Swansea St Albans Train

Swansea is a city on the coast of south Wales and is the second largest city in Wales and lies within the county boundaries of Glamorgan. To the north of the city are the Lliw uplands which are open moorlands leading to the foothills of the Black Mountain. To the west is the Gower Peninsular, which was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and to the east is the coastal area around Swansea.

Swansea developed as a centre for metals and mining, especially the copper industry, from the beginning of the 18th century reaching its peak in the 1880's when 60% of the copper ores imported into the United Kingdom were smelted in the Lower Swansea valley.

Swansea Bay has a five mile sweep of coastline which features a beach, promenade, children's lido, leisure pool, marina and maritime quarter containing the museums the National Waterfront Museum and Swansea Museum. Also in this area is the Dylan Thomas Centre which celebrates the life and work of the author.

Swansea also has lots of outdoor activities to interest visitors including sailing, water skiing, walking and cycling. In fact part of the Celtic Trail and the National Cycle Network pass through Swansea Bay.

Located in the county of Hertfordshire, the city of St Albans is a historic market town and is now a dormitory town within the London commuter belt being only about 20 miles to the north of London. The St Albans Museum service runs two museums. The Verulamium Museum, which tells the story of everyday life in Roman Britain using objects from the excavations of the important Roman Town and the Museum of St Albans, which focuses on the history of the town and of Saint Alban. The Watercress nature reserve is by the River Ver and is run by the Watercress Wildlife Association.

St Albans is not a large city and it is possible to walk from one edge to the other in about one hour. Most bed and breakfasts, hotels and attractions require a shorter walk. The main railway station is roughly 10 minutes walk from the city centre with the St Albans Abbey railway station located down a steep hill right next to the Verulamium Park and near the Abbey itself, which is around 15 minutes walk. St Albans is well linked to neighbouring towns by bus, although despite the distances, journey times are relatively long. There is also a frequent direct bus service to London Heathrow Airport.