Before you travel to Wales, please read the latest travel advice in the Welsh Government coronavirus guidance and details provided by Transport for Wales.
If you're an international visitor, the UK Government's Visa and Immigration guidance provides information for travellers requiring a visa to come to the UK to visit, study or work.
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.
Timetables and tickets
By coach
The 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.
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 to Welshpool - 152m 2hrs 53mins
(Mileage and times supplied by www.theaa.com)
By air
There are direct flights to Cardiff Airport from Aberdeen, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Jersey.
