Visiting Cardiff to watch the final leg of the Tour of Britain on the 10^th September?  Well, why not make a weekend of it and stay in our ‘Cycle Friendly’ hotel in the heart of Cardiff Bay?

We are ideally located in Cardiff Bay, providing access to both the Taff Trail and Cardiff’s waterside attractions. So on the 9^th why not check in & follow our suggested sight seeing, cycle route.

To cycle into town, take the following route:

1. Ride West from the hotel toward Mermaid Quay, picking up the signs for the Taff Trail (cycle sign with the number 8).
2. Cycle west along James Street, cross the river Taff and join the trail on the right hand side.
3. Cycle along the taff trail toward Taff embankment, the Millennium Stadium and Sophia Gardens. Ultimately, you’ll emerge opposite the entrance to Sophia Gardens.
4. Cross the road, enter the trail and rider over the millennium bridge to enter Bute Park.

This relatively traffic free route will deposit you in the centre of the city, leaving you free to enjoy Cardiff Castle and Bute Park Arboretum. It will also place you within touching distance of the National museum of Wales (closed Mondays), some of the best shopping in the UK at St David’s 2 and the Hayes, a golden reminder of Cardiff’s Victorian past with its picture postcard arcades and ornate shop fascia’s.

Top tip, why not explore the Bute Arboretum and the area around the castle. The arboretum is the city’s kept secret. Few outside of Cardiff will realise that the arboretum measures 56 hectares, contains over 3000 trees and home to the largest number of ‘champion’ trees in the UK (a champion tree is the tallest or broadest of its species). In the centre of all this greenery, you can enjoy quiet walks, castle views and a relaxed cup of coffee in one of the park’s three excellent cafes.

Once you’ve enjoyed the space and the botany, why not walk the bikes over to the city centre and meander through the Hayes? There’s shopping and lunch options to suit every taste, including the world’s oldest record shop (Spillers records, Morgan arcade). Just remember to lock your bikes up well (using ‘D’ locks or similar and always good practice!).

Returning to the hotel couldn’t be easier either, with the Taff trail a short trundle back toward the Taff embankment or take the more direct route on the Bute Street cycle lane and cross into Lloyd George Avenue (with its excellent cycle segregation).

On the Sunday the 10th, you can get ready for the exciting day with our fantastic breakfast buffet options before heading over to watch the final leg of the Tour of Britain! And if that isn’t enough, we will also have on offer our Sunday Roast for you to fuel up on before your journey home. 

Thank you to Simon Nurse of the @cyclestuffblog for the suggested route & fantastic photographs. 

To check availability please go to: www.futureinns.co.ukl/cardiff