Swansea Manchester Train

The Welsh city of Swansea is located on the south coast of the country and is bounded by Swansea Bay and the Bristol Channel. The city is home to the Fluellen Theatre Company which is a professional company who perform at the city's Grand Theatre and the Dylan Thomas Centre. Other theatres in the city include the Teliesin building, on the campus of the Swansea of Swansea, and the outdoor venues of Oystermouth Castle and Singleton Park who put on outdoor Shakespeare performances and concerts, including Proms, respectively.

Oxwich Bay on the Gower Peninsular was named the most beautiful beach in Britain by travel writers in 2007. The Travel Magazine commented on Oxwich Bay's "magnificent and unspoilt" scenery and as a "great place for adults and children to explore". The beach has over three miles of golden sand. Llangennith Beach, with its soft sands, consistent beach break and great facilities, was listed as the best place to learn how to surf in Britain by The Observer newspaper in 2006.

The city is also friendly to cyclists with four dedicated cycle routes: Swansea Bay, Clyne Valley Country Park, along the east bank of the River Tawe (forming part of the national Cycle Network), and a route adjacent to the Fabian Way (which also forms part of the National Cycle Network.

Located in the north west of England, the city of Manchester lies within the Greater Manchester built-up area, and is the United Kingdom's second most populous urban area. The city has a buoyant cultural scene which is expressed in its theatre, opera and dance performances which perform at some of the city's largest performance venues including the Manchester Opera House, the palace Theatre and the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester's former cotton exchange. The Manchester Opera House also hosts many touring shows and West End productions. Manchester also has a number of more intimate performance spaces including the Library Theatre, which is located in the basement of the Central Library in the city centre, the Contact Theatre and Studio Salford. The 'Madchester' scene of the 1980s, from which groups including The Stone Roses, the Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets, 808 State, James and The Charlatans emerged, was based on clubs such as the famous Haçienda. Discover more about Greater Manchester and Manchester's past with guided walks or an audio tour, including ghost walks, underground or canal tours. Regular weekly tours include Discover Manchester which takes place every Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday and Manchester Town Hall Tour which takes place every Tuesday.