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Cardiff hotels

Overview                    Prepare                    Get Around                    Highlights

Hotels in Cardiff can be hard to find, at a reasonable price or even at all, at crucial times during the Welsh city's calendar - for example, when Wales play rugby at the Millennium Stadium. You should book a hotel in Cardiff around any Millennium Stadium event, very far in advance.

Cardiff Bay is a perfect location for culture enthusiasts...

Cardiff hotels offer accommodation ranging from simple budget hotels to grand luxury hotels and at all points in between. Business travellers are well provided for alongside tourists, with business hotels in the city centre and in Cardiff Bay.

Central hotels are usually of good quality and give ready access to Cardiff's buzzing nightlife, whilst Cardiff Bay is a perfect location for culture enthusiasts.

Image of Cardiff castle

The outer areas of the city, such as the Roath, Cathays and Canton Riverside districts have plenty of smaller hotels, some of which remain within walking distance of the city proper, and many budget options are yet further out of the city, which distant areas include luxurious country house style hotels that boast easy access to the M4 motorway.

Cheap hotels in Cardiff are best found by using our price comparison search before making that all important early booking.

Overview

Overview

Cardiff is known for its city-centre castle, elegant Victorian shopping arcades and smart waterfront development. The Welsh capital is beginning to define itself on the European map, not just the British one.

See

The most prominent landmark is the neo-gothic Cardiff Castle, which dominates the city centre. Close by is the treasure-filled National Museum Cardiff. The Millennium Stadium has brought Cardiff some positive coverage since the millennium, while Cardiff Bay is packed with cultural and culinary treats, such as science centre Techniquest and the seafood in Mermaid Quay and Atlantic Wharf.
Spend

Mooch around pedestrianised Queen Street, investigate smaller niche retailers on St Mary’s Street or shop for knickknacks, quirky fashions, musical instruments and jewellery in the covered Castle Arcade and High Street Arcade. Scope out the antiques and bric-a-brac at Jacob’s Antique Centre.
Get Out

On sunny days, relax in the formal Alexandra Garden, the expansive Sophia Gardens or head further out to Roath Park with its serene lake where you can go boating. If you have more time, take the train to Barry for a dip in the sea.
Culture

See touring West End musicals, comedy, opera and ballet at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay. Plays, pantomimes and musicals are staged at the New Theatre, St David’s Hall and the Sherman Theatre. Big-name pop and rock acts appear at the Cardiff International Arena, while upcoming Welsh pop groups perform at Clwb Ifor Bach. Catch top stand-up acts at comedy clubs in Cardiff Bay.
Eat & Drink

The former site of the Brains Brewery on St Mary’s Street is now the modish Old Brewery Quarter, where you can dine on Indian, Thai and European dishes. Cardiff Bay is a great place to try seafood, while the city centre does a good line in contemporary gastro pubs.
New Perspective

Go to Bute Park to get a superb view of Cardiff Castle, and cross the River Taff to Riverside to see the Millennium Stadium at its best. Catch a ride on the waterbus for off-shore views of the Bay.

Prepare

Prepare

Bring an umbrella for the excitingly unpredictable Welsh weather, and train your tongue to try and pronounce some of the Welsh place names.

Cardiff Year

Breathe in the scents at The RHS Spring Flower Show Cardiff in April. Join in the fun of the Cardiff Festival (Jun-Aug), the UK’s biggest free outdoor festival. Sample the snacks at the Cardiff International Food & Drink Festival or sing along to the Welsh Proms, both in July. Train for the Cardiff Half Marathon in October, and see the massive fireworks display at Sparks in the Park in November.
Public Holidays

New Year's Day (1 Jan), Good Friday (Mar/Apr), Easter Monday (Mar/Apr), May Day Bank Holiday (May), Whitsun Bank Holiday (May), August Bank Holiday (Aug), Christmas Day (25 Dec), Boxing Day (26 Dec).
Weather

Cardiff is a great spot for rain worshippers, the months between November and February being the wettest (and therefore most holy). However, the temperature rarely dips below freezing, even in December. May to August are warm (16-25°C), if you like that sort of thing.
Electricity

240V AC, 50 Hz, three-pin plugs are standard.
Dialling Code

+44 (national), (0) 29 + eight-figure number (Cardiff).
Money

Pound sterling (£) is the currency.
GMT

GMT precisely (+1 in summertime)
Cardiff Tourist Info

Visit Cardiff Tourist Board website

Fit In

Cardiff has a youthful vibe, and understated contemporary fashion is the order of the day. However, a bright-red Welsh rugby shirt will, paradoxically, help you blend in. Slip into jeans and T-shirt for the student-filled Cathays area, and a blazer or tweed jacket if venturing to leafy Llandaff.

