By Air
Cardiff International Airport is Wales’ only major airport with flights arriving from outside the United Kingdom. (For getting to Wales from London airports or other airports in the UK see Train and Bus below.) For those visiting Wales, the two most useful airlines serving the airport are:
KLM serves Cardiff with multiple flights each day from its hub in Amsterdam. It’s part of the Sky Team airline alliance meaning you can buy a through ticket to Cardiff with KLM or its partners (most notably Delta) from departure points all over the world.
Qatar Airways has regular flights to Cardiff via Doha and is useful to visitors from the Far East, Australia and New Zealand.
By Train
Larger towns in North and South Wales are connected by rail to England’s three largest cities, London (Paddington Station), Birmingham (New Street Station) and Manchester (Piccadilly Station). These longer distance journeys are often much cheaper if you purchase your tickets about eight weeks in advance. For example, a one-way journey from London to Cardiff could cost less than £20 if booked in advance but over £120 if purchased on the day of travel.
Using the train is a brilliant way to move around once you get here, especially so in Cardiff and the South East. Unfortunately, many villages and towns (particularly in Mid Wales) are not well served by rail so be sure to check timetables and railway maps carefully before booking accommodation or activities. All of that information can be found on the Transport For Wales website.
For more information on travelling by train in Britain (including how to find the best fares) I recommend visiting the excellent Seat61.com.
By Bus
National Express provides competitively priced long distance bus/coach travel between England’s major towns, cities and airports and towns and cities of South and Mid Wales. I’ve used National Express many times over the years and had always assumed that their service was similar to Greyhound in the USA… and then, when I was in Atlanta recently, I travelled by Greyhound and the experience was not what I had expected! So, if you’re visiting from the States, let me reassure you – National Express coaches are modern, clean and safe with free WiFi and a decent luggage allowance.