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Cardiff vs Bristol airport: where to fly from South Wales for cheap holidays

Updated October 2026 · by the HopCheap team

If you live in Cardiff, Newport or the Valleys, you usually have two choices: Cardiff Airport or Bristol Airport across the Severn.

Cardiff Airport (CWL)

Closest for most of South Wales, with a smaller schedule — a mix of holiday routes and some scheduled flights, many seasonal.
Usually quicker and calmer to get through.
Worth checking first for sun destinations served directly in summer.

Bristol Airport (BRS)

A much larger network, with big easyJet and Ryanair operations, so more destinations and more chances of a cheap fare.
Roughly an hour's drive from Newport via the M4 (no Severn bridge tolls since 2018), longer from west Wales; the airport is south of Bristol, and buses run from Bristol city centre.
Pre-book parking — on-the-day prices are much higher.

✦ Search live fares: “Cheap flights from Cardiff to the sun”

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Which wins?

Search both for your dates and add the cost of getting there and parking. Cardiff often wins on convenience; Bristol more often wins on choice and price for city breaks. For long-haul or unusual routes, Birmingham and London are also within reach.

✦ Search live fares: “City break under £150 from Bristol”

More: which UK airport is cheapest.

We don't quote fixed prices in our guides because fares change constantly — the search buttons fetch current fares. Entry rules can change: always check GOV.UK before you travel.