As the capital of Wales, the city takes huge pride in promoting all things Welsh. Friendly and cosmopolitan, Cardiff celebrated in 2005 its centenary as a city and its 50th year as Wales' capital. Brand new buildings intermingle with classic architecture, giving the feel of a city that is going places. Visitors are pleasantly surprised by the vibrant waterfront, thriving cultural scene, excellent restaurants and good shopping.
Due to the compact nature of the city of Cardiff, there is a wide range of accommodation available within a short walk of public transport, shopping, dining and tourist attractions. There is a huge variety of accommodation on offer in Cardiff, designed to appeal to all types of travellers and budgets. From the comfort of bed and breakfasts to the luxury of 5 star hotels, Cardiff also offers boutique accommodation, family-friendly accommodation and even self-catering accommodation for added convenience, all within minutes of the city and country’s most popular regions. Book cheap Cardiff Accommodation
The Cardiff International Airport has regular direct flights from UK and European destinations. Cardiff is right on the national motorway system. The M4 runs through the north of the city, making London a comfortable drive away. For those who prefer public transport, National Express operates frequent coach services to Cardiff from cities throughout the UK. High-speed InterCity trains also link most cities with Cardiff. The journey time from London Paddington to Cardiff is under two hours and leaves every 30 minutes. Cardiff is compact enough to negotiate on foot and the bay is within 30 minutes’ of Central Station however if you prefer a bus tour, the City Sightseeing Bus is a great way to explore the city. More about Getting Around Cardiff
Historic South Wales is strewn with castles and Cardiff has its fair share; most notably the elaborate Cardiff Castle however there is plenty more to see including Castell Coch (Red Castle), Cardiff Bay, the National Museum and Gallery, Civic Centre, Cathays Park, Millennium Stadium, the Museum of Welsh Life, Carreg Cennen, Edward I fortresses Beaumaris, Caernarfon and Harlech, and Tintern Abbey. The beautiful countryside is also not to be missed with the Cambrian Mountains terminating at the peaks of Snowdonia and the ridges of the Brecon Beacons as well as the southwest Pembrokeshire Coast. More on Cardiff Attractions
Despite being the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom, Cardiff is actually one of the smallest capitals in Europe. Regardless of its size, Cardiff is known for big things including being home to a stadium with one of the world’s largest sliding roofs, Millennium Stadium, which can seat 74,000. Cardiff is also home to one of the UK’s largest shopping centres, St. David’s Centre. Speaking of shopping, Cardiff’s Spiller’s record shop is the oldest record store in the world, dating back to 1894 when it originally sold wax cylinders for the recently invented phonograph. Cardiff is also renowned for its sport, in particular rugby.
