08 Feb 2017
Posted by Adrian Harmon 
– Compiled by Adrian Harmon & Noel Byrne, AA Roadwatch
You’ve done the hard part, booked some time off work and got your ticket. Now, the only thing that lies between you and an unforgettable match weekend in Cardiff is the journey. Getting the time to look up transport and organise tickets can be painful at the best of times. So below you’ll find all the information you need to make organising your journey as easy as possible.
See here, here and here for the rest of our blogs for those of you planning to travel to Cardiff.
Flights
Here are a list of airlines which either fly directly to Cardiff Airport, or the nearby city of Bristol which is just over an hour and a half from the Welsh capital.
Image Credit: xlibber. Used under CC licence.
Ryanair: Dublin – Cardiff, Dublin – Bristol, Knock – Bristol
Aer Lingus: Dublin – Cardiff, Cork – Bristol, Dublin – Bristol
Flybe: Cardiff – Belfast City, Cardiff – Dublin, Cardiff – Cork, Cardiff – Knock
Easyjet: Belfast Int – Bristol
Cardiff Airport to City Centre
By Train: Trains run every hour from Monday to Saturday and every two hours on Sundays. A shuttle bus service from the train station to the airport is available for passengers, which connects with all trains, to carry passengers on the short journey to the airport terminal. The journey takes approximately 10 minutes and there is a charge of £1 per journey on the shuttle bus.
By Bus: All bus pick up and drop off points are situated in front of the terminal building. The Cardiff Airport Express bus service leaves the airport for the city centre up to every 30mins. Tickets cost from £5, and you can also pay in Euros – €7 one way and €10 return.
Renting a car at Cardiff airport: Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz.
Bristol Airport to Cardiff
If you’re flying into Bristol airport you have a number of options when choosing public transport to Cardiff.
By Bus: National Express operate a service from Bristol Airport directly to Cardiff Coach Station roughly every two hours, with departures through the night. The journey takes roughly 1h 20mins and fares start from £5 one way.
By Train: Again, you can take the Airport Flyer bus from the airport to Bristol Temple Meads station. From there, trains run between Cardiff and Bristol at least every 30 minutes. It would be advisable to book your tickets in advance online to save time and money.
Renting a car at Bristol airport: Europcar, National, Hertz, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Sixt.
Ferries
Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries sail daily to Wales from both Dublin Port and Rosslare. Journey times range from two hours to four hours port-to-port.
Image Credit: Harwich & Dovercourt. Used under CC licence.
If travelling with Irish Ferries, you can go from Dublin Port to Holyhead or from Rosslare to Pembroke.
Your other ferry option is with Stena Line, who travel from Dublin Port to Holyhead as well as from Rosslare to Fishguard.
Dublin Port is located in the Docklands area of the city and is easily accessed from the M50 via the Port Tunnel. Just keep in mind however that this is a tolled route. Rosslare Ferry Terminal is located at Rosslare Harbour and is easily accessed via the N25.
Once you arrive in Wales, here’s how you can get from the various ports to Cardiff:
Pembroke – Cardiff: The journey takes roughly two hours via the M4 or if you wish to travel by train, further information can be found at the link above.
Holyhead – Cardiff: If you’re travelling by car, you can travel via the A470 taking roughly 4h 30mins. Alternatively there is also a regular train service. Click here for fares and timetables.
Fishguard – Cardiff: Takes roughly 2h 20mins by car via Haverfordwest and the M4.
Buses
Eurolines, which is operated by Bus Éireann in Ireland, offers connections from all parts of the country to over 1,500 locations in Britain.
The coach service connects with ferry sailings from both Dublin Port and Rosslare Harbour. Full details can be found here.
Main Image Credit: JoshuaDavisPhotography. Used under CC licence.
