Traveling to Wales from North America

Travelers looking to fly to Wales from North America have a handful of options. Virgin Atlantic has direct flights into Manchester from Las Vegas, New York, Atlanta, and Orlando. Aer Lingus also flies non-stop from Orlando and New York into Manchester and Singapore Airlines flies between Houston and Manchester. Less than an hour drive to North Wales, Manchester is considered the Gateway to North Wales.

Connecting flights are available to Cardiff Airport from Toronto, Vancouver and most US cities via Ireland (Aer Lingus) and Holland (Delta - KLM).

Icelandic low-cost carrier PLAY will run flights between Cardiff and Reykjavik starting October 10 to November 20, with the option of connecting flights from North America.

Trains from London: Wales is less than two hours from London by train. Train routes from London Paddington Station to South Wales stop at the cities of Newport, Cardiff and Swansea, with easy connections to Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

From London Euston Station, trains run across Mid Wales to Aberystwyth and up to the Llŷn Peninsula. There are also frequent rail services to North Wales, stopping in the cities of Llandudno, Conwy, Bangor and Holyhead on the island of Anglesey.

For more information on rail services within the UK please see National Rail Enquiries or Transport for Wales.

Trains from Manchester: Trains into Northern Wales from Manchester are frequent and stop in most major destinations such as Conwy, Llandudno, Bangor and Holyhead. There are also direct trains from Manchester to Cardiff and Newport, both around a three hour journey.

Driving from Manchester: If you prefer escorting yourself, Manchester Airport is less than an hour from North Wales by car. To rent a car in the UK all you will need is a valid driver’s license and passport, then you are free to travel the Welsh roads at your own leisure.

Ferry from Dublin: Ferry services operate between the west coast of Wales and the Republic of Ireland (Fishguard or Pembroke to Rosslare, and Holyhead to Dublin). The frequency of the services means it’s easy to combine a stay in Wales with a trip to Ireland, and the quickest ferries make the crossing in just two hours.

For more information on different times and routes see Irish Ferries or Stena Line.