Cardiff Coventry Train

Cardiff is bordered to the west by the rural district of the Vale of Glamorgan—also known as The Garden of Cardiff— to the east by the city of Newport, to the north by the South Wales Valleys and to the south by the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel. The River Taff winds through the centre of the city and together with the River Ely flows into the freshwater lake of Cardiff Bay. A third river, the Rhymney flows through the east of the city entering directly into the Severn Estuary. Its location and geographic features were influential in its development as the world's largest coal port, most notably its proximity and easy access to the coal fields of the south Wales valleys.

Today, Cardiff is the main financial and business centre in Wales and the city was recently placed seventh overall in the top 50 European cities and also ranked seventh in attracting foreign investment. Cardiff is one of the most popular tourist destination cities in the United Kingdom, receiving around 18 million visitors in 2010 and generating £852 million for the city's economy. There are a large number of hotels of varying sizes and standards in the city, providing almost 9,000 available bed spaces.

The city of Coventry in the West Midlands, England, is roughly an hour from London and twenty minutes from the city of Birmingham. There are plenty of things to do and see throughout the year including festivals, exhibitions, concerts and theatre performances. There is something for all the family. One of the most fascinating monuments in the city today is the remnants of its original city walls and gates which were built in the 14th century. The construction work began at New Gate and was initially completed around 1400. Visitors can still find examples of the old wall to this day, including the magnificently well-preserved wall link between Cook Street Gate and Swanswell Gate that runs right through Lady Herbert’s Garden. The wall measured approximately 2.2 miles right around, containing 32 towers and 12 gatehouses in total. The city walls were demolished in 1662 on the orders of King Charles II as a punishment for Coventry’s housing of Parliamentarians during the war. The remaining wall is protected under law and are classified as Grade I listed buildings and a scheduled monument.