Get Around

Get Around

The broad River Taff cuts through the centre of Cardiff, with most of the main sights on the eastern bank. Head out of the centre to the cultural hub of Cardiff Bay, or to the leafy environs of medieval Llandaff Cathedral.

Orientate yourself by beginning in the city centre or just to the south in Cardiff Bay. These two nodes are home to most of Cardiff's attractions. The city's extensive public transport network makes getting around easy.

In the city centre you’ll find Cardiff Castle, theatres and the shopping area. Just to the north is the student area Cathays. To the south is trendy Cardiff Bay, where politics, culture and fine dining underpin the local scene. North-west of the city centre, Llandaff is an affluent suburb famous for its medieval cathedral.
Foot

Central Cardiff is a relatively compact area and best explored on foot. Large parts of the city centre – including the main shopping street, Queen Street, as well as The Hayes, Working Street, Church Street and Trinity Street – are pedestrianised, while the numerous shopping arcades are made for a pleasant stroll.
Bus

Cardiff’s extensive bus network is the quickest way to get around the city and to outlying areas. Travel outside rush hour to avoid the crowds. A dedicated open-topped sightseeing bus tours the city.
Train

There are three main train stations in Cardiff – Cardiff Central, Queen Street and Cardiff Bay, plus some minor stops in the suburbs. Only the Cardiff Bay station is likely to be of use for sightseeing within Cardiff.
Taxi

Taxis are probably the easiest way of touring around Cardiff. You can hail one on the street or find one at an official taxi rank. The main taxi rank is outside Cardiff Central railway station, and all official taxis will display their company name and phone number.
Boat

Running between Penarth and Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Waterbus is really the only way to cross Cardiff Bay. It offers great views of the state-of-the-art barrage across the bay, and the whole bay development.
Transport Tips

The Day to Go and Day to Go Plus travel cards offer unlimited travel on the city and wider suburban bus network for one day. The Network Day Rider provides unlimited travel throughout the Cardiff Bus network in South Wales (and as far as Gloucester). The Weekly to Go card gives you unlimited travel on the regional network for seven days.
Time Travel

Travel through the centuries at the restored homes of the National History Museum, St Fagans. Peek at Norman Cardiff in the keep of Cardiff Castle. Glimpse the Victorian city in the city-centre shopping arcades. And experience 21st-century Cardiff in the redevelopment of Cardiff Bay.
Cardiff Transport Links

Cardiff Bus website

Highlights

Highlights

You can’t miss the magnificently restored Cardiff Castle, and the elegant buildings of the Civic Centre.

Cardiff’s city centre is home to gothic revival jewel box Cardiff Castle, the National Museum Cardiff, with its priceless collection of French Impressionist paintings, and the gigantic Millennium Stadium.

The city’s showpiece is Cardiff Bay with architectural wonder the Wales Millennium Centre, and the Cardiff Bay Barrage, an ingenious engineering project. While at Cardiff Bay, try some hands-on scientific experiments at Techniquest and visit the white clapboard Norwegian Church, where author Roald Dahl was christened.
Sightseeing Tips

Entry to the permanent collections of the big museums in Cardiff are free. These include the National Museum Cardiff, St Fagans Natural History Museum, the Roman Legionary Museum in Caerleon, and the Big Pit National Coal Museum. Buy a Cardiff Discount Card from the tourist office to get free entry to ten top attractions, including Cardiff Castle and Techniquest. Avoid weekend crowds if you can.

Content provided by Frommer's Unlimited © 2009, Whatsonwhen Limited.



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