Discover Cardiff with megabus
Cardiff was only named the capital of Wales in 1955, which makes it one of Europe’s youngest cities. But it’s older than its years when it comes to things to do, as you’ll see when you step off the coach. Book bus travel to Cardiff and you’ve got the likes of Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Castle and the National Museum to tick off. Plus, there’s so much greenery to explore. Just cycle or walk the Taff Trail – you’ll soon see what we mean.
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Cardiff: top 3 things to do
1. Step inside the Castle
Interior décor doesn’t get much more opulent than the rooms inside Cardiff Castle. And if you love castles, you've also got Caerphilly Castle and Castle Coch which definitely need a visit if you want to get to know this stunning Celtic city.
1. Visit Doctor Who locations
Visiting Doctor Who locations is a must for any Whovians visiting Cardiff. And there's a number of tours available giving you access to where many scenes have taken place over the years.
3. Watch a match at the Millennium Stadium
The Principality Stadium, is right in the heart of the city and hosts international rugby and football matches as well as headline music concerts. Time your visit right and you can be cheering your favourite team or singer from the sidelines. And if not, you can still book a tour of this impressive venue.
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Explore local attractions
Right next to Cardiff University and the City Hall is the National Museum Cardiff. It’s in the civic centre, a collection of beautiful buildings and leafy parks that’s a must-visit in itself. And inside, the exhibits span Wales’ art, geology and natural history collections. Just bear in mind it’s closed on Mondays.
Cardiff Bay Beach comes to life every summer from the end of July to the start of September, which is great news if you’ve booked your Cardiff coach travel in these months. There’s a traditional Ferris wheel and family-friendly fairground.
Yes, it’s another museum, but St Fagans is a museum with a difference. Completely open-air, it covers about 100 acres of parkland in the grounds of St Fagans Castle. More than 40 buildings have been moved from areas of Wales and rebuilt here, to show how the lives of Welsh people have changed over the centuries. Unsurprisingly, it’s one of TripAdvisor’s top 10 free UK attractions.
mega-fun activities
The bulk of Cardiff’s city centre nightlife scene fits into four main zones. The West End has a list of bars and pubs longer than your arm, and the East End is home to a string of nightclubs. The Castle Quarter has more of an alternative vibe and some great independent bars. And Cardiff Bay is the place to head to if you want your drinks served with a side order of sea views.
If you fancy a theatrical evening, meanwhile, the Wales Millennium Centre lines up a long list of shows. Or, head to Chapter for art, film and performance that fills a more independent niche.
Cardiff covers the full spectrum of shopping options. St David’s is packed with more than 200 shops including Wales’ biggest John Lewis, so it’s perfect if you’re looking for familiar names under one roof. Head for one of Cardiff’s many Victorian arcades, though, for a more authentic shopping experience. The Royal Arcade is the oldest, and home to plenty of independent shops.
For more one-off finds, try Jacob’s Antiques, which is just next to Cardiff Central train station. Cardiff Central Market is another good option for bargain hunters. It’s right in the city centre and it’s undercover, so it’s great for a rainy day.
Travel in style
Take the megabus to Cardiff to arrive refreshed and ready to explore!
But once you arrive in the city centre, how do you get around? The good news is, Cardiff is really compact, so you can walk to most places. And if not there’s a really good bus service to get you to further-out parts of the city.
Let's get going
Connect to and from Cardiff with megabus! From Bristol, it takes under 1 hour and a half and from Manchester it takes around 6 hours.
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