who lives in or has visited Cardiff?

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

What's worth seeing and or avoiding on a short trip there?.

Hello

I'm a Cardiff bod!

It's such a great city,
how long are you staying?
where are you staying?
what ages are your dcs?

then I can give you a more definitive answer.

Cardiff Bay is great, lots of restaurants and coffee shops to waste time in and on a sunny day great for a wander around. You can look at the Torchwood outdoor locations around the Wales Millenium Centre right in the Bay. Also in the bay Techniquest is good if you have little ones, good for any age 2 to about 14. There is a Dr. Who exhibition at the Red Dragon Centre in the Bay, also a cinema, bowling alley and restaurants there if it's rainy/cold.

If you like ice hockey or think it would be something fun for the children to go to, there might be a Cardiff Devils ice hockey game on. www.thecardiffdevils.com and there you would meet the wonderful me!

If you have any Tesco Days out vouchers you can use them on the sight seeing buses that go between the City Centre and the Bay.

Cardiff Castle is lovely as is Castell Coch on the outskirts of Cardiff.

The Museum of Wales (near city centre) is free and often has a good natural history exhibit plus an art gallery upstairs.

The Museum of Welsh Life 5 miles outside of Cardiff is also free and is a huge open air museum.

I can give lots more info if I know what your requirements are etc.

Cardiff is fab!!!

Some links for you:-

sightseeing buses

Cardiff Castle

Castell Coch

Cardiff Bay

St Fagans Museum of Welsh Life

National Museum and Art Gallery

Thank you so much for all those suggestions.

We have three days there. Staying in the city centre.

DS is 9.

Attilla - at 9 he'll find plenty of things to keep him happy. Particularly if he's into Dr. Who. Also he might well like the Techniquest I was talking about at the Bay which I realise I didn't link to Techniquest

The Castle and also the Museum might interest him. The museum's natural history bit is probably about the right level for a 9 year old. It's got bits about volcanos and earthquakes and stuff and some dinosaur stuff too. It only takes about an hour to get round so not too long and boring for them.

And a 9 year old would LOVE a game of ice hockey (haha - I'm on a one woman mission to get everyone to at least see one game of ice hockey in their life and see if they like it - just ignore me!)

But also if he's in to ice skating there is a new rink (in a big blue tent!) in the sports village across from the Bay, they have public skating sessions there, if you can't be persuaded to watch a game!

When are you visiting? If its between mid November and mid January then Winter Wonderland will be here in front of the museum and civic centre. There is an outdoor ice rink and a few rides and things plus heated outdoor bar with hot chocolate. The best time to go is early evening when it's dark because they light up the trees nicely and it's really festive.

Right, am off to get myself a job for the Cardiff Tourist Board!!

Thank you hockeypuck for all those great suggestions. Think you should certainly sign up with the Cardiff Tourist Information Centre!!.

We visit Cardiff tomorrow.

Many thanks once again.

Attila x

P.s if you decide visit London and or Essex in particular then I'll be happy to give you some pointers from my part of the world.

Have a lovely time Atilla. The weathers good right now and Cardiff rocks!

Hi Hockeypuck

We had two full days in Cardiff and visited some of the places you suggested.

We went to the Castle, the Dr WHO exhibition and Technoquest (DS really liked it there, come to think of it so did I!).

(We found a really nice French style restaurant in the High Street called La Brasserie).

We very much enjoyed our visit all round and look forward to returning next year.

Thanks once again for your recommendations

Attila

I lived there for 3 yrs & have been there loads. Loads of stuff to do, DD who's 9 loves going.

Think all the key things have been covered.

DD loves going to the hard rock cafe in the Brewery Quarter.

Glad you had such a nice time Atilla - sorry about the weather - it's sunny again here today! You just picked a couple of cold rainy days!

La Bras (as it is known to locals in a stong Caaaaaaardiff accent) is a great restaurant, glad you found somewhere good.

Bollocks Attila, can't believe you were here in sunny wales and I mised you!

If you have a car I would put in a vote for Tredegar house, home to a famous pirate buccaneer and thus, full of loot treasure!

im a caaaaaardiff girl too.

For next year it's definately worth taking a trip down to the bay and Roath Park is worth a look too. If your ds is into rugby/football you could do a tour of the millienium stadium.

Glad you had a good time attila!

oh yes, Roath park!

And Cosmeston - a little way out, but the bus is direct and it is fab - medieval village and large lakes to walk around, always full of kids/bikes/dogs/riders!

hello there

alrrrriiii love?

lol DirtyGertie, that sounds exactly right!

can't do the accent myself, am a dirty foreigner...

right my son's 17 months - what should we do? we are staying 4 days.

has the winter wonderland got rides at this time of year? someone told me the rides aren't there til the end of november but i'm sure last year they were there from november to january.

bump

Nappy Addict - go to the Museum of Welsh life at St Fagans. its a free outdoors museum, where you can wander round reconstructed Welsh village. My ds is 19 months and ADORED popping into the little houses and the and pigsty(!) . It really does feel like you are tramping round the countryside and find a place caught up in time.

how small are the houses? only cos if they are miniature ds can't walk yet so i need to be able to fit in there with him too!

oooh and its free to get in ... even better!

oh they are proper sized houses - they just picked them up and moved them from various locations around Wales. I mean they are tiny terraces - it made me feel better about my tiny central london flat, that families can be warm and cosy crammed into such tiny spaces!