Ok, so you have booked your accommodation, now
you need to consider how you are going to get to Swansea and then
into The Gower Peninsula itself. Below are links to those companies
that service Swansea and Gower and the associated travel information.
Please note that all references to Swansea Quadrant Bus Station, below, actually mean 'Swansea City Centre' for the foreseeable future, as the bus station is currently undergoing major refurbishment.
National Express coaches run direct from London; Gatwick & Heathrow Airports; West Yorkshire; South
Yorkshire; the West Midlands; Cardiff – to Swansea Quadrant Bus Station.
First Cymru operates a frequent Shuttle from Cardiff Central Bus
Station to Swansea Quadrant Bus Station.
Gower Explorer and First Cymru buses to all parts of Gower depart
from Swansea Quadrant Bus Station (for more info see 'Local
Buses' below)
If you want to travel by car/motorbike then the M4 is the road
to follow. You can access Gower from a number of different junctions.
For South Gower and Mumbles, choose junction 42 which will take
you on the Swansea Bay road. For North Gower, choose junction 47.
The M4 runs from London right into South Wales. It also intersects
the M50 and the M5 to link other parts of the UK.
By Rail...
The nearest railway station is in the centre of
Swansea. Frequent trains run direct from London Paddington, Bristol
Parkway, Manchester Piccadilly and Cardiff Central to Swansea. There
are frequent connecting trains from the North East England, West
Yorkshire, the West Midlands, Portsmouth, Southampton and Bristol
Temple Meads.
The "Heart of Wales" line runs through mid wales from Swansea to Shrewsbury. www.heart-of-wales.co.uk
You can use the frequent First Cymru local buses between the Train
Station and Quadrant Bus Station for Gower bus departures (see 'Local
Buses' below)
For more information call National Rail Enquiries on 08457 484950
or click on to www.nationalrail.co.uk
By Air...
There is an airport actually in the entrance to
Gower, it accepts light aircraft but currently has no scheduled
flights. The nearest international airport is in Cardiff, the capital
of Wales. It would take approximately one and a half hours to get
to Gower from Cardiff International Airport by car. There is a rail/bus
link from the Airport; take the train to Bridgend and change for
a direct train to Swansea.
The nearest English Airport is Bristol. However, with a longer
journey by road or a train link, the following airports could also be used: East
Midlands, London Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton.
Bristol International Airport: 01275 474444
East Midlands Airport: 01332 852852
London Heathrow Airport: 0870 0000 123
Gatwick Airport: 0870 000 2468
Luton Airport: 01582 405100
A little further away (about an hour and half by car) are the crossings Rosslare and Fishguard or Rosslare and Pembroke Dock. For more information phone Irish Ferries on 08705 171717 www.irishferries.co.uk and Stena
Line on 08705 707070 www.stenaline.co.uk
Travelling into Gower
For information on public transport information to/around Swansea
& Gower visit www.countrygoer.org/wales
Rent a car
For more information and details of how to obtain a 10% discount,
click here
Local Buses
There are frequent bus services from Swansea Quadrant Bus Station
to all parts of Gower. Gower Explorer buses run every hour to Rhossili
and Port Eynon (every two hours to Oxwich and Horton) in South Gower;
and North Gower as far as Llanrhidian (every two hours to Llangennith
and Llanmadoc). First Cymru buses run every hour to Bishopston,
Kittle and Pennard. First Cymru also run very frequently to Oystermouth
(for Mumbles).
For up to date, comprehensive travel information to and around Swansea Bay and Gower, visit the Baytrans website.
Words of wisdom
Another place to find further information is www.traveline-cymru.org.uk
Traveline Cymru, the public transport information service in
Wales 0871 200 22 33. They provide route and timetable information for bus, rail,
National Express, ferry and air travel in the UK. Alternatively, you can use Traveline Cymru's Journey Planner (below).
If you intend to travel by coach, rail or air, please consider
how you are going to make the final journey from Swansea to Gower.
Bus services may not be that frequent and taxis can be expensive.
If you are bringing your bicycle, it could be quite a lengthy ride
before you reach your destination, so it is probably best to check
routes etc. in advance. Gower roads can get busy during the height
of season and there are no bicycle tracks, so don't forget your
cycle helmet!
One website that might be worth visiting offers a special rail/bus
pass scheme with discounts on entry to many attractions. "The
Freedom of Wales Flexi Pass" 0845 60 61 660
Finally, for a more detailed map on where you might
by staying, type in the name of the village or the postcode in the
box below: