Wales v France Six Nations road closures, parking prices and travel advice

Wales take on France for their second match of the Six Nations at the Principality Stadium this weekend. The game on Sunday, February 15 will be the first held at the Principality Stadium during this year’s Six Nations, with fans eager to see Wales make an improvement after a very poor performance against England in the opening round.

With plenty of Welsh and French fans expected in the city ready for the 3.10pm kick-off, fans heading to the capital have been told to plan their travel ahead. There are a number of road closures in place which will affect large parts of the city centre on the day.

Cardiff Council has warned that the M4 motorway is expected to be extremely busy on matchday and is encouraging motorists to avoid driving into the city centre where possible.

City centre road closures

With kick-off taking place at 3.10pm, a full city centre road closure will be in place between 11am and 7.15pm.

From 7am, Scott Road and Park Street will close to allow for stadium preparations and fan safety.

The following roads will be closed as part of the full city centre road closure:

Kingsway from its junction with North Road to its junction with Duke Street.
Cowbridge Road East from its junction with Cathedral Road to its junction with Westgate Street.
Tudor Street from its junction with Clare Road to its junction with Wood Street (access for residents and traders will be permitted via Fitzhammon Embankment).
Plantagenet Street and Beauchamp Street from their junctions with Despenser Place to their junctions with Tudor Street (access for residents and traders will be permitted).
The following roads will be closed in their entirety: Duke Street, Castle St, High Street, St Mary Street, Caroline Street, Wood Street, Central Square, Westgate Street, Quay Street, Guildhall Place, Golate, Park Street, Havelock Street and Scott Road.
Station Terrace and Guildford Street from the junction with Newport Road to the junction with Churchill Way will be access for buses only during the times of the road closures. This is to ensure that there is reliable access for buses to the satellite points in Churchill Way.

Penarth Road will also be closed 30 minutes before the game finishes and up to hour after the final whistle on safety grounds for train passengers arriving and departing from the train station.

Access within the Civic Centre will be controlled throughout the day, with restrictions on King Edward VII Avenue, Museum Avenue, City Hall Road, College Road, and Gorsedd Gardens Road.

Trains and public transport

Both Great Western Railway (GWR) and Transport for Wales (TfW) will run additional services on matchdays, with extra trains to destinations including Swansea, Newport, Bristol and London.

Passengers are warned that trains will be very busy after matches, with queuing systems in place outside Cardiff Central station. Cardiff Queen Street station will be closed for the first two fixtures, except for accessible travel and Cardiff Bay services.

Cardiff Central station car parks will be closed on matchdays, and passengers are advised to buy tickets before entering queues. Pay-as-you-go travel is available on TfW and CrossCountry services across the South Wales Metro network.

Park & Ride and parking

Fans are encouraged to use the event park & ride facility at the Vindico Arena car park in Cardiff Bay (CF11 0JS). Buses will drop off and pick up at Tresillian Way in the city centre. The service costs £15 (cash only).

For the France match, the car park will open at 9.30am. The first bus is at 10am and last bus from the city centre is at 6pm.

Event-day parking will also be available at the Civic Centre and Sophia Gardens, with charges of £20 for cars and £30 for coaches. All car parks open at 8am and close at midnight.

Buses, taxis, cycling and walking

Local bus services will be diverted while road closures are in place, and passengers are advised to check directly with operators for route changes. National Express coaches will continue to use Sophia Gardens.

Cyclists will still be able to use cycleways within the closure zone, and residents are being encouraged to walk or cycle where possible. The restrictions apply to motor vehicles only, not bicycles.

The St Mary Street taxi rank will close in line with the road closures for each match.

Advice to fans

Supporters attending matches are advised to arrive early and check the Principality Stadium bag policy, which bans large bags. Up-to-date traffic information is available via the Traffic Wales website and social media channels.

Cardiff Council has urged anyone travelling into the city on matchdays to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journey.

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Wales v France Six Nations road closures, parking prices and travel advice

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