Most popular locations to hire a car in Wales
Wales Mini Guide
Bordered by the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean on the west, and by England to the east, Wales is both a part of the United Kingdom and an entity with the European Union in its own right. The latter fact typifies the stance Wales has taken towards independence throughout the ages. To this day it still promotes the native tongue of Cymru (Welsh) within its borders and all road signs and information notices are written in Cymru, along with an English translation. Cardiff is the capital of Wales, predominantly a port city, with trade based around coal shipping; the town is home to around 350,000 people.
Wales has a somewhat mythical history, much of which is intertwined with the legend of King Arthur. Indeed, the city of
Carmarthen bears an interesting name when we view it as a composite of two Welsh terms. Caerfyddin is a more appropriate way of representing the name, which quite literally translates to Fort Myrddin, if we then consider that Myrddin is the Welsh spelling of the name Merlin, we have a town which bares the name “Town of Merlin”, and indeed there are caves close by which are said to have been the secret sanctuary of this infamous character from Arthurian mythology.
Served by Cardiff International Airport, it is conveniently situated quite centrally making it the ideal place to pick up your hire car and spend a few days exploring this fine old town, before heading out into the rest of Wales. For visitors on a shorter schedule, there are a number of excellent places of interest within a short drive of the City of Cardiff, making excellent day trips and excursions.
Caldicot Castle sits just outside Cardiff, this impressive structure is thought to have been constructed over a long period of time between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. In the early 1880s the castle was redeveloped and used as a dwelling where it continued to be used as a family home until as recently as the 1980s.
Another local attraction that is suitably close to Cardiff is the Pleasure Park. Built upon Barry Island, this is a traditional British coastal resort complete with a typically British beach (no sparkling sand and crystal blue waters here). The promenade and surrounding areas are populated by small cafes, amusement arcades and take away restaurants. During winter months an impressive lighting system is used to illuminate the headland. The Pleasure Park itself contains a whole host of adventure rides suitable for the entire family.
As we can see, Wales is an intriguing place with a mysterious history shrouded in legend. Many visitors find that they return again and again with Wales car hire to this charming part of the world, in order to explore all that Wales has to offer more fully.
Spotlight on Wales
- Wales is part of the United Kingdom and approximately 3 million people live there
- The country is very well known for its sheep farming and as such lamb is used frequently in cooking
- Cardiff International Airport is the only international airport in Wales and it is also the largest
- People in Wales are often given the nickname 'taffy', which originates from an old anti-Welsh nursery rhyme
- The national flower of Wales is the Daffodil