Getting around Swansea

The busiest Welsh airport, Cardiff Airport services over one million passengers a year and is 40 miles or an hour away by car using the M4. The only international airport in the country, airlines like Vueling, Norwegian, KLM and Flybe will take you across Europe and the UK, with over 50 direct flights and more than 900 connections.

If you’re travelling by train, the airport has its own station at Rhoose which connects to Cardiff Central and Bridgend, with the journey taking around 90 minutes.

There are no direct buses from Swansea to Cardiff Airport, but you can get a bus to Cardiff and then use the T9 service from the city centre, which runs every 20-30 minutes to the airport. If you’d rather not travel far to the airport on the day you arrive or depart, then check out our hotels near Cardiff Airport.

Slightly further afield, Bristol Airport is 80 miles from Swansea and will take around two hours by car. The 10th busiest UK airport, it flies direct to dozens of international and domestic locations, including Spain, Holland and France. If you’re heading there by train, it’ll take around three hours with two changes, while going by bus will take half an hour longer and again involve several changes. If you’d prefer a good night’s sleep before you travel, check out our hotels near Bristol Airport.

Swansea Airport is the closest but is largely used for light helicopters and private planes.

With over 200 routes, the First Cymru bus service is a great way to explore Swansea and beyond. Taking in busy towns and stunning coastal routes, you can travel from Oystermouth on the coast to Neath Abbey near Port Talbot using the daily service.

The newest of its kind in Wales, the Quadrant Bus Station in Swansea is a bright, airy terminal that’s joined to the Quadrant Shopping Centre. There’s a nearby taxi rank as well, with a café and departure lounge inside. The station is open from 5.30am to 11.30pm daily and is serviced by National Express, Megabus and several local operators.

And if you’re looking to explore Gower, the large peninsula that stretches from Swansea around to Llanelli, make sure to use the Gower Explorer, a regular bus service that takes in most of the coastal villages.

When the sun’s shining – or it’s not raining, at least – getting on your bike to discover Swansea Bay is one of the best things you can do. With dozens of cafés and bars en route, you’re never far from your next stop and a quick ice cream.

The Bike Hub is located a few hundred metres out of the city centre on Beach Street and is around the corner from the Swansea cycle path. Here you can hire hybrid bikes, tandems, mountain bikes and kids’ bikes, as well as puncture repair kits, helmets, bike locks and more.

Opened in 1850, Swansea Train Station is one of the busiest in Wales and just a short walk from our Swansea City Centre hotel. The train has four platforms, as well as a staffed ticket office, shops, cafés, ATM, tourist information, taxi rank and nearby bus stops.


There are regular connections to the rest of Wales via Arriva Trains Wales and into England courtesy of the Great Western Railway. The station was renovated in 2017 and has won several awards for its cleanliness, ease of use and its helpful staff.