Cardiff, verdict by verdict

Cardiff is Britain's most underrated capital: a real castle with Roman walls in the dead centre, Victorian shopping arcades that still trade, the free national museum of Wales at St Fagans and a transformed bay waterfront, all in a city crossed on foot in forty minutes. Rugby Saturdays turn it into one of Europe's great match-day cities.

Where it falls short is depth of list: the castle and stadium carry most of the sightseeing load and both are ticketed, the Bay is a short hop rather than next door, and the airport is small enough that many visitors arrive via Bristol or London. The sight list is straightforward but short, and match-weekend crowds are either the reason to come or a reason to check the fixture list.

Two days is the right dose: castle, arcades and market on day one, St Fagans plus the Bay on day two, and a Principality match day or Caerphilly Castle if there is a third. In exchange for the short list travelers get a compact, Welsh-feeling capital at English-regional prices, best May to September or a Six Nations weekend for the atmosphere.