Visiting Cardiff

[Mitty]

So in September I'm travelling from Oz to Europe. We're having a few days in London and on one of those days we're taking the train down to Cardiff to see the Doctor Who Experience. Have to say I'm just a little bit excited. Also, by the sound of things, the series will actually be on the air when we're there so for he first time in my life I will get to see a Doctor Who episode as it airs on the BBC, something I'm probably more excited about than anything else.

Any advice from locals? Our time is pretty limited, we've basically allowed ourselves four hours to get from Cardiff Central to the Experience, have some lunch, and back to the train. On the way I hope to stand where the TARDIS landed in "Boom Town" and also on the entrance to the Torchwood Hub If we had more time I'd almost rent a car so I could take a drive to the beach from "Doomsday", but something had to give.

 

[HappyDayRiot]

Local(ish) here! You will have loads of time if you stick to your four hour plan. You can get straight off the train at Central on another one to Queen Street, then on from there on the Bay shuttle-train - all takes about 10 minutes. From the Bay's train station, you can see the Roald Dahl Plas, it's about 5 minutes' walk away. You'll know exactly where you are when you get there, and you'll probably know exactly where the TARDIS is too. I'm not sure where the Experience itself is, but it's not too far from the Plas - might be in the Red Dragon Centre next door.

I'd love to tell you directions to some of the spots you'd recognise from the series, but most of them are in the Cardiff suburbs that I can recall, quite out of your way. The reception area of the Roald Dahl has been used loads of times though, such as in the Lazarus Experiment.

 

[OhCaptainMyCaptain]

I envy you! I always wanted to see Wales, as my family had roots there.

 

[Timofnine]

Take lots of pics when you visit and post them here if you can. I've never been to Cardiff but it is on my to do list!

 

[auntiehill]

SO JEALOUS! I've been wanting to go to Wales for years. Have a great time.

 

[Mitty]

I'd love to tell you directions to some of the spots you'd recognise from the series, but most of them are in the Cardiff suburbs that I can recall, quite out of your way. The reception area of the Roald Dahl has been used loads of times though, such as in the Lazarus Experiment.

Yeah, I would love to have driven past Sarah Janes House from The Sarah Jane Adventures, though like I said time is limited. I'm sure Roald Dahl Plass will offer plenty of photo ops though.

We also have two days in London with no specific plan but I'm hoping to catch a few who related sights as well. I may try for the BBC Broadcasting Centre tour as well

 

[Mitty]

Bump: I've found a great site, www.doctorwholocations.net and there are a fair number of locations I can visit by walking back to the Cardiff Central from the Experience. We might even be able to have lunch at the American 50's cafe from "The Impossible Astronaut). The playground the TARDIS landed in during Army of Ghosts/Doomsday is easy to get to, and also one of the walls nearby still apparently has Bad Wolf Graffiti on it! Again, if we had time it wouldn't be hard to get to Sarah Janes House from SJA, but again time is against us.

I've already rewatched Boomtown twice to see exactly where the TARDIS lands so mostly just excited about standing on that exact spot

Meanwhile in London it's a short tube ride to the location of the Brandon Estate (Aka The Powell Estate) where Rose lived, and where more importantly the tenth Doctor staggers to the TARDIS to regenerate on Jan 1, 2005.