CARDIFF - TRANSPORT HUB OF WALES

Advantages: Good existing infrastructure that is slowly improving (although not quickly enough)
Disadvantages: Uneven quality of transport services.

...--- OVERVIEW --- Cardiff the capital of Wales has a population of over 325,000. It is currently experiencing a building boom partly created by the need for more homes, but also by commercial and government investment. This growth therefore attracts a lot of traffic whether from outside the city or internally. Below I have looked at various modes of transportation in the city available giving pro's and con's for each. --- RAIL --- Cardiff is served nationally and regionally by a main station (Cardiff Central) and several smaller stations (linking up the suburbs). High-speed Inter-City trains link most cities with Cardiff. The journey time from London Paddington to Cardiff is approximately two hours. -Pro's- Train services to the main population centres around Cardiff (Swansea, Newport) and the suburbs are frequent...

Puma1000 19.01.2005 · Read review
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Review of Getting around in Cardiff

UWIC-University of Wales Institute Cardiff

Advantages: Own bus and nightclub. Cheap beer and excellent education.
Disadvantages: Can't think of one

...University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC) has been a university since 1998. It was formerly known as Cardiff Institute of Higher Education, Llandaff Technical College and years before that it was the college for Mariners. UWIC quickly gained an award for excellence. UWIC has four sites across the city. Each campus has many different schools. Colchester Avenue- Catering and Hospitality. Howard Gardens- Art. Cyncoed- Teaching and Sport. Llandaff- Sciences, IT, Business, Design Technology, Art, Horticulture. There are about 10,000 students at UWIC across the four sites. UWIC has an active Students' Union which has its own bus service, bars and even has an interest in a night club in the city centre called Reds. Although UWIC already has an adequate provision of halls, 2005 will see the opening of brand new student...

Suziwann 20.05.2004 · Read review
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Review of University of Wales Institute - Faculty of Art, Design & Technology

A Sophisticated Stay in Cardiff

Advantages: Sophisticated, swimming pool, comfortable
Disadvantages: Expensive

...As you may know by know, I?m always up for a bargain or a free holiday. So when my boyfriend got a free hotel voucher (due to a muck-up on one of his bills) we thought we?d make a weekend of it and have a mini city break. Living in the South our first choice was London, but looking through the list of available hotels we were allowed to choose from somewhere else stood out. Neither of us had ever been to Cardiff and we figured that we were close enough to get there by car and it was be a good excuse to suss it out. Our first choice was the Hilton hotel, but we were offered the Novotel. However, on visiting the city centre and seeing the Hilton from the outside I think I prefer the Novotel now anyway! ~~Location, Location, Location~~ Location is a pretty important factor in choosing a hotel and the Novotel won?t be for everyone...

tac20 02.08.2007 · Read review
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Review of Novotel Cardiff Centre, Cardiff

Treated like royalty

Advantages: cheap prices on food and drink, nice atmosphere
Disadvantages: lack of staff

...If you come to Cardiff by bus or train it is most likely that the first pub/bar you will notice when you leave the station is the Prince of Wales. On my every visit to Cardiff I used to walk past the big, impressive looking building on my way into the city centre and now that I've become a resident of Cardiff (and since I've become able to legally drink alcohol!) I decided to give it a try. The Prince of Wales is located conveniently in the centre of town, a neighbour to many other clubs, pubs and bars that reside on Wood Street and St Mary Street. The pub is part of the J.D.Wetherspoons chain, renowned for buying old derelict buildings and converting them into some of the grandest public houses ever seen. Some of the buildings they have converted include theatres, banks, cinemas, post offices and even a funeral parlour...

welshgal17 07.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of The Prince of Wales (Cardiff)

Cardiff International Arena

Advantages: great location
Disadvantages: expensive inside

...Well i first went to the CIA in Cardiff when i was around 14 years old so a few years ago now. i went to see boyzone there and rememebr thinking omg this place is huge and i was really spun out by it all, it was my first concert and i was just amazed by the atmosphere there. So it wasnt until returning some years later to see westlife twice and blue that my opinion changed! Firstly the CIA is smack bang in the middle of cardiff and is very very easy to get to, it is a short walk from the central train station and is situated around the corner from a NCP car park which is handy but is expensive and you can be queing up for ages to pay for you ticket and then you have to get out of the car park but hey thats another story.(Car parking fees are costly in cardiff generally)! The CIA is home to many events such as concerts...

kirstymartin1984 24.03.2008 · Read review
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Review of Cardiff International Arena

