Auto Europe
Car hire in Cardiff – Gateway to South Wales
One of Britain's most fascinating and vibrant cities, Cardiff is a cosmopolitan hub that guarantees its many visitors a warm Welsh welcome. The Welsh capital since 1955, it is renowned for its vintage Victorian and Edwardian shopping arcades, fascinating museums and rich industrial heritage. Steeped in history and brimming with architectural landmarks, Cardiff's regenerated waterfront area (formerly known as Tiger Bay) bursts into life during the summer months. The city also boasts multiple tourist sites and unique attractions making it one of the United Kingdom's fastest-growing tourist destinations.
Multi-faceted Cardiff attracts visitors from all over the world, many of who are drawn by its rich sporting culture, unique gastronomy, numerous shopping opportunities and first-class entertainment venues. As Britain’s youngest capital city, there's a an abundance of tourist interest in and around its compact centre, most notably Cardiff Castle which showcases the city's 2,000-year history wih several fascinating exhibits. Other must-see attractions include the National Museum (one of the best in the whole of Great Britain) and Llandaff Cathedral which dates right back to the 1300s.
With a car hire in Cardiff you can also enjoy everything the city has to offer before heading off along the coast or intro the Welsh countrys ide. Day-trip options include the spectacular Brecon Beacons less than an hour's drive north of the city, while beach lovers can enjoy long stretches of fine sandy coastline just west of the capital. Auto Europe offers the best rates guaranteed for low-cost car rental in Cardiff and all other parts of the Wales. With strong partnerships with all the most prestigious vehicle suppliers around the world, we can also provide you with the widest selection of cars, which you can book online through our state-of-the-art search engine or by contacting our rental specialists for assistance. The best way to know you're making the best choice is to read the comments posted by some of our previous customers in the city on our Cardiff car hire reviews page.
For more information on renting a vehicle in Cardiff, click on the car hire related topics listed below:
| Suppliers | Car Hire FAQs | Travel Guide |
Where to pick up a car hire in Cardiff
Established in 1954, Auto Europe works with all the world's top car rental providers, meaning that customers have an exhaustive choice of locations in and around the city centre. To help you make the right choice, our state-of-the-art booking engine allows you to do an extensive search to find the best vehicle and the most suitable pick-up point for your trip. Once you've keyed in your dates, an interactive map will come up with all the available locations when you rent a car in Cardiff.
Cardiff Airport
Modern and recently expanded, Cardiff Airport is the only international airport in the country. Located a few miles west of the city in Rhoose, in the Vale of Glamorgan, you can fly directly to CWL from Edinburgh in Scotland, Dublin in Ireland and a number of major European cities. Many of the world's leading car hire companies are represented at Cardiff Airport and their reception desks can be found inside the main terminal building.
Cardiff Airport (CWL)
Website: cardiff-airport.com
Address: Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan CF62 3BD, Wales
Telephone: +44 1446 711111
Cardiff Train Station
With its conveniently central location Cardiff Train Station is the hub of the city's vast public transport system. First opened in 1850, it connects with dozens of destinations around the United Kingdom on the Great Western Railway (GWR) and Transport For Wales (TFW) networks. Several major car rental companies have their offices have their offices close to the station exit, including Avis, Budget and Enterprise.
Cardiff Train Station
Website: tfw.wales
Address: Central Square, Cardiff CF10 1EP, Wales
Telephone: +44 333 3211 202
Book with the best car hire suppliers in Cardiff
Auto Europe is a leading international car hire company currently offering a vast selection of convenient pick-up and drop-off locations in 190 different destinations around the world. Thanks to our many years of experience dealing with all the global and local car rental companies, we can offer you the best standard of service and cheapest prices on the market.
 |
 |
.jpg "Europcar Car Hire Cardiff") |
 |
Should you require additional information about the car hire companies we work with or their policies, for example out of office pick up or questions regarding age restrictions, our car rental specialists are just a phone call or e-mail away and happy to assist you.
Frequently asked questions about renting a car in Cardiff
This section features the most frequent questions asked by people booking a car hire in Cardiff. Scroll down for important tips relating to a wide range of essential car hire topics, such as credit cards, coverage, tolls, traffic and much more. If you need any more information, please contact our reservations team for assistance and they will be happy to help you with your reservation and assist you with your travel itinerary.
