Travel
NAM2023 is highly committed to being a more sustainable conference, and as such, we highly encourage our delegates to use public transport as much as possible.
Cardiff University is located in the city centre of Cardiff, which is easy to reach from most places in the UK with public transport. The conference venues (Centre for Student Life, and the Sir Martin Evans building) are within walking distance of the main bus and train stations of Cardiff, and a few minutes walk from the city centre and most hotels and accommodation.
We therefore encourage you to take this into account when arranging your trip, and help us make NAM2023 a sustainable event!
Arriving by train:
Cardiff is easily accessible by rail from London, major UK airports and many towns and cities across the country.
The Cardiff-London InterCity rail service, from London Paddington, runs some seventeen times a day, with a journey time of less than two hours.
Frequent regional network trains, the Sprinter services, connect Cardiff with many towns and cities across the UK, including:
- Bristol (50mins)
- Birmingham (2hrs 30mins)
- Southampton (2hrs 40mins)
- Manchester (3hrs 20mins)
- Liverpool (3hrs 45mins)
The University Campus buildings, and in particular those where NAM2023 will take place (the Centre for Student Life, and the Sir Martin Evans building), are located within walking distance to Cardiff Central station. Nevertheless, Cardiff Cathays station is localed at close proximity to those University buildings, and there are numerous local trains connecting Cardiff Central and Cathays.
Arriving by (long-distance) coach:
Cardiff is well served by National Express and Megabus, providing services to and from other major towns and cities in the UK.
National Express stops in Cardiff include Cardiff Sophia Gardens (bus terminal - located behind Bute Park), Cardiff Castle (most suitable for the city centre), and Cardiff University (stop in front of the CSL building where NAM2023 will be held).
Similarly, Megabus also has multiple stops within the city, including Cardiff University, and the city centre.
Arriving by car:
Cardiff is served by the M4 and is easily accessible from all parts of Britain. From the south west, take the M5 and from the south of England, follow major A-roads to the M4. From Scotland, the north of England and the Midlands, travel via the M50 to the M4.
Car parking in the University car parks is extremely limited and a permit is required. All information regarding University Visitor car parks, including how to pre-book accessible car park spaces can be found here. To book these, you will require a location code - please get in touch with the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and we will provide you these. If you encounter any issues other, please get in touch and we will do our best to assist you.
Besides the University car parks, there are several public car parks located close to the University that operate on a pay and display basis, although note that they can be quite pricey. We therefore highly discourage travelling to Cardiff by car unless necessary.
International delegates - arriving by plane:
Cardiff Airport is located 11 miles from Cardiff city centre, and hosts a small number of international flights daily. If you chose to fly to Cardiff airport, you can then travel from the airport into the city centre using an hourly bus service (~1h-1h30 trip), or a bus+train trip. Please check the airport webpage for further information.
Bristol Airport is perhaps the most convenient option, as it is a larger international airport, and it is well connected to Cardiff, with many direct National Express buses operating between Bristol Airport and Cardiff City Centre, which are inexpensive and relatively fast (~1h20 journey). You can also reach Cardiff from Bristol Airport by train, by taking a shuttle bus (A1) between Bristol Airport and Bristol Temple Meads train station, from which there are regular trains to Cardiff Central. More information can be found in the airport webpage.
Various coach and rail companies also operate direct services to Cardiff Central Station from London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports.