Wales v Ireland: While You’re There

08 Feb 2017 author-icon

Posted by AA Roadwatch

Once you’ve arrived in Cardiff, you’ll want to make the most of your time, however short. With that in mind this page has all the info you’ll need, from where to stay, eat, drink, dance and climb walls. You’re welcome.

– Compiled by Noel Byrne and Adrian Harmon, AA Roadwatch

See here, here and here for the rest of our blogs for those of you planning to travel to Cardiff.

Accommodation
Things to Do
Places to Eat
Bars & Pubs
Handy Contacts
Discounts

Accommodation

If you’re staying in Cardiff for one night or a long weekend, here are four AA UK approved hotels you can stay in, so you know you’ll be treated well.

Alternatively, if hotels aren’t your thing, here are some hostels and apartments that the users of Tripadvisor recommend:

Don’t forget about Airbnb as well, which has plenty of options in Cardiff City Centre. You can check them out here.

Things To See & Do

While the focus of your weekend will be the match, if you’ve got some time to spare, here are a few sites worth checking out for some added cultural value on your Welsh sojourn.

Image Credit: Charles D P Miller. Used under CC licence.

The Millennium Stadium itself is worth a tour, although you can’t get a tour on match days, for obvious reasons. Details on the stadium’s website.

Close to the Millennium Stadium is Cardiff Castle. Surrounded by plenty of grass, you may see people chilling out and having a picnic (presuming the weather is okay). A nice place to relax pre-match, if you’re not interested in heading to a pub before kick-off. If you go on a tour, you’re in for a treat as there are some pretty impressive views of the city as well.

St Fagan’s National History Museum: A 100 acre site which brings the Wales of olden days to life. Get an insight into the history of the country and what life was back in the day.

Image Credit: Tnkntx. Used under CC licence.

Boulders Indoor Climbing Centre: If you’ve got loads of energy, why not spend your time climbing some walls.

St David’s Shopping Centre: One of the largest shopping centres in the UK. If you’re looking to do a spot of shopping this is your one stop shop…

Doctor Who Experience: A must see for Doctor Who fans of all ages, and indeed for anyone interested in seeing how TV shows are produced.

Places to Eat

Taking in all Cardiff has to offer can leave you with a fierce appetite. Luckily while walking around, you’re guaranteed to stumble upon some bars and restaurants that offer quality grub. Just in case though, here are four places that have received AA Rosettes for their food (we’ve got your back):

Over on Tripadvisor, the top 5 restaurants (which vary in pricing) recommended by users are:

Bars & Pubs

Whether it’s pre-match, post-match or even during the match, there are loads of good bars to enjoy while in the city.

As is the case with the likes of Croker, a lot of pubs with a big screen are located near enough to the Millennium Stadium itself. Needless to say, almost all bars will be jammed to the rafters on match day so don’t say you haven’t been warned. You can click the images below for bigger versions.

O’Neill’s on St Mary’s St is very close to the stadium and there’s always a good atmosphere on match days, especially when the Irish are playing. Good craic guaranteed.

Walkabout on Mary St is usually another hot spot on match day with some rather big screens in place, perfect for watching the game.

The Prince of Wales on Mary St always attracts a large crowd on match days. There’s a massive screen for watching the match, as well as a number of TVs.

Also on Mary St, the Brewhouse is the spot if you’re looking for both a decent rugby atmosphere and also some live music.

On Church St you’ll the find the very popular Old Arcade. Opened way back in 1844, this is an extremely popular spot which has a huge rugby following. Usually an entertaining, friendly atmosphere, you’re pretty much guaranteed to see people talking and drinking pints of Brains. It’s a pint of bitter, not a cannibalistic thing.

Handy Contacts

Here are some numbers which may be useful if something goes awry during your trip to Cardiff.

Emergency services – 999

To report a highways emergency, call 0300 1234 530

Remember to bring your AA membership card with you and if you’re unlucky enough to break down while driving in Wales, our colleagues in the AA UK will give you a local tow. Their number is 0800 88 77 66.

If you have travel insurance with the AA, you should contact +353 1 431 1205 for claims relating to Emergency Medical Expenses overseas. It’s also advised you have your travel insurance policy number available in the event of a claim or emergency as well as all medical and claims emergency numbers should you need to contact AA.

Discounts

Don’t forget that if you’re an AA member, you should bring your AA Membership Card as it’s your key to 25,000 discounts across Europe, including hotels and accommodation, car rental, ferries, tourist attractions, museums, theme parks, parking and lots more.