Do I need a credit card to rent a car in Cardiff?
Yes. Whenever you decide to book a low-cost car rental in Cardiff, you will always be required to present a valid credit card along with your car hire documents to collect your vehicle at the pick-up point. The reason for this is that your car hire supplier will need it to place a security deposit on the vehicle for the duration of the rental period, the amount of which will be clearly specified on the Auto Europe booking voucher. When you return the car at the end of your trip, the deposit will promptly be released back onto your card once the vehicle has been signed in exactly the same condition as when you collected it. Please note that for luxury car bookings, very often the supplier will request a second major credit card (ie Visa, Mastercard, Diners, etc.) in the main driver’s name due to the high value of such vehicles. It's important to always make sure that you have enough funds to cover the deposit or risk the disappointment of not being able to collect your car. For a list of the most common questions please visit our credit cards and deposits section.
What insurance do I need for my car rental in Cardiff?
All Auto Europe's basic car hire rates include the minimum amount of legally-required Liability Insurance, Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and Theft Protection (TP). However, it should be noted that CDW does not cover damage caused to all parts of the vehicle, for which we suggest adding our Full Damage & Theft Protection cover to your booking for a very reasonable additional fee. With Full Damage & Theft Protection you will be covered for any damage caused to roof, undercarriage, wing mirrors, etc. and the cost varies according to the car category, location and supplier you have chosen.
It's a common occurrence for car hire staff to try upselling and offering our customers additional insurance such as Personal Accident Insurance (PAI), Personal Effects Coverage (PEC), Super CDW, Seguro Relax Insurance and Roadside Assistance, amongst others. The important thing to note is the cost of any such insurance purchased directly with the supplier cannot be refunded by Auto Europe, but if you have previously purchased coverage through us then you will more than likely already be covered. Do not hesitate to contact our rental specialists for assistance to check your coverage or discuss any issues you might have. When making a search in our booking engine, you can easily check the coverage terms and conditions by clicking on the blue and white info icon (i) in the car details. There you can also view the CDW deductibles, Theft Insurance Deductibles and Liability Insurance, the same information of which is also included in the car rental voucher sent to you by e-mail once your booking has been confirmed.
How is the traffic in Cardiff?
Driving a car rental in Cardiff is quite uncomplicated, and you should be able to find your way around town without a problem. However, be mindful that as in any city, during peak hours in the morning and afternoon the centre does experience some congestion. Note that if, while driving out of or into Cardiff, you cross the Severn Bridge, you must pay a toll for crossing.
The main road connecting Cardiff to the nearby region as well as the rest of the UK is the M4. Heading west on the M4, you can reach Swansea in just under an hour. Or heading east, you can drive to London via the M4 in about three hours. For a short day trip, you can drive your car hire to Newport, which is less than half an hour away on the Eastern Ave/A48.
Where can I park my car hire in Cardiff?
There are plenty of parking spaces available in Cardiff, but the cost of parking can be quite high. There are three Park and Ride car parks serving the west, east, and south of the city which are connected to the local bus services. Furthermore, there are five large council-run pay and display car parks in the city centre, as well as pay and display on-street parking spaces in and around the centre as well as Butetown and Cardiff Bay. Parking spaces may be more difficult to find on days when special events such as rugby matches are taking place at the Principality Stadium.
Cardiff Travel Guide
One of Great Britain's must-see cities, Cardiff offers visitors a rich mix of Welsh culture and all the sophistication you'd expect from a modern, 21st-century capital city. Besides its many museums, you won't want to miss the lively atmosphere of the new-look Cardiff Bay area where much of the action takes place on warm summer evenings.
Best day trips with my car rental in Cardiff
The South Wales region (which incorporates the Welsh capital) features some of the country's loveliest scenery and is nowadays one of the top places to visit in the United Kingdom. With a car hire in Cardiff you can explore this whole enchanting area, which incudes dozens of picturesque seaside villages and many fine beaches.
For clients wishing to explore further than the city of Cardiff, it is also possible to undertake a road trip and return the car rental in another city, a so called One Way car hire, which will allow for extra flexibility. To share the driving and save cash at the same time, why not take advantage of our regular Free Additional Driver offers running throughout the year.
