routes within the city and also serves Newport, Penarth, Barry, Cardiff Airport and Llantwit Major. Additional services are provided by Stagecoach South Wales, Edwards Coaches, First Cymru and EST Buses.
Local buses serve areas throughout Cardiff with stops at Central Station, Wood Street, Westgate Street, St Mary Street, Castle Street, Kingsway, Greyfriars Road, Dumfries Place and Queen Street Station. A new transport interchange opened in May 2024 to replace the former Cardiff Central bus station.
National and long-distance buses connect Cardiff to destinations across the UK and Europe. National Express coaches arrive at Cardiff Coach Station at Sophia Gardens, with routes to Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, London, Swansea, Birmingham, Bristol Airport and Haverfordwest. FlixBus services stop outside Cardiff Castle on Castle Street, serving Bristol Airport, Gatwick Airport, London, Swansea and Newcastle. Long-distance buses also depart from other city-centre locations.
Park and Ride services allow you to drive to a car park and then take a bus into the city centre. Cardiff has four Park and Ride facilities: Cardiff West (at Cardiff City Stadium at Leckwith), Cardiff South (at County Hall in Cardiff Bay), Cardiff North (at Crown Way, off North Road) and Cardiff East (at Pentwyn, serving Queen Street station).
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
The source material provided does not contain specific information about taxi or ride-hailing services in Cardiff. You should enquire locally for current options.
Water Transport
The Aquabus runs hourly between the city centre (Taff Mead Embankment) and Cardiff Bay (Mermaid Quay), and between Cardiff Bay and Penarth at the Cardiff Bay Barrage. The Cardiff Waterbus also operates sightseeing cruises between the Pierhead on Cardiff's Waterfront and the Penarth end of the Cardiff Bay Barrage throughout the year.
Getting from Cardiff Airport
Cardiff Airport (CWL) is the city's only airport, located just west of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan. You have several transport options to reach the city centre:
- Direct bus: Adventure Travel 304 runs direct to Cardiff International Sports Village and Cardiff Bay.
- Bus and rail: Rail Link 905 bus goes to Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station, where you can board a Transport for Wales train into Cardiff Central or Cardiff Queen Street stations.
- Car rental: Avis, Enterprise and Europcar operate from the airport if you prefer to drive.
If you arrive at larger airports in England, alternative options are available. Bristol Airport is served by National Express coach 216 direct to Cardiff city centre, or by Bristol Airport Flyer bus to Bristol Temple Meads railway station, where you can take a Great Western Railway train to Cardiff Central. From London Heathrow, you can take Megabus or National Express coaches (routes 201/202) direct to Cardiff, or use the Elizabeth line into London Paddington, then continue by train.
Buying Tickets
For rail travel, tickets can be purchased at station ticket offices (open during daytime hours) or at vending machines located at both main stations. Bus tickets are typically purchased on board or at designated stops. Many operators accept contactless payment and mobile ticketing options; check with individual operators for current payment methods.