Start your journey in Cardiff. Cardiff (Welsh: Caerdydd) is the capital of Wales. It used to be an industrial city, but is now a lively and modern capital city and a tourism hot spot. The city is friendly to pedestrians, and summer is by far the best time to visit, with large festivals, and outdoor dining and drinking. The city centre has been intensely developed in the 21st century, and is now considered to be one of the top ten shopping destinations in the United Kingdom. Cardiff is a green city, and this is complemented by Bute Park which sits in the heart of the city. It has a reputation as a city of castles, having 5 of them within its surroundings. The city's core population stands at roughly 341,000, with 861,000 living in the larger urban area.

Starting in Cardiff, you can enjoy low fares and a comfortable trip in a modern, well-equipped coach. easyBus.com.. Middlesbrough (population 150,000) is a large town in the North East of England. It's been industrial since its beginnings as a coal port in 1829 and grew rapidly in the 19th century. From 1974 to 1996 it was part of a new county, Cleveland; this was then abolished and Middlesbrough was re-assigned to North Yorkshire. The difference is nominal since Middlesbrough is a "unitary authority" and not governed by a County Council.