If you have never visited Wales before and are unsure of what to expect – don’t worry! The area is well blessed with amenities and the road network excellent. Getting around South Wales is easy thanks to the M4 motorway. Elsewhere in Wales, the roads are good but a but slower, especially in the mountains and through Mid Wales. Wales may be just 170 miles from North to South but it can still take 4 or 5 hours! If you have never driven in Wales before you will be pleased to know that the UK has the EU’s safest roads.
Our holiday cottages are situated just outside Pontardawe, a town at the heart of South Wales and in a perfect position for exploring the wealth of attractions and curiosities on offer. Armed with a satnav and the famous black information folder in your holiday cottage, you should have no problems in finding your way around and having a relaxing holiday.
South Wales Travel Guide
Buses. Buses will provide a much deeper penetration into the Welsh countryside than the train service. For detailed information on traveling around South Wales by bus, see the Traveline Cymru site.
The nearest bus stop to our self catering holiday cottages is a mile away, opposite Rhos Stores convenience store and post office. Simply turn left at the end of the farm drive and keep walking for about 10 minutes (downhill) to reach the stop. There are hourly services that run between Neath and Swansea via Pontardawe (Mon-Sat). They take about 20 minutes to get to Neath and an hour to get to Swansea (due to lots of other stops on its way down the valley). From Swansea, buses may be caught to the Gower beaches and other parts of the UK (see www.megabus.com or www.nationalexpress.com).
Trains. Train services in Wales cover all the main cities and a selection of rural towns. A number of different companies operate a number of different routes. For train information, see www.thetrainline.com
The nearest mainline train station to our self catering holiday cottages is Neath which is 5 miles from our holiday cottages. The station has two platforms both accessed through ticket barriers. Platform 1: westbound trains towards Swansea and West Wales. Platform 2: eastbound trains towards Cardiff, London Paddington and Manchester Piccadilly. Fast and frequent (hourly) First Great Western services link Swansea to London Paddington (a 3hr journey) via Neath, Port Talbot, Cardiff, Bristol, Swindon and Reading. Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) run a daily service between Manchester Piccadily and Milford Haven that stops in Neath and Swansea. ATW also run a two-hourly Swansea-Cardiff service that stops in Neath. Neath is a staffed station. Tickets and information can be obtained from the booking office [5:30am-6:30pm Mon to Sat, 9:20am-4:50pm Sun] or the automated machines near the entrance.
Planes. The main airport that services South Wales is Cardiff Airport. The main London airport of Heathrow is within 3 hours of central South Wales.
