Would like to pick the brains of any of you who have travelled to the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff.
My home town team, Southend, have reached the final of the LDV Trophy, to be played on 21st March and I intend to be there, along with a fair number of other Southenders.
Now the question is, how do I get there?
I've got accomodation booked at my brother's company facility for the Saturday night in Caerphilly and Plan A was to catch the train into Cardiff on the Sunday for the match as we're told that parking in the city centre is a nightmare on match days. Unfortunately there appears to be only one train in each direction on a Sunday, and it's after the match!
Plan B was to drive to the special park and ride facility just off the M4 but I have been told that the wait after the game could be up to two hours to get a bus back to the car park.
Plan C is to drive down to Newport and get a train in from there, every 10/15 mins and back after the game.
So, has anyone been to the Stadium recently and any experience of any of the above, or, do any BR's hail from the area and have a better suggestion than any of the above?
Thanks in anticipation.
Cockle
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The rail company has a problem with trains on a Sunday. Even when the rugby was on recently you could not get a train to the Wales game from the Caerphilly valley.
My advice would be to try and get a Bus from Caerphilly to Cardiff, if you can on a Sunday. Or get a taxi in. It\'s not far from Caerphilly to Cardiff <10 miles??
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National Express seem to have lots of buses going from newport to cardiff. They take about half an hour.
www.traveline-cymru.org.uk/eng/index.asp?redirect=...p has a journey planner so you could experiment with your various options with buses.
teabelly
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My advice would to be a bit cheeky and park somewhere on the outskirts of town in a retail store, for instance at Culverhouse Cross, which is here, and get a bus in. It's also just a few minutes from junction 33 and is at the junction of the A4232 and A48.
Alternatively, a cab ride would only be about £6, so about the same price as a bus between four - though taxi availability may be shocking.
I think, from memory, the X2 and the (X)96 would be suitable. The X2 only runs once an hour on Sundays, the 96 I have no idea about. A fairly basic bus timetable is here: www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/wales/swwales/timetables/...2
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I've travelled from the Midlands twice - once to Arms Park and a couple of years ago to the Millenium Stadium (same place really). Both times for Heineken Cup Finals (Leicester Tigers stuffed by Brive in '97, beat Munster a couple of years ago). Both times we followed signs to docks. In '97 we found a car park easily but had to walk a while to ground. Last time followed signs to Millenium Stadium Park and Ride. Parked easily, got on a bus within 5 minutes and were outside ground in a further 5 mins. After game we hung around for a short while, mixing with supporters of both Tigers and Munster, bought a souvenir or two (maybe half an hour? didn't drink because of driving). Walked to bus, 3 mins, 5 mins to car park and drove sraight out, no queues out of Cardiff except maybe 5 mins at junction with M4.
Excellent system, and so much easier than hunting for parking in city centre (quite a lot of streets closed and 70,000 supporters milling around. Car park attendants, bus drivers, stewards very helpful and friendly (even to us English who had knocked out Llanelli in semi via a penalty by Stimpson which bounced off post and crossbar!!) Can't remember paying for park or bus but it might have been a couple of quid in a meter?
Hope this helps and enjoy yourself.
Course - if you don't drive, you can have a pint or two to celebrate - some great pubs within yards of the ground!!
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Thanks for the thoughts.
It looks a bit like a toss-up between the park and ride and Newport station from what you're saying.
The only thing that puts me off the cab idea is whether any will be available after the game, if they're like our cabs they seem to disappear quicker than David Copperfield when needed!
I think I'll have a recce of Newport on the Saturday afternoon or use the park and ride as it seems to be pretty well organised, from what's been said.
There's very little difference in the cost, £5 for the P&R against £8 for the train, it just comes down to convenience and as the boys have school the following morning and we have a fair journey home I don't want to be stuck in the middle of Cardiff for too long no matter how nice it may be.
Having said all that, after we've won it would be rude not to stop for a pint!
Cockle
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Train from Newport is a good bet, as roads are avoided and the stadium is 10 mins walk from the station, max.
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I went to a place just outside Cardiff 2 years ago when there was some big match on in Cardiff. Fortunately I found out about it in time. I think the mastch was at 2, and I had to be the other side of Cardiff by 11. Left home sooo early in the morning that I expected a clear run, but the traffic was dreadful all the way. Didn't help that Badminton was on the same weekend.
Solution 1. Don't do it. Go and sit in a pub and watch it on the telly.
Solution 2. Move the stadium to a place that has decent public transport links.
If you do do it, you'll find that around Cardiff the 3 lane road reduces to 2 lanes each time there is a junction. You will be signed an 'alternative route' using the overhead electronic signs that take you up the slip road, round the roundabout and down the slip road on the other side. Follow these alternative routes, they're quicer than sitting in the traffic in the 'middle' and 'fast (sic)' lanes.
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I went to the MS last year to see my team get beaten in the FA Cup :(.
