How to get to Cardiff Central (CDF) Train Station

Travel from Cardiff city centre to Cardiff Central train station

Cardiff is the capital of Wales and has a very picturesque location right along the banks of the Bristol Channel. The city has several things for visitors to see along Cardiff Bay that opens out into the Channel. The centre of the town is the home to several smaller neighbourhoods each with its own unique charm and reasons to visit. The Cardiff Central Train Station sits just on the west side of the centre of the town and is quite close to the River Taff and the St. Davids Centre. Travellers can make their way from Cardiff city centre to Cardiff Central railway station quite easily on foot since it is only a distance of around 0.5 miles (0.8 km) away. Other options include local bus service as well being able to drive to the station in only about 1min.

How far is it from Cardiff city centre to Cardiff Central train station?

Because the train station Cardiff has such a centralized location in the city of Cardiff it is quite easy to access from practically any part of town. Principality Stadium is roughly 0.2 miles (0.3 km) away and the Motorpoint Arena is only around 0.5 miles (0.8 km) from the station. The station is roughly 1.3 miles (2 km) from Hamadryad Park that sits on the shores of Cardiff Bay and is about 0.9 miles (1.4 km) from the National Museum of Cardiff.

What is the best way to get to Cardiff Central train station from Cardiff city centre?

A very popular stop for buses in the city of Cardiff is The Flourish that has a location just to the north of the A 432 highway that runs right along the water near Cardiff Bay. If you want to get from here to the train station you could do so on the C8 bus that makes the trip in around 6min for the journey of around 1.1 miles (1.7 km). If instead, you are in the city centre near Cardiff Castle and the A4161 highway and you can take the bus numbers 21, 23, 26, or 27 to make the journey in around 12min.

Where is/are the airport(s) in Cardiff and how to get there?

The airport that serves the city of Cardiff is the Cardiff Airport (CWL) that sits to the southwest of the city centre along the Bristol Channel. If you need to get from the train station to the airport there are a couple of options. You can take a train operated by Transport for Wales that will take around 30min to make the trip of about 11.5 miles (18.5 km). Another option is to take the line 304 bus that will get you there in around 1h 18min to cover the 17.2 miles (27.6 km) or so. If you want to take a taxi or a town car to get to the airport from the station you can do that in around 18min to cover the roughly 11.7 miles (18.8 km) to the station.

How accessible is Cardiff main train station for those with limited mobility?

The Cardiff Central Train Station offers passengers with disabilities or limited mobility step-free access to all of the platforms at the station. The station also provides staff at the customer service desk to assist any passengers with disabilities or limited mobility in navigating the station. Because the entire station sits on street level there are no steps to navigate within the station and all the entryways to the station from the street are accessible.

Cardiff Train Station. Source: Shutterstock

Night trains to/from Cardiff Central

One very popular trip that travelers often make from Cardiff is to London Paddington Station. There are two train times from Cardiff that depart in the evening with one leaving at around 8:20 p.m. and another leaving about 1h later that can make the trip to the station in London in just a little over 2h. Another popular destination is to head west along the Bristol Channel to the town of Swansea. If this is a trip that you would like to make in the evening hours several trains leave after dark with two leaving after 7:00 p.m., one leaving at around 8:40 p.m., one leaving at around 9:00 p.m., and two that leave right before and after 10:00 p.m.

One final destination that is quite popular with visitors to this area is to head to the town of Newport to the northeast of Cardiff. There is a train that leaves at around 11:15 p.m. that makes the quick journey of around 15min to this town in Wales. All of these routes are direct with the one exception being that a couple of the trains to London Paddington Station will require one transfer to another train along the route.

Traveling by bus/train in Cardiff: Sustainable journey

Train travel by its very nature is a much more environmentally friendly way to travel. With large groups of people all travelling on one method of transportation such as a train, they can lessen their environmental impacts by up to 50% as opposed to each of these travellers making the trip in their own cars.

Local tips: Cardiff main train station points of interest

Check out the local online Omio magazine to pick up some tips and tricks on how to travel efficiently. Because the Cardiff Central Station has such a centralized location in the city there are plenty of things to do that are just a short walk outside of the doors of the station if you have just taken a train to Cardiff or if you are waiting for your train to depart the station. Some information about the train station in Cardiff includes that trains that are arriving and departing at the station do so over the River Taff that is just a short walk to the west from the entrance of the station. The main football stadium and the main arena for the city of Cardiff are also just a short walk from the station plus you will also find plenty of open green spaces as well as many eateries and bars that you can check out that are all just a short walk from the station. Some examples of places you can visit that are quite close to the station include:

• Walkabout, Cardiff
• Milk & Sugar
• Vue Cinema Cardiff
• Brewdog Cardiff
• Callaghan Square
• Baguetty Junction
• Cardiff Central Library

What to do in Cardiff

One of the things that many visitors to Cardiff comment on is what a great mix there is of both old and new culture. In addition, the city is home to a vibrant food scene, has several major events every year, plus it's surrounded by some of the most breathtaking countrysides you will see in this part of the world. If art and culture are your things then the National Museum offers the largest collection of impressionist art anywhere outside the city of Paris. If you are somebody that likes to spend some time browsing a lot of great shops, this city features a wide array of small family-run cafés, alluring boutiques, and numerous larger retail chains that will be familiar to most visitors.

One of the things that draws many visitors to the city and is one of the central fixtures of the downtown area is Cardiff Bay. The Wales Millennium Center is a popular event spot and some other landmarks travellers will find in this area include The Senedd, The Pierhead, and The Norwegian Church. Finally one of the best reasons to visit Cardiff is because of the tremendous array of food choices you will find here. So no matter if you are looking for Thai food, Lebanese cuisine, fancy cocktails in an upscale setting, local craft beers in a quaint pub, or signature dishes found only in the Welsh countryside, Cardiff is a great place for all of it.