Porthmadog, Wales

Advantages: Good day out, Clean beaches
Disadvantages: Not a lot to do at night

...Porthmadog, Wales I first went there a few years ago after being recommended to go as the beach close by called Black Rock Sands would be brilliant to take the dogs on. It's brilliant as Black Rock beach is a drive on beach and dogs are welcome all year round on certain parts of the beach. It is kept clean and it's patrolled by lifeguards to looks after everyone and make sure they are safe. The waters clean for a UK beach and warm in the summer. There is a small charge for getting on the beach at holiday seasons but it isn't very much and well worth it for a day on the beach. It's also good late in the evening when everyone else has gone home to just have a drive across the beach. In the town itself there is a variety of shops, cafés and various other things to look at including the steam railway that goes across some...

Hsaxo 01.04.2008 · Read review
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Review of Porthmadog, Wales

A Great Stadium for Wales

Advantages: Wonderful facilities World Class home for Wales
Disadvantages: Few

...The Millenium Stadium Cardiff,the new home of Welsh rugby, has really been in the limelight. It very successfully handled the World Rugby Cup shortly after its opening, then hosted in quick succession the Worthington League Cup Final and the FA Cup final which saw Liverpool winning both trophies. More recently the thrilling Charity Shield match which saw Liverpool defeating Manchester United 2-1,was held at the stadium. This match was held under cover. This fine stadium was constructed on the very historic Cardiff Arms Park site bang in the middle of the Welsh capital. It was explicitly designed from the outset for all-year,all-weather use- very wise given the capricious British weather- and has a remarkable retractable roof which is the very first of its kind in the UK. It is a flexible,multi-use sports arena...

ashford 21.08.2001 · Read review
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Review of Wales

Our rainy days in Cardiff

Advantages: Cheap accommodation
Disadvantages: Not very clean

...were blatantly standing there arguing, but I don't envy them either, and they weren't exactly rude to us. Room entertainment The rain was heavy and constant on our first day in Cardiff, so after driving around and finding very little to do, we went back to the hotel to relax. The T.V. had the basic channels, tailored to Wales, of course, but there was very little on and we did not have Freeview etc. There is also Wireless access available but at a cost - you can buy from an hour up to a year's access (wow - do people really stay the long there?) and the prices varied from £1 up to something around £130. It's better value if you're staying there a long time, but for us it was just not worth it. Except for these, there's really not much else to do in the rooms. We brought some board games - because I suspected we would get...

Ayesha- 25.08.2008 · Read review
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Review of Travelodge Cardiff M4

Pop In For A Pint At The Prince

Advantages: Close to the Millennium Stadium, and taxis!
Disadvantages: Popular so can be busy.

...Background ----------------- No doubt you are all familiar with the chain of pubs to which the Prince of Wales belongs. That being J.D.Wetherspoons. I have had problems with Wetherspoon's in the past myself but that was Newcastle and far too long a story to tell here! On the whole however Wetherspoons have become a respected name in the pub scene. New Wetherspoons are cropping up everywhere! As a general rule Wetherspoons adopt a policy of buying a derelict building and converting it into one of there pubs. The result being that a lovely old style building gets a much needed facelift and the pub itself has a grander feel to it than your local. True to form The Prince of Wales, Cardiff has been adapted from an old cinema to the public house you see today. Location ------------ This pub is in a prime location, on Wood...

al1892 06.02.2006 · Read review
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Review of The Prince of Wales (Cardiff)

The Copthorne Hotel - Cardiff

Advantages: Lovely lake side view from one side of the hotel
Disadvantages: Located in a very busy area, with many shops around

...Copthorne Hotel Cardiff Caerdydd Copthorne Way Culverhouse Cross Cardiff Caerdydd CF5 6DH tel: +44 (0)29 2059 9100 fax: +44 (0)29 2059 9080 email: sales.cardiff@mill-cop.com I recently stayed the night at this hotel, I normally stay in travelodges because you always know what your getting but I thought id give myself a change and stay somewhere abit more fancier. The hotel although quite new is very traditional in style. To the back of the hotel is a very large lake with ducks and a nice wooden patio overlooking it with plenty of seating. This is just off from the bar area so im sure in the summer months it is very relaxing and peaceful to sit out there and have a drink, however I was unable to do so as it was February and cold! One half of the hotel overlooks the lake and the other overlooks the car park and the many shops...

kristenstal 20.02.2007 · Read review
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Review of Copthorne Cardiff Caerdydd, Cardiff