Is This A Good Route Through Wales, Mainly North Wales?

[can123]

Now, today with the whole digital TV switchover, hubby did what the instructions said, but again, the Sky TV is provided by the building and is now showing a black screen. Grrrrrrr!!!

The good news is that we're moving on May 1st to North Greenwich. Coutning down the days.

And, there was another person, also called Nigel, who was to dull to realise that you were in the UK.
Chester is nice. It is also incredibly expensive. I've already been honest to declare my bias in favour of South Wales, so promise me that you will not judge Wales by your visit to the "Gogs", as we call them. Make the effort to come to South Wales one day. We have buses and trains and things Also, we speak in English to English people as we are polite.

[nigelandjan]

Nigel, I know exactly what you're saying. The building that we live in supplies the 'free' internet which dies several times per day every day. I need to keep shutting down and restarting.

Now, today with the whole digital TV switchover, hubby did what the instructions said, but again, the Sky TV is provided by the building and is now showing a black screen. Grrrrrrr!!!

The good news is that we're moving on May 1st to North Greenwich. Coutning down the days.

Natt you are in the hotbed of the Olympics ! No internet no Sky ?? well spasmodic at best ,,,,, er, ok sorry , forgot were in the UK .

Can you imagine what the Bakerloo line's gonna be like 8.30 am on Olympic D day when it all kicks off !!! Poor old Doris Johnson is gonna have some explaining to do ,, mind you thats what you expect if you elect a Merican to run our Capital city

[Smug Farang Bore]

I lived in aberwwwisstrifff yakydah deoknval for as long as I could stomach.



Mad




Sayin that my best customers are Welsh.

[natalie8]

Natt you are in the hotbed of the Olympics ! No internet no Sky ?? well spasmodic at best ,,,,, er, ok sorry , forgot were in the UK .

Pretty sad, innit? It's our building 'management' company. They're actually in foreclosure and being taken over by another company. They've said that everyone has to be out by May 1st so that they can rent out the units for £8,000+ per month. :-0

[natalie8]

And, there was another person, also called Nigel, who was to dull to realise that you were in the UK. Chester is nice. It is also incredibly expensive. I've already been honest to declare my bias in favour of South Wales, so promise me that you will not judge Wales by your visit to the "Gogs", as we call them. Make the effort to come to South Wales one day.

No problem, can and thanks for that. I could go anytime between mid July and late October. Would you be willing to go for a coffee or a beer and show me around your area?

[natalie8]

I lived in aberwwwisstrifff yakydah deoknval for as long as I could stomach.

I've always loved the name and wanted to go there.

[ENT]

Swansea has fabulous beaches to the west and is a nice place.

I was looking at Swansea, strongly considering it. Looking over your points, I think I might just stick to the south. It's much easier from here, and as you've said, having no vehicle makes things tricky.

Don't stick to the south! South Wales is the industrial centre of Wales, Swansea, though the industrial capital of Wales is boring.

Your originally posted itinerary from Swansea through to North Wales is an excellent idea.
There are a couple of good castles to visit in Pembrokeshire, if you have the time, check them out, intriguing use of caves and high rocky bluffs. Pembrokeshire is the Little England of Wales, you won't find the real Wales there, either.

From Swansea, take a coach to Aberystwyth, where Pen Dynas is the site of an old British hill fort.
Aberystwyth includes the ruins of a Norman castle, and has a lovely old university next door.
Further along is Aberystwyth museum. Aber used to be one of the main ship building ports of Wales and many Welsh migrated to US and Canada from there. Hubert Humphrey, vice president of USA's ancestors migrated from there on the "Credo"
The National Library of Wales is also at Aberystwyth, just a short local bus ride up the hill out of town.

Next, head up the road to Machynlleth where the alternative energy centre is located at the site of an old slate quarry, where my great grandfather was an engineer.in the 1800s.
Machynlleth is also the site of the first Parliament of Wales established in 1404 by Owen Glyndwr, our last Prince of Wales.
There is visitors centre built on the site of the old parliament building there, where you can catch up on our old political history.

From there, head up to Port Meirion, well worth visiting and the coast road journey up to the North is absolutely beautiful

Next, go to Caernarvon and visit the castle. I recommend the Black Boy Inn for your overnight stay.
Good food and hospitality in this ancient 1600's hotel. You'll love it! Five minutes walk from the castle.Good shopping on the way.
Visit Yr Wylfa, (Mt Snowdon) by train, the sights are majestic, my fatherland.
Ynys Mon, (Anglesey) has a museum, Yr Oriel, worth a visit.
Hollyhead has a stone age village where expat Welsh returned to after the Romans had destroyed Anglesey.

From there, head to Llangollen, detouring via Bala on the way. Don't miss Bala! Honestly, great hiking!, the best!
Bala, with the lake and scenery around there is absolutely beautiful and peaceful.
Boating on the lake, lovely old buildings and a couple of great pubs.
The Lion is a grand old pub, a hotel.

Bala town is one of the oldest centres of Welsh culture, long isolated from English influences until last century.
It is in the heartland of Wales, don't miss it!

From there, head to Llangollen, where the Welsh international Eisteddfod is held every year.
Visit the "Ladies of Llangollen" house, a lovely Elizabethan era building, take a ride on the canal and have a meal at the "Royal Oak" pub.

Head out of Wales from there via Shrewsbury, a Welsh medieval border town beside Offa's Dyke, the longest defensive ditch in Britain, built by the English along the whole length of the old border to keep the Welsh at bay, we used to nick all their cattle.
Shrewsbury market and cathedral are lovely, the people are friendly too, but you'll instantly notice that the Welsh "croeso"is missing.

You will then have taken the best tour of the most scenic spots in Wales, an artist's paradise.
Please do enjoy Wales, Cymru, hen wlad fy nhadau.