St Fagans National Museum of History
Located a short drive from Cardiff city centre, the excellent St Fagans National Museum of History is ranked as one of Europe's best open-air museums. Covering more than 100 acres of beautiful parkland, it paints a vivid timeline of the country's story through a number of original Welsh buildings (more than 40 in total) from various historical periods. Highlights include a late 16th-century manor house donated to the people of Wales by the Earl of Plymouth in 1948, a working farm, chapel and a splendid Workmen's Institute. Traditional crafts and activities with workshops operated by live craftsmen demonstrating their skills help make the St Fagans National Museum of History a wonderful day-trip option for the whole family.
Caerphilly Castle
An easy 15-minute drive north of the city lies Caerphilly Castle, one of the most impressive fortresses in the country. Built in 1628, it has many notable features, including two very large drawbridges and a fascinating display of armour and old weaponry. But it's Wales’ very own Leaning Tower — many say more strking than that of Pisa in Italy — that is probably the castle’s best-loved feature.
Brecon Beacons
Wild and somewhat remote (a large part of its attraction), the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park lies about an hour's drive north of Cardiff, making it the ideal place for some post-city sightseeing rest and relaxation. Largely upopulated, visitors can drive around the park and see ruins of old abbeys, picture-book castles and some of the most photogenic hill forts in the United Kingdom. Some of the towns lying within the park's perimeter are definitely worth visiting, such as Hay-on-Wye and Abergavenny where the obligitory lunch stop guarantees the finest Welsh fare available in the country.
Gower Peninsula
This glorious stretch of shoreline west of the Welsh capital is part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, a land of beautiful seaside towns and villages, many of them with a rich fishing tradition. The UK’s first area of 'Outstanding Natural Beauty', the rare combination of accessibility (striaght down the motorway from Cardiff) and remoteness makes the Gower Peninsula a unique and very agreeable place to visit once all the city sightseeing has been accomplished.
What to do in Cardiff
As one of the UK's upcoming tourist destinations, Cardiff's sightseeing portfolio has expanded tenfold in recent years thanks to a large amount of investment in the city's vibrant Bay area. Today's visitors are spoilt for choice but be careful if there's an international rugby match scheduled during your visit because all the hotels will be completely sold out!
- Cardiff Castle: Norman in origin, Cardiff Castle is the city’s crowning glory and one of the country's top tourist attractions. A site of international importance, its visitors can immerse themselves in over 2,000 years of history in a prime location in the heart of the city centre. Highlights include climbing the original Norman Keep and exploring the Castle Apartments created for one of the world’s richest men. Don't miss the excellent Firing Line military museum to experience the Wartime Shelters before relaxing in the castle’s café and gift shop.
- Cardiff Bay: Formerly known as Tiger Bay, Cardiff Bay ooccupies 2,700 acres of the city's waterfront area with numerous shops, hotels, restaurants and attractions awaiting visitors, along with plenty of live outdoor entertainment during the summer months. One of the star attractions is the Techniquest Science Discovery Centre offers visitors a hands-on approach comprising a science theatre, planetarium and an exhibition centre with over 100 interactive exhibits. The Mermaid Quay is another of Cardiff Bay's great attractions with several places to eat and drink. Another must is the amazing Doctor Who Experience right next to the BBC Wales studio complex.
- National Museum: Housed in one of Britain’s finest neoclassical buildings, Cardiff's superb National Museum boasts an extensive collection of world-class art and natural history exhibits. Besides the many leading impressionist and post-impressionist works to be seen (the largest collection outside of Paris), visitors shouldn't miss the multimedia Evolution of Wales exhibit which whisks visitors through 400 million years of geological development with VR-rendered prehistoric beasts.
- Llandaff Cathedral: The most popular of Cardiff's many churches – and certainly the one most worthy of being visited – the city's magnificent Llandaff Cathedral was built in the 1300s on the ruins of an original structure built some 200 years earlier. Highlights include the impressive 15th-century tower, while the main feature inside the cathedral is an exquisite and fully-restored 18th-century Italian Temple most notable for its rare religious sculptures and artifacts.
Useful links
- Home
- Car Hire Destinations
- United Kingdom
- Wales
- Cardiff