Traveling from Coventry to Cardiff 12th July

[HilversumNS]

I have a ticket for the 5th day of the Ashes test in Cardiff on Sunday 12th July.

I live in Coventry and have been trying all methods I know to find any train that will get me to Cardiff in time for the 11:00 start.

Am happy to drive part of the way, but the 'best' I can see is the 09:48 from Swindon thats gets me to Cardiff Central at 10:57 which is a bit late to catch the start of play and makes me feel I should just drive all the way)

If anyone has any useful suggestions, I'd be very grateful.

 

[Romilly]

If you look at Cardiff Central station on Realtimetrains for the morning of 12th July, the first arrivals from England are the 0941 and 1041 which start from Bristol Temple Meads at 0848 and 0948 respectively. But there are no pre-0948 arrivals into Bristol Temple Meads from London/the Midlands.

 

[HilversumNS]

Many thanks, this confirms what I saw.

Driving it is then, now to find somewhere to park nearby ....

 

[Romilly]

Those first two Bristol-Cardiff trains call at Filton Abbeywood, Severn Tunnel Junction and Newport. Someone with local knowledge might be able to say whether there would be easy parking adjacent to any of those stations on a Sunday, if you wanted to get a train for the last bit of the journey into Cardiff.

 

[HilversumNS]

Having looked at the map, maybe Tafft Wells which has free parking, not far off the M4 and is a 10 minute ride to Cathays (nearest station to the Sophia Gardens/Swalek stadium)

Any local knowledge would be appreciated though.

 

[extendedpaul]

Would you consider going by coach ?

Megabus from Coventry at 05.45 arrives Cardiff 09.30. Current fare for 12 July £6.

There's a return journey at 20.35 to Coventry arriving 00.10 for £1 so you could get a return for only £7.50 including the 50p booking fee.

 

[HilversumNS]

Would you consider going by coach ?

Thanks, I did see that, but the time hanging around in Cardiff afterwards, plus it being a very long day put me off somewhat.

Being the 5th day of the match too, it may well finish before 18:00, impossible to predict, so I'd have even more time to kill there.

 

[clagmonster]

I suppose you could always get the coach there and train back. It sounds like you will want a flexible ticket on the way back though, so a walk up single, which could be relatively pricey. It depends how much you want to spend.

 

[extendedpaul]

I often have time to kill in Cardiff and there are plenty of nice places to spend a few hours on a summer evening. If it's wet or chilly there are two cinemas within the city centre, there's a small park adjacent to the megabus stop, and every type of food outlet from a worldwide buffet restaurant to cafes and pubs serving traditional roast dinners.

A trip to Cardiff Bay is also worth taking with a train every 12 minutes from Queen Street.

 

[HilversumNS]

Thanks Paul and Clagmonster.

Ideally the return should be flexible, or departing around 19:00. I see there is an advance ticket for £21.90 leaving Cardiff at 19:20. With the coach going down, that comes to £27.90. I'd have to be up at 05:00 though, plus my car would be at the bus stop where I get the megabus from in the morning once I get back to Coventry.

I estimate that the petrol will cost me £40 plus £3.30 for Taffs Wells to Cathay, so for the extra 15 quid or so, I don't have to get up at stupid o'clock on a Sunday, and I can go home whenever it finishes.

Knowing what I'm like, once the cricket is over, I'll want to get on my way rather than do something there. Work on the Monday etc.

I (mistakenly) looked up the journey on the 12th JUNE (a Friday) initially, and Trainsplit was showing me a Cov -> Cheltenham plus Cheltenham -> Cardiff for £60 for an anytime return (acceptable restrictions) which I thought was pretty good considering the flexibility.

£59.40 for an off-peak single on the way back seems rather excessive.