.

[can123]

Portmeirion is a waste of space and money. Although the trip outlined by our North Walian friend may seem appealing it is totally impractical. You would have to spend many hours digesting timetables and rely on a great deal of luck to visit the places mentioned using public transport in your allotted time.

The only way anybody "heads to " anywhere in North Wales is when they have their own car.

When you travel by public transport, you have to carry your luggage. Do you really want to carry a suitcase around all the time ? I think not. If your idea of a good holiday is sitting on a bus or spending hours waiting for a bus, then go to Peckham. There's a lovely Indian restaurant just down the road from the bus station and you can get drunk in the Hollybush. Seriously though, you will not want to sleep in a new bed every night. Pick two places that you fancy, stay in both for about three nights, and take day trips from them. For God's sake, don't stay anywhere near Portmeirion. It would be cheaper to buy a car.

When you decide to visit South Wales, I'll help you to plan your trip.

[can123]

Don't stick to the south! South Wales is the industrial centre of Wales, Swansea, though the capital of Wales is boring.

Last time I looked, Cardiff was the capital of Wales, but what the feck do I know, I only live here

[can123]

Hollyhead has a stone age village where expat Welsh returned to after the Romans had destroyed Anglesey.

Holyhead is still a stone age village. Avoid it at all costs unless you like to hear the sound of big lorries rumbling to the ferry all night. Easily the worst place I have ever visited in my life. I am sure that North Korea must be miles better.

[BigRed]

(i) Cardiff is an expensive place to stay, but worth seeing,

I've just spent 3 months in Cardiff and I think it is great and dirt cheap. I stayed in the Royal Hotel, which is 3 mins walk from the train station in the middle of the city at £55 per night with full breakfast and it was a top class hotel. They had Brains bitter and Becks on at £2 per pint from 6-9:00pm, beats where I live by around 1.50 a pint. Hotel was less than a 3rd of the price of an equivalent in London.

[can123]

(i) Cardiff is an expensive place to stay, but worth seeing,

I've just spent 3 months in Cardiff and I think it is great and dirt cheap. I stayed in the Royal Hotel, which is 3 mins walk from the train station in the middle of the city at £55 per night with full breakfast and it was a top class hotel. They had Brains bitter and Becks on at £2 per pint from 6-9:00pm, beats where I live by around 1.50 a pint. Hotel was less than a 3rd of the price of an equivalent in London.

Cardiff is expensive by the ordinary standards in Wales. Obviously, it's cheaper than London, probably a lot cheaper than Tokyo and Paris too. The trick is to stay outside cardiff and use the public transport to travel in and out of it.

In my earlier comments I made it clear that it was worth seeing. Having worked there for over twenty years, I am a little biased.

[natalie8]

Thanks for the newest suggestions. No fighting on here please.

Once the Easter weekend is over, I'll go over everything, figure out my route, then book everything.

[ENT]

If you're planning to go to Ireland following a trip to Wales, a ferry from Hollyhead to Dublin is an obvious option as you can then go by bus to Slaine in Co.Meath the next day to visit the neolithic tomb complex there.
From there, returning via Dublin it's a nice train ride via Rosscommon across to Sligo, a lovely old town and again, centred in the ring of the Oxbow hills is surrounded by ancient archaeology.
Wild rose tours can give you a very good explanation of the history as the owner is an archaeologist. Sligo also has the Yeats centre.
Innis Mor, an island off the N West coast is reached by boat (check when they're running) from Mullochmore, a short bus ride from Sligo, the whole trip done in a day.
Heading south via the west coast, go to Gallway then on to Bunratty Castle a great big Irish musem village on the Shannon, near Limmerick. a great pub there called Dirty Nellies is full of good food drink and music , the craic is grand.
Check out as many of the sights you can on the way to Dingle, in the Ring of Kerry, on to BlarneyCastle them across to Cork, and catch the ferry near Waterford back to Fishguard in South Wales.

The Irish are lovely, cousins of the Welsh, so caid mile failte an Eire and croeso i Cymru.

[natalie8]

ENT, I love your suggesitons. What I might seriously consider is postponing my trip until June and do a Wales / Ireland loop just as you've mentioned. This way I can start off is S Wales, make my way up to N Wales, then take the ferry from Hollyhead to Dublin.

them across to Corrk, and catch the ferry near Waterford back tp Fishguard in South Wales.

This is what I was thinking, either start this way or end this way. If I do put off the trip until June, I could take 2 weeks for the whole loop. I'll save Scotland for another time.

[ENT]

Doable, which ever way round.
The Eire loop I just described is one I took with some visitors from USA in my camper van years ago when the roads were really dodgy, yet still did the Eire loop in a week.
The more time you have, the better, obviously.
Eire is really magical, I spent a few years there on my little tour, while Wales has it's own grandeur and soft mystery.
PM me for more info, if you wish, good luck.

[natalie8]

Thanks, ENT. I forgt to mentione that I want to do the whole trip without using flights. Yes, many of the flights are pretty cheap, close to the price of the ferries, but I think the experience would be much better just doing it all by bus, train and ferry.

I've got a good idea of the route and the dates now. I'll be in Dubai from May 28-June 11 so I'm looking at the last week of June and first week of July. As long as I'm back before July 12th because that's my hubby's birthday.

ENT and can123, I'll PM you both if I need any tips or info, or just some good suggestions for where I'll be.

[ENT]

The summer starts to warm up nicely in June, but you'll still get the soft rain and mists blowing in from the Atlantic in the west of Ireland, so take a light rainproof jacket to throw over you in a hurry.
Cheerrs and enjoy your trip.

[natalie8]

I love that and I have a couple of good jackets for this.