Located in the south of Wales, Cardiff is only an hour’s drive west from Bristol via the Severn Bridge. It’s the biggest city in Wales with a population of 360,000 with nearly half a million in the wider area. Bear in mind that Wales only has a population of 3 million, with the largest population centres in the far north and south. Cardiff has 3 rivers that join the mighty Bristol Channel: the Taff, Ely and Rhymney. The first thing you’ll notice when you cross the Welsh border is that everything is written in Welsh and English, but in Cardiff only about 30% of the locals can actually speak it, with English being the dominant language.
Cardiff was a pre Roman settlement established by the iron age Silures tribe, and was taken over by the Romans in the AD 50s. They built a fortress there, which was later rebuilt by the Norman conquerors. Very little is known about what happened in Wales after the Romans left the British Isles. Cardiff was bombed heavily during WWII because of its huge port, and later as part of the Blitzkrieg campaign against the civilian population. Historically, Cardiff was only given city status in 1905 and made the capital in 1955, taking the title away from tiny Machynlleth. It grew massively in the 19th century due to its access to the sea, where it exported coal during the industrial revolution and beyond. Wales’ coal industry finally ended under Margaret Thatcher’s government in the mid 1980s, leaving 10s of thousands of miners unemployed.
Cardiff is extremely proud of the superstar singers it’s produced, such as Shirley Bassey and more recently, Charlotte Church. Then there’s the world famous children’s author Roald Dahl, who has inspired millions of children all around the world. His books have been translated into countless languages and remain popular to this day.
These days Cardiff is a buzzing metropolis with 3 universities and the renowned Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. The nightlife is accordingly spectacular, so you’ll be able to find whatever it is that floats your boat. It’s totally LGBT+ friendly, and people can be themselves without worrying about getting any funny looks from anyone.
Rugby is a big deal in Wales, and it’s even more popular than football. The Millennium Stadium, otherwise known as the Principality Stadium is home to the Welsh rugby team, and it’s a major tourist attraction for sporting events. You can go check out Cardiff City playing football in Cardiff City Stadium, or the world famous Cardiff Devils ice hockey team as well as Glamorgan Cricket team in their stadium. Sportswise, Cardiff is really rockin’ it.
Cardiff castle is a hugely popular tourist attraction. It has a whopping 2,000 years of history and attracts almost 400,000 paying visitors annually. If history isn’t your bag, then you might want to check out the wonderful Cardiff Bay lake. It’s a freshwater lake with a beach, cafes, restaurants and a Norwegian church. Well worth a visit.
If you have an inventive mind, or inquisitive kids, you really have to see the Techniquest interactive science museum and be prepared to have your mind blown!
With vast numbers of tourists each year, parking in good locations, or finding free parking options can be problematic. Luckily, we’ve done all the hard work for you. Scroll down to find every kind of parking option imaginable, in locations that suit your every need.
Free Parking in Cardiff
Table of Contents
Free, unrestricted residential street parking
Everyone needs to think about saving money these days. One great way to economise is to make the most of free residential street parking options. No one will know that you aren’t local, and it’s not breaking the law anyway. Many of you will have driven a long way to get to Cardiff, and it’s always a good thing to take a stroll after a long drive. Scroll down to see some great free residential street parking locations in the north, west and south of the city. We’ve also mentioned some great things to see along your way to the centre.
Please remember that although there’s nothing wrong with parking in residential areas, you should be extra mindful about noise as well as how you park. We keep this site updated regularly, but you should also look out for any new parking regulations that may have recently been introduced. Check for any notices that may have been left by the locals and obviously, don’t block anyone’s driveway or park too close to someone else’s car. The following locations are measured by their distance to Cardiff Central Station.
North
If you’re planning on driving down from Pontypridd in the north there are some good street parking locations only a half hour walk to Cardiff Central Station. You can stop off for some decent grub in the Woodville gastro pub, and maybe a quick half pint! We highly recommend you cross the tracks and head to Bute Park. That will bring you right past Cardiff Castle, or you may want to take a different route and check out the Museum of Cardiff. There’s also the Cardiff Market, which has been there for 300 years. You can find all kinds of great gifts there as well as food from all over the world.
