Having lived here all my life, I have seen Cardiff grow from a small city in the '70's to a major shopping centre over the last 30 years, and it has certainly benefitted from all the inward investment and new development that comes with this recognition.
Travelling into Cardiff City centre by car is not too much of a problem traffic wise compared to other major cities in the UK. There are the usual rush hour delays on weekdays, but these are usually resolved by about 9.30, and on weekends the roads stay fairly clear, except when there are rugby internationals at the impressive new Millennium Stadium. Concerts really aren't a problem as they are usually held in the evenings after the shops have closed. Of course, Christmas causes the biggest problems!
No major problems with parking - the city has numerous multi-storey car parks dotted throughout the centre, but be warned, these can be very expensive and the prices seem to change from week to week. The last time I used a multi storey in the centre town it worked at over £2.00 an hour so beware! However, the Council now has a voucher scheme running, whereby visitors can purchase parking vouchers from shops leading into the centre at a cost of £1.20 each, and you are then able to use designated spaces in the City Centre, providing anywhere from 1hours to 8 hours parking (depending on how far you are prepared to walk). The trains also run reasonably regularly and busses to the centre run every 5 - 10 minutes so my advice would be park out of town for free and use public transport - certainly the cheapest option.
The main paved shopping thoroughfare in Cardiff is Queen Street (Next, Dixons, Gap, Lush, T K Maxx etc) which now houses three major covered shopping centres - The Capitol Centre (Monsoon, Accessorize, The Gadget Shop, Virgin etc), The Queens Arcade (Disney Store, La Senza, The Pier, Argos etc) and the St David's Centre (Marks & Spencer, BHS, Boots, Mothercare etc) - these three being the best places to go if you are looking for up to the minute fashion and accessories, with plenty of 'coffee stops' along the way such as Starbucks, Coffee Republic etc.
At the far end of Queen Street is the impressive Cardiff Castle and it is here that you enter what is known as the 'Castle Quarter'. This is where you will find many of Cardiff's Victorian shopping arcades with a wealth of smaller speciality shops such as boutiques, Welsh souvenirs, home decor, camping supplies, antiques, curios etc. This really is the place to slow down and browse - there really is something to suit everyone's taste. Arcades in this area include Castle Arcade, High Street Arcade and Royal Arcade.
Just off St John's Square, take time to visit Cardiff's well known Central Market, open 7 days a week - a covered market on two floors selling everything from fruit and veg, through haberdashery, electrical items and even pets - all substantially cheaper than you will find elsewhere.
Cardiff really does offer a good day out shopping, and if that's not enough why not visit Cardiff Castle, the National Museum of Wales (5 minutes walking distance from the castle) or the new Millennium Stadium, or if you are feeling energetic, try skating at the National Ice Rink at the end of The Hayes. Take in a concert at St David's Hall or relax in one of the many modern bars and restaurants located throughout the City Centre.
A genuinely good all round shopping experience.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
I've only been to Cardiff once (I think) when I went one year to the RCN Conference ~ and I didn't really have time to shop or sight-see as I took one train down in the morning and another one back in the evening ~ even so, it was a long day, as I couldn't take the train directly but had to transfer. This review would be so much more interesting if you took us through an imaginary day's shopping ~ stopping at your favourite haunt for coffee or lunch etc. . . It could almost have been designed as a leaflet to promote the town centre rather than your personal experience ~~~ I know it's a hard line to draw between information and personalisation ~ but I come to Ciao! to get a more personal record of experiences ~ .................................................................................................... ~ ♥ ~ jes ~ ♥♥
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Mar 8th, 2006
very helpful by (62%):
helpful by (38%):
