Travel information

Cardiff is served by the M4 and is easily accessible from all parts of Britain.

From the south west, take the M5 and from the south of England, follow major A-roads to the M4.

From Scotland, the north of England and the Midlands, travel via the M50 to the M4.

Travelling east on the M4

Leave the motorway at Junction 32, follow the A470, sign-posted city centre.

Travelling west on the M4

Leave the motorway at Junction 29, follow the A48(M)/A48, sign-posted Cardiff East and the South. Continue for approximately seven miles.

The Cathays Park Campus

Continue along the A48 to the A470 (Gabalfa Interchange). Leave the A48 at Gabalfa Interchange and take the A470, sign-posted city centre. Follow the A470 towards the city centre and the university is sign-posted.

Parking within the University is extremely limited and, for this reason, is reserved solely for visitors with mobility difficulties.

Parking within the city centre can be expensive. To avoid the cost and hassle of parking in the city centre, we recommend public transport. However, for those visitors who wish to travel by car, we recommend using the Open Day Cardiff East Park and Ride Service to the University.

Park and Ride

Park and Ride Cardiff East, Junction 30 of the A48(M), CF23 8HH
There will be a special University Open Day shuttle service from the Cardiff East Park and Ride site to our Cathays Park Campus. The Open Day bus service begins after 08:00 and runs until 16:30. Please ensure you catch the correct service as other routes operate from the site.

Buses from the Park and Ride depart approximately every 15 minutes. The journey time to the city centre is around 20 minutes and will cost £10 per car (cash or contactless).  If paying by cash, the exact fare is required.

Return buses to the Cardiff East Park and Ride site will depart from the bus stop outside the Law Building on Park Place (Cathays Park Campus) throughout the day, until 16:30. This is the same bus stop at which visitors disembark the shuttle service on the inbound journey.

Heath Park Campus (Friday 30 June only)

Free shuttle buses will be available from Main Building (Cathays Park Campus) for those who wish to visit the Heath Park Campus on both days. However, on Friday 30 June only, if you are visiting the Heath Park Campus and wish to return directly to the Cardiff East Park and Ride site, rather than returning via Cathays Park Campus, a bus will be available from the stop in front of the pedestrian entrance of the multi-storey car park. Your Open Day Park and Ride ticket will also be valid on the return journey from the Heath Park Campus (Friday only - please note this service does not run during weekends).

Please note, at peak times, there may be a queue for these services, both on the inbound and outbound route. The Park and Ride site closes promptly at 18:40 and is locked overnight.

Parking in the city centre

Our Cathays Park Campus is centrally located. There are a number of on-street pay and display parking spaces (both short-term and long-term) as well as multi-storey car parks in the city centre. Spaces can be limited and prices vary. If you wish to park in the city centre, we recommend using the Visit Cardiff and Council websites for information on parking options.

Cardiff is easily accessible by rail from London, major UK airports and many towns and cities across the country.

There are regular, direct services from London Paddington to Cardiff throughout the day.  Frequent regional network trains, also connect Cardiff with many towns and cities across the UK, including:

• Bristol (50mins)
• Birmingham (approx. 2hrs)
• Southampton (2hrs 40mins)
• Manchester (3hrs 30mins)
• Liverpool (3hrs 45mins).

Get a discount when you book your train ticket to our Open Days (30 June and 1 July 2023) with Great Western Railway and Transport for Wales.

Cardiff Central train station

Cardiff Central train station is approximately 20-30 minutes on foot to Cardiff University's Main Building. Walking will allow you to get a feel for the city including the shops, restaurants and entertainment it has to offer.

Given the School of Journalism, Media and Culture's close proximity to Cardiff Central, those interested in Journalism courses may wish to consider visiting the School on arrival at Cardiff, or on their return to the station. Please consult the school's programme entry to see their schedule of activities.

Cardiff Queen Street station

Visitors intending to visit the Schools of Physics and Engineering may like to use Cardiff Queen Street station which is located less than a 5 minute walk from Queens’ Building.

Cathays train station

Alternatively, visitors can change at Cardiff Central or Cardiff Queen Street for Cathays train station (the university's station).

Cathays station is located in the centre of the Cathays Park Campus, opposite the Main Building and next to the Students’ Union. It provides easy access to all other university buildings at Cathays Park including the Centre for Student Life.

Cardiff is served by a number of local and national bus services – many of which drop passengers within easy walking distance of the university.

Nearest airport: Cardiff Airport

Several inter-regional and international air services operate from Cardiff Airport, which is about 12 miles from the city centre.

Find out more about public transport links to and from Cardiff International Airport.

Additional transport services are available from a number of UK airports providing onwards travel to Cardiff.