Aberystwyth Transport, Maps & Weather

Travel

For such a small town, so far off the beaten track, Aber' has a problem with the car. Most of the town's layout dates from well before the car but many people come into town by car to work, study and shop. Adding to this is the main coast road between north and south Wales which squeezes its traffic though the town. Aber' has an extensive one way system and there are gridlocks in town and most of the approach roads during the rush-hours. Many of the town's roads have double yellow lines, which leads to a game of 'musical chairs' as cars keep driving around the one-way system waiting for a parking space to free up.

Watching the driver confusion at the imaginative road junction on North Parade, (where 2 'in' lanes combine then split into 3 'out' lanes) is becoming the new spectator sport.

Rail

The front of the old railway station is now a large pub, with the railway relegated to the side buildings next to platform 1. I don't know whether it's best to describe it as a railway station with a pub or a pub where trains pull into the lobby!

• The Cambrian Line (the journey from Shrewsbury to Aber) is one of the more beautiful railway journeys in Britain
• Transport for Wales run 5 trains on Sundays that go to Birmingham or Shrewsbury. On every other day they run 15 trains - the first 12 go to Birmingham or Shrewsbury but the final 3 of the day only go as far as Machynlleth.
• Network Rail own the station and track and also provide train timetables
• See the information being displayed live on the departure screen on the platform of Aberystwyth train station
• The T1, T1C & T5 buses give access to the South Wales rail network without having to go to Shrewsbury
• The T2 bus to Bangor gives access to the North Wales rail network without having to go to Shrewsbury
• River level of Dyfi at Dyfi Bridge (about 8km upstream of Dovey Junction) NEW
• Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth Rail Passenger Association
• Passengers’ Council is a public authority and the independent transport user watchdog
• Virgin Trains / TheTrainLine allow you to buy train tickets on-line and also provide timetable information
• Qjump also allow you to buy train tickets on-line
• Sometimes the UK rail timetables pages produce 'odd' results. This German site has Europe wide railway timetables that can be to compared to the UK version.
• Guide to getting to almost anywhere in Europe by train
• Vale of Rheidol railway timetable
• Trains Enthusiast
• Check if your journey could be cheaper with Split Tickets

• Discount Train Passes

  • Combined rail and TrawsCymru bus tickets NEW
  • Season Tickets
  • Rovers and Rangers
  • A Senior Railcard will get you ⅓ off rail fairs
  • Concessionary Travel Pass for local residents
  • BritRail Pass for non-UK residents
  • Interrail Pass for European citizens
  • Eurail Pass for non-European citizens

Coach / Bus

The local bus timetable tends to fall apart around rush hours also the buses can sometimes be too full to pick up any more passengers!

• 409 (Aberystwyth, Newtown, Welshpool, Shrewsbury, Birmingham, London)
  Live Tracker of the London to Aberystwyth (409) bus
  Live Tracker of the Aberystwyth to London (409) bus
• 525 Aberystwyth, Llanbadarn, Glanyrafon Industrial Estate, Capel Bangor, Goginan, Ponterwyd, Llangurig, Cwmbelan, Llanidloes
• 562 Aberystwyth Bus, Penparcau, New Cross, Abermagwr, Pontrhyd-Y-Groes
• 585 Aberystwyth, Llanfarian, Llangwyryfon, Trefenter, Bethania, Penuwch Inn, Llanilar, Lledrod, Bronnant, Tyncelyn, Tregaron, Lampeter
• 588 Aberystwyth, Llanfarian, Llangwyryfon, Trefenter, Bethania, Penuwch Inn, Tyncelyn, Tregaron, Lampeter
• T1 Aberystwyth, Aberaeron, Lampeter, Pencadr, Carmarthen(South Wales rail network)
• T1C Aberystwyth, Aberaeron, Llanarth, Synod Inn, Llandysul, Carmarthen, Cross Hands, Swansea, Port Talbot, Pencoed, Cardiff
• T2 Aberystwyth, Machynlleth, Dolgellau, Porthmadog, Bangor(North Wales rail network)[→Holeyhead Ferry]
• T5 Aberystwyth, Aberaeron, New Quay, Cardigan, Fishguard(Ferry) - Haverfordwest(South Wales rail network)
• T21 Aberystwyth, Penparcau, New Cross, Cnwch Coch, Abermagwr, Wenallt, Llanafan, New Row, Pontrhyd-y-groes, Ysbyty Ystwyth, Ffair Rhos, Ystrad Meurig, Pontrhydfendigaid, Tregaron
• X28 Aberystwyth, Waunfawr, Comins Coch, Bow Street, Talybont, Tre'r-Ddol, Machynlleth
• X47 Aberystwyth, Goginan, Ponterwyd, Llangurig, Llanidloes, Rhayader, Llandrindod Wells

