Most travelers reach Wales through London. Flights to Cardiff International Airport originate within the UK and from a few European destinations. Aer Arann flies to Cardiff from Dublin for about £20-40. Ferries cross the Irish Sea, shuttling travelers between Ireland and Holyhead, Pembroke, Fishguard, and Swansea (see By Ferry). Frequent trains leave London for Cardiff (2hr., from £11); call National Rail Enquiries (☎08457 484 950; www.nationalrail.co.uk) or Arriva Wales (☎08456 061 660; www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk) for schedules and prices. National Express buses (☎08717 818 181; www.nationalexpress.com) are a slower, cheaper way to get to Wales: a trip from London to Cardiff takes about 3hr. and costs £5-25.
By Train. BritRail (☎+1-866-BRIT-RAIL; www.britrail.com) passes are accepted on all trains, except narrow-gauge railways, throughout Wales; check their website for more information about a variety of combination passes. Call Arriva Trains (☎08456 061 660) for information. Narrow-gauge railways tend to be tourist attractions rather than actual means of transportation, but trainspotters can purchase a Great Little Trains of Wales Discount Card (£10; www.greatlittletrainsofwales.co.uk), which gives a 20% discount on a round-trip journey on each of the nine member rail lines.
By Bus. The overlapping routes of Wales’s numerous bus operators are difficult to navigate. Most are local services; most regions are dominated by one or two companies. Traveline has updated bus information for all services (☎08712 002 233; www.traveline-cymru.org.uk); regional carriers, unless noted, use Traveline for ticket booking and customer service. Cardiff Bus (☎02920 666 444; www.cardiffbus.com) blankets the area around the capital. TrawsCambria runs the main north-south bus routes from Cardiff and Swansea to Aberystwyth, Machynlleth, and Bangor. Stagecoach (www.stagecoachbus.com) buses serve routes from Cambridge and Hereford in England; the routes cover the Wye Valley, Abergavenny, and Brecon. First Cymru (☎01792 582 233; www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/wales/swwales/home) covers the Gower peninsula and southwest Wales, including Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Arriva Cymru (☎08448 004 411; www.arriva.co.uk) provides service in North Wales. Regional public transportation guides, available free at Tourist Information Centres (TICs), exist for many areas, but for some you’ll have to consult an array of small brochures. The very useful Wales Bus, Rail, and Tourist Map and Guide gives information on routes but not timetables. Local buses often don’t run on Sunday. Some special tourist buses, however, run only on Sundays in summer. Bus schedules and prices change often; check them often and in advance.
By Foot, Bicycle, And Thumb. Wales has numerous beautiful, well-marked footpaths and cycling trails; the Offa’s Dyke Path and the Pembrokeshire Coast Path are particularly popular. The Wales Tourist Board (☎08708 300 306; www.visitwales.com) maintains the websites Walking Wales (www.walking.visitwales.com) and Cycling Wales (www.cycling.visitwales.com) and publishes print guides of the same names. The Countryside Council for Wales (☎0845 1306 229; www.ccw.gov.uk) may also be helpful.
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