Car Rental Swansea

Driving in and around Swansea is a relatively straightforward experience, with traffic far lighter than you would experience in larger cities, and the road network both well maintained and connected. The city is linked to other roads via the M4 highway and the A483 main road, which runs right through the center and meets the motorway to the east and north of Swansea.

The M4 motorway bypasses the city to the east, running alongside Swansea Bay, and on towards Cardiff and beyond to the Severn Bridge, which takes traffic into south-west England.

At the point where the A483 crosses the River Tawe in the city center, by the Maritime Quarter, it meets the A4067 which heads west for four miles to the seaside resort of Mumbles.

En route, there are turn-offs for the small and pebbled Pwll Du Beach, the lush-green and golden-sanded Three Cliffs Bay, and the village of Rhossili where you’ll find a vast, sweeping beach.  

Parking in the center of Swansea will present little in the way of problems. On-street parking is available throughout the city, and there are many parking lots conveniently located close to all the main sights and shopping areas. There’s parking along the seafront at Mumbles, and at all the main beaches on the Gower Peninsula.

Unlike mainland Europe, the UK drives on the left-hand side of the road. Speed limits are 20mph or 30mph in built-up areas, 60mph on main A-roads, and 70mph on two-lane divided highways (called dual carriageways) and three-lane highways (called motorways).

Swansea’s greatest appeal is its proximity to the stunning Gower Peninsula on the south coast of Wales, but linger a while longer and you’ll find a city teeming with attractions and highlights, from historical sites to a bustling nightlife.

Learn about history and poetry in the Maritime Quarter

The National Waterfront Museum, perched in the city’s revitalized Maritime Quarter, lets you walk through the centuries, traversing some 300 years of the industry in Wales with an enthralling series of audio-visual exhibits and state-of-the-art interactive displays. It also includes some fascinating historical objects, such as a replica of the world’s first steam locomotive, and one of the very few surviving coal wagons.

Swansea was the birthplace and childhood home of one of the most celebrated poets and writers of the 20^th century, Dylan Thomas, and his life is commemorated in style at the excellent Dylan Thomas Centre. Housed in the early 19^th century Guildhall, the center features a permanent exhibition of the life and work of Thomas, and the world’s largest collection of memorabilia dedicated to the poet. The center also hosts the annual Dylan Thomas Festival, held between 27 October and 9 November, the dates of his birth and death, respectively. You can also visit the house where Dylan Thomas was born in 1914, and where he spent the first 23 years of his life. The house, at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, in the Uplands suburb of the city, has been lovingly restored to its original condition.

Taste the best of Wales

A five-minute walk from the Maritime Quarter is Swansea’s indoor market, the largest in Wales, and a great place to buy some typical local produce. There are more than 100 stalls selling everything from cockles and the famous local laverbread – made using seaweed – to fine Welsh cheeses and, of course, delicious hot Welsh cakes. Or you can just have a wander round and enjoy the hustle and bustle of this daily market, taking time to watch the world pass by.

You’ll like to be beside the seaside in Mumbles

At the western end of Swansea Bay is the old-fashioned resort of Mumbles, complete with a fine Victorian Pier and some of the usual seaside paraphernalia, from freshly caught fish and chips to delicious ice cream. 

Sitting on a hilltop with fabulous views over Swansea Bay, Oystermouth Castle is a medieval fortress and well worth a visit. Inside, you’ll see 14^th century graffiti in the chapel and, if you dare, walk across a 30-foot-high glass bridge across the missing first floor of the castle.

Discover the best beaches in the country

Mumbles is the gateway to the magnificent Gower (Gŵyr) peninsula, an area fringed by sweeping bays of flawless yellow sand and a series of inlets and cliffs, all just begging to be explored.

There are numerous glorious golden sand beaches to enjoy, but among the finest is the remote Three Cliffs Bay, backed by steep limestone cliffs and overlooked by the romantic 12^th-century ruins of Pennard Castle.

Between Mumbles and Three Cliffs Bay is the utterly glorious Pwll Du beach, a hidden gem sitting at the bottom of a valley with access only by a rocky footpath. The star of the show, though, has to be Rhossili Bay, one of the UK’s top beaches and a fantastic spot for a picnic.

All of this beautiful coastline is within easy, relaxing, beach-filled reach with a rental car from Hertz.