Cardiff Central is the main railway station in Wales, an Art Deco building on Central Square, right in the middle of the city. Cardiff Castle is about an 8 to 13-minute walk from the north entrance, St David’s shopping centre is 5 to 10 minutes, and most of the city centre’s main sights sit within a 10-minute walk. Cardiff Bay is further out and isn’t on a direct line from Central, so it needs a short bus, a train with a change, or a 25-minute walk. The station’s own car park is the APCOA-run Cardiff Central Quay multi-storey, not any of the older names some directions still use, and getting that right saves a wasted trip to the wrong building.

Cardiff Central Station Car Park

The name that matters: the station’s own multi-storey car park is officially the Cardiff Central Quay car park, on Crawshay Street to the south of the station. According to Transport for Wales, the car park is managed by Network Rail and operated day to day by APCOA, and its full listed name is ‘Cardiff Central Quay Multi-Storey’. If you’re searching for parking, ‘APCOA Cardiff Central Quay’ is the exact match; older names such as the Riverside and Penarth Road car parks have permanently closed.

Size and access: 681 spaces, including 28 accessible spaces and 28 with EV charging. It’s open 24 hours a day, every day, with CCTV throughout.

2026 tariff, published by APCOA:

Duration	Price
Up to 1 hour	£4.95
Up to 2 hours	£7.90
Up to 3 hours	£9.80
Up to 4 hours	£10.90
Up to 6 hours	£12.80
Daily rate	£18.00
Weekly	£68.40
Monthly	£256.80

Free drop-off: the car park gives 20 minutes free for dropping off or collecting someone in any bay, except the ground-floor spaces reserved for EV and accessible parking. If you’re only there to drop a passenger at the station, you don’t need to pay.

Passenger assistance: anyone who has booked passenger assistance at the station and has reduced mobility is directed to use the Quay multi-storey for accessible drop-off, pick-up and parking.

Other options nearby: independent operators list further car parks within a short walk, including NCP St David’s/Dewi Sant and the Capitol Shopping Centre multi-storey, and JustPark and similar apps list pre-booked driveway and private spaces from a few pounds a day. These aren’t run by the railway, so treat their prices as separate and check current rates before booking.

Cycle parking: Sheffield stands are provided at several points along the platforms and outside the southern entrance, and a sheltered area with 102 spaces sits in the Riverside/Fish Jetty car park next to platform 0.

Walking to the City Centre and Cardiff Castle

Which exit to use: leave by the main Art Deco entrance on the station’s north side, facing the city centre, rather than the newer south entrance, which faces towards Cardiff Bay and is mainly useful for the Quay car park.

To Cardiff Castle: About 8 to 13 minutes on foot, roughly 0.7 to 0.9 miles. From the north entrance, head up Westgate Street; the castle walls come into view as you go. Entry to the castle grounds, known as the Public Square, is free; a paid ticket is needed to go inside the buildings or climb the keep.

To St David’s shopping centre: About 5 to 10 minutes. Leave by the main entrance and follow Mill Lane, which becomes The Hayes, where St David’s is located.

To the arcades and St Mary Street: A few minutes further along the same route; Cardiff’s historic Victorian shopping arcades and the main St Mary Street strip of bars and restaurants are all within the same 10-minute radius as the castle.

To Cardiff Queen Street station: About a 10-minute walk if you need to change stations for onward travel, for example towards Cardiff Bay or the Cardiff Valleys lines.

Getting to Cardiff Bay from the Station

This is the one journey people most often get wrong, because Cardiff Bay feels close on a map but isn’t a simple walk from Central.

By train: The Bay Line runs from Cardiff Queen Street to Cardiff Bay station, a journey of only a few minutes. Most services from Cardiff Central need a change at Queen Street to pick up the Bay Line, so check whether your specific train continues through rather than assuming a single direct service every time.

By bus: Cardiff Bus routes run from the Cardiff Bus Interchange, next to Cardiff Central, to stops around the bay including the Wales Millennium Centre, taking around 12 to 15 minutes depending on traffic.

On foot: About 25 minutes, 1.3 miles, mostly following the Taff Trail or Lloyd George Avenue south from the station. It’s a flat, straightforward walk if you’d rather not wait for a train or bus, but it isn’t a quick five-minute stroll the way the castle or St David’s are.

Hotels Near Cardiff Central Station

Several hotels sit within a few minutes’ walk of the station, on the city-centre side:

• Travelodge Cardiff Central and The Parkgate Hotel, both around 0.1 to 0.2 miles away, among the closest options to the station itself
• Cardiff Marriott Hotel, on Mill Lane, about 0.2 miles from the station and close to St David’s
• Holiday Inn Cardiff City Centre, on Castle Street opposite Cardiff Castle, about 0.4 miles away
• Clayton Hotel Cardiff and Hotel Indigo Cardiff, both within half a mile, in the Castle Quarter area

If you’d rather stay near Cardiff Bay instead of the station, Future Inn Cardiff Bay is about a mile from Cardiff Central and includes free parking, but bear in mind the walk back to the station takes around 25 minutes, so budget for a bus or train if you’re catching an early train.

Prices last checked: September 2026.
Opening hours and facilities last checked: September 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Cardiff Central station car park called?

Cardiff Central Quay Multi-Storey, on Crawshay Street. It’s managed by Network Rail and operated by APCOA. The older Riverside and Penarth Road car parks at the station have permanently closed.

How much does it cost to park at Cardiff Central station?

From £4.95 for up to an hour, rising to £18 for a full day, according to APCOA’s published tariff for the Cardiff Central Quay car park. A weekly ticket costs £68.40 and a monthly ticket £256.80.

How far is Cardiff Central station from Cardiff Castle?

About 8 to 13 minutes on foot, roughly 0.7 to 0.9 miles, heading north from the station up Westgate Street. The castle walls are visible for most of the walk.

Can you walk from Cardiff Central station to Cardiff Bay?

Yes, but it takes about 25 minutes over 1.3 miles, so it isn’t a quick trip. A train via Cardiff Queen Street, or a Cardiff Bus service from the Bus Interchange next to the station, both take roughly 12 to 15 minutes instead.

Is there free drop-off parking at Cardiff Central station?

Yes. The Cardiff Central Quay car park gives 20 minutes free for dropping off or collecting passengers in any standard bay, though this doesn’t apply to the ground-floor EV and accessible spaces.

Arriving from London? See our guide to London to Cardiff by train, which arrives directly into this station. Browse more Plan Your Trip guides, or visit the Wales hub.