GETTING TO WALES
Wales is closer than you would think. With great transport links, getting here to fish is easy. We are just a few hours travel from most major towns and cities in the UK, so to reach the incredible fishing in our mountainous national parks and rugged coasts, your travel time here will be considerably less than going to other scenic parts of the UK.
From Europe getting here is just as easy – you can drive via the Channel tunnel, then along the M4 motorway, a journey of just over 2 hours from London. For international visitors, airports in Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and London provide quick and easy access into Wales by fast roads or rail networks.
BY CAR:
Driving to Wales gives you maximum flexibility. The fastest routes are via the M4, M5, M6 and M56.
Mileage and journey times by car:
Birmingham > Aberystwyth – 123m 2hrs 41mins
Canterbury > Cardiff – 215m 3hrs 46mins
Coventry > Barmouth – 130m 2hrs 47mins
Exeter > Swansea – 157m 2hrs 43mins
Leeds > Llandudno – 127m 2hrs 19mins
London > Cardiff – 153m 2hrs 52mins
London > Tenby – 239m 4hrs 19mins
Manchester > Caernarfon – 104m 2hrs 04mins
Nottingham > Swansea – 196m 3hrs 37mins
Peterborough > Aberystwyth – 207m 4hrs 11mins
Newcastle > Llandudno – 227m 4hrs 08mins
Reading > Carmarthen – 173m 2hrs 56mins
York > Welshpool – 152m 2hrs 53mins
BY AIR:
There are direct flights to Cardiff Airport from Aberdeen, Newcastle, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Jersey.
Bristol Airport also serves as a nearby hub for flights, from Bristol Airport Wales is just a 30 minute drive.
Heathrow airport is located on the M4, which continues into South Wales, a drive of approximately 2 hours.
BY TRAIN:
The main direct rail route to Wales is the fast and frequent service from London Paddington, Reading, Bath and Bristol to Newport and Cardiff, with easy connections to Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.
There are also direct trains from London Euston and Manchester to Llandudno, Bangor and Holyhead; from Birmingham, Shrewsbury and Crewe to the North Wales coast and the Llŷn Peninsula; from Manchester and Shrewsbury to Newport; and from Portsmouth, Southampton and Salisbury to Cardiff.
The fastest trains from London to Cardiff take 1 hour 42 minutes. From Manchester to Llandudno Junction, it’s about 2 hours.
From London Heathrow Airport, there’s a fast, direct rail service to Paddington, where you can change onto a direct train to Wales. From London Gatwick Airport, you can travel direct to London Victoria, then hop on the tube to Paddington or Euston to continue your journey.
TIME TABLES & TICKETS:
BY COACH:
National Express Coach network links major towns and cities in the UK. Direct routes to Wales include:
London Victoria Coach Station > Cardiff, Swansea, Pembrokeshire
London Victoria Coach Station, Birmingham > Newtown, Aberystwyth
London Gatwick Airport, London Heathrow Airport, Bristol > Cardiff, Swansea
Hull, Nottingham, Leicester, Birmingham > Cardiff, Swansea, Pembrokeshire
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, York, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Chester > North Wales
Megabus provides low cost intercity travel in the UK, with a coach service running from London and Bristol to Newport, Cardiff, Swansea, Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock.