● Harriet Street CF24 4BW – 1.5 miles
● Richards Street CF24 4DP – 1.5 miles
● Flora Street CF24 4EQ – 1.5 miles
● Fanny Street CF24 4EX – 1.6 miles
South
If you’ve just spent a fantastic day on Barry Island and plan to drive up from the south west, there are some good locations very close to the centre of Cardiff. Silurian Park is worth a visit, and there’s another park with a great kids play area called Craiglee Drive Children’s Playground. You can also wander a bit further and see the lovely river Taff, as it gently flows towards the Bristol Channel.
● Redlaver Street CF11 7LY – 0.7 miles
● Llanmaes Street CF11 7LR – 0.8 miles
● Letton Road CF10 4AB – 0.6 miles
● Loudoun Square (2h max) CF10 5JH – 0.7 miles
● Hannah Street (2h max) CF10 5LP – 0.8 miles
● Barquentine Place CF10 4NF – 0.7 miles
● Halliard Court CF10 4NJ – 0.9 miles
West
Are you thinking of driving in from Pembrokeshire or Swansea? We’ve got you covered with the following 3 options. It’s well worth taking a peaceful walk around Sanatorium park before getting stuck into the busy city vibes. There are also various different sports clubs in the area, including the Cardiff Central Stadium, so these parking options might be extremely busy, depending if there’s a game on or not. The walk to town only takes 30 minutes, and the residential streets are very pleasant. You’ll also pass by Neighbourhood Kitchen & Cocktails on Tudor st, just in case you’re feeling peckish.
● Sudcroft Street CF11 8DF – 1.2 miles
● Leckwith Place CF11 6HR – 1.1 miles
● Broadhaven CF11 8DB – 1.3 miles
Free after 10pm/Overnight Parking
These options are all great if you need to park for the night, but make sure you get out before the traffic wardens start patrolling in the morning to avoid parking tickets. Don’t forget to check the street signs about parking enforcements to avoid penalties.
● Augusta Street CF24 0ER – 0.8 miles
● Beauchamp Street CF11 6AW – 0.4 miles
● Clare Street CF11 6BB – 0.5 miles
● Despenser Street CF11 6AG – 0.5 miles
● Gloucester Street CF11 6EL – 0.5 miles
● Dinas Street CF11 6QZ – 0.4 miles
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● Clare Gardens CF11 6EN – 0.5 miles
● West Close CF10 5LD – 0.9 miles
Park and Ride Services
You can park at County Hall car park for free (except on major event days) and catch the number 6 Cardiff Bus service from Hemmingway Road bus stop into Cardiff city centre.
● County Hall Park & Rides CF10 4UW – southcentral Cardiff
● Park and Ride West CF11 8AE – west of Cardiff
● Cardiff East Park & Ride CF23 8HH – northeast of Cardiff
Cheapest Paid Car Parks
If money isn’t a problem and you simply need to find a car park in an ideal location, here’s a fully comprehensive list of the cheapest car parks in Cardiff.
● NCP Pellett Street CF10 4FD – £2.90 for 2 hours
● John Lewis Car Park CF10 2EN – £3.00 for 2 hours
● St Davids Car Park CF10 2EN – £3.00 for 2 hours
● Car Park The Capitol Shopping Centre CF10 2HH – £3.00 for 2 hours
● Cardiff Barrage Car Park CF64 1TP – £3.30 for 2 hours
● Sophia Gardens Car Park C11 9SZ – £3.40 for 2 hours
● Havannah Street Car Park CF10 5SG – £3.40 for 2 hours
● Red Dragon Centre Car Park CF10 4JY – £3.50 for 2 hours
Free short-term parking (2h or less)
Make the most of these free parking options in commercial retail parks, including train stations. Make sure you’re out of there before your 2 hour time limit is up to avoid potential fines.
● IKEA Cardiff CF11 0XR
● Selco Builders Warehouse Glynstell Close CF11 8EY
● Cardiff Bay Retail Park CF11 0JR
● Asda Cardiff Bay CF11 0JR
● Tesco Extra CF14 3AT
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● Sainsbury’s CF23 9XN
Free and Paid Parking Near Popular Cardiff Locations
Free & paid parking near Millennium/Principality Stadium