I drove into town and parked up about 10-15 minutes from the ground in Romilly Crescent as that was where we were meeting for lunch. No problems parking and to be honest really not too bad getting in 3-4 hours before kick off. There was a small delay after the bridge. On the way out there were not too many problems (one small 5 miute jam) even when leaving after the presentation of all the bits and bobs.
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Drive over Caerphilly mountain down into north cardiff past 'The travellers rest' pub.Turn off the main road heading down the hill into cardiff into LLanishen and either park at HEATH HIGH LEVEL station on the road just past the three arches pub and catch the shuttle train into queen street (their is a web site with all the train times on).It is better to catch a taxi back to your car.Or you can park around Roath lake or in roath and walk in in 20 mins (or catch a taxi).If you are staying in caerphilly Sunday night then there is no problem going back the way you came.Or you can acces the A48/M4 through llanishen/north pentwyn(get an A-Z or something)Trust me,this is the best way to avoid ANY hassle.I lived in cardiff 10 years and revisited last year for a major final for the first time in 6 years with no problems (80000 at game)
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I'd highly recommend Roath Lake as a place to park. Used to go there on a Sunday and it's a really nice place - if you've driven a while to get there, there used to be a nice tea shop with a view over the lake, great cream cakes. Just the thing to refresh you after a long journey!
Lee.
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Lee
MINI adventure in progress
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20 minutes to walk from Roath Lake - you'd be lucky. It's 2 miles to the stadium, even from the nearest end of the lake. My parents lived 45 years just off Newport Road in 'Roath', so I have a fair idea where things are.
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Andrew
ok a bit longer from the lake but roath extends over Crwys road up to the back of the students union.
You could try and park in any of these streets but I still reccommend catching the train from heath high level which takes about 5 mins to queen street station
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Train probably a good idea, misterp, but if they run through to Central that's much nearer than Q St, unless you fancy some shopping (drinking?) on the way?
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Yes,teams are allocated pubs surrounding either end of the the stadium.We had the ones at the bottom of st mary street,so it made no differance wrt qeen/central station.Be aware if you try and get the train back to heath high level it will be packed at queen street so you will have to try for central station where it starts .Better to grab a cab back up to there IMHO
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"teams are allocated pubs surrounding either end of the the stadium."
Not at rugby matches!! Part of the fun is mingling with the opposition supporters both on the terraces (!) and in the bars afterwards.
By the way - still think the "park and ride "was excellent value and service!
Whatever - enjoy your day and an excellent stadium
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Thanks, once again, for all the suggestions.
Unfortunately it would appear that Heath High Level suffers with the same fate as Caerphilly on a Sunday, no trains till the afternoon!
What is it with South Wales? Either everyone must be too lazy to go anywhere on a Sunday morning or perhaps they're hungover from Saturday night :-) It really makes you feel like abandoning all attempts at 'being good' and just driving into the centre and taking pot luck, certainly the railway and bus companies don't seem to care!
At the moment it still seems like Newport or the P&R, P&R seems to get good press so may go with that and see what happens.
Cockle
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If its to be Newport.
M4 J25a, left at roundabout to Newport, 1st left off expressway, 3rd left at lights/roundabout(4th right takes you back onto bypass), 300 yds into Sainbury's car park(Fuel open till 11.00pm), walk to the left towards Castle, via footbridge/underpass towards City centre and the Station. Walking in 3/5mins. Plenty of places for a pint and a pie or what ever your fancies are (clubs).
There are NCP car parks but be warned they closed early till next morning.
Sunday is a day of Sabbath.
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Just thought I'd post back following the event.
Sadly, we went, we saw, but we didn't conquer.
Stayed in Caerphilly and went to a great pub/restaurant in Rudry on Saturday night where manager told us best thing to do was to get down to Cardiff Bay, which would also be near where the coaches from Southend would be parked, said Blackpool would be parked up in the North & West of the city, so probably wiser to avoid. Parked up at Mermaid Quay and walked up to Callaghan Square with all the fans off the coaches. Fantastic atmosphere, fantastic stadium, wonderful family day out, absolutely no problems from either set of supporters, even had a burger with a dozen Blackpool fans after the game; just how football should be.
Took a while to get back up the M4 and over the Severn Bridge but only to be expected with the amount of traffic leaving Cardiff; didn't quite expect the queue from M4 to M1 junctions on the M25, not at 20:30 on a Sunday night, anyway.
Cracking experience, can't wait to go back next year.....
Cockle
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Wondered how you had got on when I heard the score yesterday. Pity about the result, but glad you enjoyed the day. Your experience mirrored ours with the rugby in '97 - lost but great day out - and Tigers won the next time!
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In another hundred years...... Cockle? from Leigh on sea?
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Well, RF, we always have to travel in hope, 98 years actually but who's counting. But then Essex County Cricket Club hadn't won anything for their first 106 years, but then came the Eighties......
We're patient around here, we have to be with the roads we've got!
Cockle
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I understand, ex essex boy meself.
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