How To Reach Wales (United Kingdom)

Wales is a country of the United Kingdom, located in the south of the island. It is known for its distinctly different culture from the English or Scottish or even Irish, well, probably because the land was once the stronghold of ancient Celts. Today Wales is one of the most hauntingly beautiful places on this earth, ripe with flowy meadows rolling forever and crashing sea the colour of baby blue and aqua, gulls cawing and old broken mines churning. If you are already sold on this romantic dream then here’s how to reach Wales.

Cardiff International Airport is Wales’ main international airport and hosts flights from all major European and International cities, including India. There are numerous daily flights from Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai to Cardiff with airlines like Etihad, Emirates, Air France etc. These are all connecting ones. You can also fly to London as it has more frequency, and then take a domestic flight to Cardiff.

The sweeping moors and hillocks of Wales make for a legendary road trip down south from other parts of England. The small villages, towns and hamlets on the way only add to the beauty of stopovers as you drive to your destination. You can also choose to take a bus, like the National Express or Megabus coaches to reach different parts of Wales from anywhere in the UK.

The United Kingdom boasts of one of the oldest and well developed rail networks, connecting every nook and cranny of parts like Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales. The major train operators for Wales are Arriva Trains Wales, Central Trains, Virgin Trains and First Great Western. The lines connecting Wales to England are Cambrian Coast Line, North Wales Coast Line and Conwy Valley Line.

The landscape of Wales is surrounded by the Irish Sea and the British Channel, making it easily accessible by water transport. There are two main ferry operators in the area that ply passengers and cargo from Ireland, Scotland, France, England etc to Wales. There are Irish Ferries and Stenaline. The most frequent and well developed route is between Ireland and Northern Wales.

There are two main ways to get around in Wales, by public transport or by hired cars and taxis. If you are exploring the famous areas like nature parks and Welsh cities then you can hop onto buses or buy an Explore Wales pass for free travel on all train and bus routes through Wales (North, South as well as Mid-Wales). The other option of private cars is if you wish for personalised transport or if your destinations are off-beat tracks that don’t come on the usual public transport route. Since many people visit Wales for these off beaten destinations, taxis and rented cars are a better option for them.