Bus Operators

• National Express & Eurolines Bus Timetables
• Bus Services by Celtic Travel
• Bus Services by First Cymru
• Bus Services by Lloyds Coaches
• Bus Services by Mid Wales Travel
• Bus Services by Richards Brothers

Routes & Timetables

• Carmarthenshire Bus Timetables
• Gwynedd Bus Timetables
• Travel Line provides a journey planner that includes Bus, Coach, Train, Ferry & Airplane
• Active Map allowing you to click on a bus stop and see when the next 20 scheduled buses are due (Type in 'Aberystwyth' pan the maps till you can see the bus stop you want to use then click on the 'pin' for the details)
• Passengers’ Council is a public authority and the independent transport user watchdog

Ticket Discounts, Offers & Passes

• Combined rail and TrawsCymru bus tickets NEW
• Rovers and Rangers
• MyTravelPass about 30% off bus travel in Wales for 16-21 year olds
• Concessionary Travel Pass for Welsh residents
• Gwynedd Travel passes

Car / Road Traffic

Please note: If you park in large car-park opposite the police compound, there is a free[with paid parking ticket], year round bus service that loops around town every 20 minutes.

Parking

• Aberystwyth Parking

Charging

• Aberystwyth Car Charging Points

Renting, Sharing or Hiring

• The Electronic Yellow Pages list of Aberystwyth Taxies (The main taxi rank is just by the railway station)
• British Car Rental
• Freewheelers Aberystwyth liftshare
• Liftshare
• Carpooling

Unplanned Disruptions

• Current Traffic Alerts from Traffic Wales
• If you're travelling to the north of Aber the bridge just north of Machynlleth is prone to flooding Alerts updated every 15 minutes
• The segment of the A44 between Llangurig to Aberystwyth regularly comes out as one of the most dangerous roads in Britain

Planned Disruptions

• Road Closures in Ceredigion
• Temporary Traffic Lights in Ceredigion
• Map showing which local roads are salted in winter
• Ceredigion Council's winter gritting and snow clearing policy

Journey/Route Planning

• The AARoute Planner. Type in two UK towns and this service will find a good route, and provide a detailed list of roads and turning junctions for the journey
• ViaMichelin provide a pan-European road route planning including the UK
• Mappy provide a road route planning for Europe including the UK

Cycling

National Cycle Route 81 and The Ystwyth Trail terminate in Aberystwyth. When National Cycle Route 82 is complete it will incorporate the Ystwyth Trail in the middle. In recent years Aberystwyth's demonstrated its commitment to cycling by increasing the cycle lanes in town 20 fold. The new cycle lane is about 200m long on a side street leading up to the bridge.

• Ystwyth Cycling Club
• Summit Cycles
• List of Cycling trails around Aberystwyth NEW
• Online local Map from Sustrans (showing National Cycle Network)
• CycleStreets for Aberystwyth
• Ystwyth Trail 34km cycle trail mostly along the Ystwyth valley between Aber' & Tregaron (some of this trail is still incomplete)
• CycleFest

Heliport

• Aberystwyth helipad (Blaendolau Playing Fields)

Airports - Airfields - Airstrips - Landing strips

• Talybont (Gwynedd) (22km North)
• Cruglas Synod Inn (37km South)
• West Wales Airfield Aberporth [ICAO airport code: EGFA] (46km South)
• Welshpool [ICAO airport code: EGCW] (67km East)

• Pilot's Map of the area around Aberystwyth