I think it really depends how you see yourself spending your time, do you want to be in the city or somewhere out in the countryside?

If you are travelling by train, you will end up right in the centre next to the Millenium stadium, there are various hotels within a 5 minute walk, the cheapest probably being The ETAP, however you also have a Travel Lodge right in the centre (which can get noisy at weekend due to its location). Alternatively you have the Marriot / Novotel / Holiday Inn Express / Hilton all in the centre. I personally like the Novotel or Holiday Inn Express as you are approximately halfway between the city centre and Cardiff Bay. If you are renting a car, they also have parking facilities.

As for areas to visit, I would consider Castle Coch (fairy tale castle). About an hours drive is Big Pit which is a free attraction and allows you to go down a mine shaft with ex miners who give a great insight. The Millenium stadium do daily tours. Cardiff Bay is great for people watching. A Dr Who exhibition is currently on in the Red Dragon Centre.

To be honest there are so many thing to do, if you let me know what you are interested in, I will try and be more specific.

Regards - Gareth

Hi MichiganTrevor

The County of Glamorgan as such no longer exists but has been chopped up into smaller unitary authorities. However, Llwynypia does exist. It is in the heart of the former coalmining valleys of south Wales, now an area called Rhondda Cynon Taf, within easy driving distance of Cardiff. The towns in that area are essentially made up of rows and rows of joined up houses about 150 years old, straddling the contours of the valley.

In three days you should not try to see all of Wales, especially with a young son. However, there is lots to do in Cardiff and the surrounds. If you browse through the Cardiff forum pages you will find more information. I highly recommend Techniquest - a hands on science discovery centre in Cardiff Bay - children of all ages love it. Shows and talks are pitched at younger children.

Also in Cardiff Bay you can go on boat rides, there is an old fashioned Welsh Carousel, and lots of places to eat and drink.

Rhondda Heritage Park in Trehafod (you can get there easily by train from Cardiff or drive). You go on a tour through a very well simulated coal mine and get a feel for life in the Rhondda in the coal mining days.

Cardiff also has lots of parkland in its city centre.

The evolution of Wales exhibit in the main city museum has a walk through experience of dinosaurs, mammoths, which kids enjoy, a hands on discovery gallery, and other exibits of art and natural history (for the older visitors!).

Once a month on a Sunday the model railway in Heath Park is open to let you ride on the trains.

For beaches I recommend a day trip to the Gower Peninsula, and Rhosili Beach. It's about an hour's drive from Cardiff. If you feel more adventurous Tenby further west is an excellent historic seaside town with beautiful safe beaches.

The main thing about south Wales is its castles - cardiff alone has three. Cardiff Castle in the centre is an 8 acre site. Your son will be too young for the guided tour of the flamboyant rooms, but he will enjoy the grounds.

However, Castle Coch on the northern edge is great fun for a child to explore as it is the archetypal fantasy castle.

Caerphilly castle, just north of Cardiff is a huge rambling ruin.

Check out the guest houses on Cathedral road. A good base and a short walk to the city centre. The Mochyn Du pub on Sophia Close just round the corner is about the best place in central Cardiff is about the best place to meet the Welsh speaking population as well as serving good food.

Hope that's enough to be getting on with. Come back with any questions

Jim

I forgot to mention St Fagans on the western edge of Cardiff - you can easily spend half a day there - walking through old restored cottages, a Victorian school, going for a ride on a horse and trap, having a go on the potters wheel, going to old fashioned shops and a bakery

http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/stfagans/

and of course caerleon, 12 miles east of Cardiff with Roman ruins you can wander around, and kids can dress up in roman costume:

http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/caerleon/

Great insight by all and great suggestions. We are now traveling to Wales by automobile.

Maybe my last questions: Regarding golf. I would like to play one round of golf in Wales and would like to take a caddy and rent clubs. I see a course in the Rhonnda Valley which would be great if it is an ok course, being this is where my father is from. I am interested in some suggestions you may have for golf that meets that criteria. Beautiful course, challenging or maybe historical.

Regarding rugby. Are there any rugby games to be found this time of year?

Regarding Welsh Choirs: Any local choir concerts that you are aware of July 19 - 22? Or practice sessions? Or a place to hear just good Welsh songs and singers?

Thank You

Hi MichiganTrevor

Right. Well I will get back to you on ideas for a golfing round - but do you know that the 2010 Ryder Cup comes from the Celtic Manor at Newport (12 miles east of Cardiff with spectacular views over the Usk Valley)?

Here is the link:

http://www.celtic-manor.com/

In terms of singing, well I expect it's sold out now but on 19 July St David's Hall pays host to a choral spectacle: Mendelssohn's Elijah will be performed with 2 Cardiff choirs and Bryn Terfel among others. St David's Hall has some of the best acoustics for a symphony hall in northern Europe, and a piece like that, with Bryn Terfel, will be a blast. Failing that, have a look at this website for choirs in south Wales and when they rehearse - you can normally sit in and listen to rehearsals:

www.homecomingwales.com/server.php…

Just opposite St Davids hall in the Hayes is the Tabernacle Chapel - it is a Welsh speaking Chapel and nearly 200 years old - you would be very welcome to sit in on their 10.30am or 6pm Sunday service with Welsh hymns being sung. I have never attended I must admit but it is a lovely if modest building, and I expect the atmosphere would be pretty unique. Princes Charles, Harry and William attended a service there a few years ago.

wow - thank you very much. For sure Sunday service I will attend and I will look for tickets for the choir performance. Perhaps what we call scalpers in the US, do the same thing in Wales.

I forgot - as that performance is part of the "Welsh Proms" you may well have the Welsh national anthem thrown in for good measure at the beginning or the end of the performance - in St David's Hall with 2000 people singing it with orchestra that is a memorable experience.

I too was born in Llwynypia and grew up about a mile away in Tonypandy where my parents still live. You can easily catch the Treherbet train from both Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Central station to Llwynypia. If you have any questions about the area just let me know.

There's actually a golf couse about 2-3 miles from Llwynypia called Penrhys, don't be put off by any horror tales you may hear about the council house estate of the same name, as far as I'm aware the course is fine and I'm sure as a visitor to the area you would be welcomed.

If you do catch the train to Llwynypia the station you'll get off at is just behind a pub called the Ivor Hael that used to be one or my regular haunts back in the 80s. I haven't been there for about 5 years now, but the last time I was there they served food and had an outside area to sit.

I take it that the reason for yuur visit is for family history reasons, if so , then a visit to St Fagans will help you understand the welsh culture, and if your family were Miners, then a visit to Big Pit will be interesting.