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Where is Wales & travelling to Wales
Getting to Wales
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Where is Wales
Wales is part of Britain and the United Kingdom.
It's situated to the west of England and is around 170 miles (256 km) long and 60 miles (96 km) wide. It covers just over 8,000 square miles (20,720 km²) - that's about the same size as Massachusetts in the USA or half the size of Switzerland.
Click on the map opposite to see where we are on our interactive world map.
To find out more about getting to Wales, take a look at the information below.
Travel in Wales
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Travel in Wales
Click on the map to see our rail and road links, ports and airports. The 'view add ons' tab at the top of the map lets you choose how much detail you'd like to see.
The websites at the bottom of this page will help you plan your travel around Wales and the UK.
Flying to Wales/UK
Cardiff InternationalAirport
Just outside our capital city, Cardiff, in south east Wales.
Liverpool John Lennon Airport
Really close to north Wales - only about 40 miles (60km) from Wrexham.
Manchester Airport
It's about 90 minutes' drive from Manchester Airport to Llandudno, and just a bit longer by train.
Birmingham International Airport
Within easy reach of mid and north Wales - it's about 1 hour 40 minutes by car to Welshpool.
Bristol International Airport
Another option for the south east. It takes about an hour and a half to get to Cardiff from here.
London Heathrow Airport
It takes about 2 hours to get to Cardiff from here - by train or car.
Ferry connections
A number of direct ferry crossings link Ireland to Wales but if you’re travelling from further afield, the following ferry companies offer crossings from France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Spain to various convenient ports in Britain.
If you are thinking of combining your trip to Wales with a visit to Ireland, ferries depart from either Holyhead, Fishguard or Swansea, the quickest crossing taking just 99 minutes.
Rail connections
You can travel to the UK from France via the Channel Tunnel or from France and Belgium by Eurostar. We’re only two hours from central London if you take the train.
Travel around Wales
Traveline Cymru can help you plan your travel around Wales, including local train and bus services. The websites below will also help you plan road, coach and rail travel around Wales and the UK.
- AA Route Planner
- RAC Route Planner
- Transport Direct
- National Express
- National Rail