I have a business trip to London from Aug 8-12, and my husband is planning to join me for a long weekend either before or after that trip. Either we'll fly from New York to London on the Tuesday or Wednesday evening before Aug 8 (a Monday) and then travel to our weekend destination, returning to London on Sunday afternoon, or my husband will join me in London on Friday the 12th, and we'll head out of London that night for a long weekend, returning to London on Monday night to fly home Tuesday afternoon (or Tuesday night to fly home Wednesday afternoon). By the way, we're both road warriors and frequent long-haul holiday travellers, so we're very accustomed to multi-time zone short trips and believe we can cope with this crazy schedule.

Given that we don't have a lot of time to devote to our long weekend, we don't want to spend a lot of time travelling to that destination. We've also explored a lot of Western Europe, including the UK and Ireland. (We used to live in London and, later, Paris, and did a lot of weekend getaways).

My first choice would have been Edinburgh but our trip coincides with the festival (and I hate crowds). My second thought is Wales, which I haven't visited before. I was thinking that we might be able to take a train to some point in Wales, and then pick up a car.

While we're fans of cities and culture, we also like a nice dose of countryside driving (mountains, cliffs, etc) from time to time. I do not feel like roughing it, though, so we're not planning on camping. I also have a dodgy back, so while I would be up for some longish walks (I'm training to walk/run a half marathon in the fall), a walk consisting exclusively of going straight up and down a steep mountain path would not be a great idea. Some afternoon walks in the mountains, however, would be great - my husband is an avid mountain climber, so a trip that gets him into the hills is always pleasing.

We're not wedded to an active holiday, though. We could be just as happy with a driving holiday with some castle visits, either in the mountains or along the coast.

I'm mindful of the fact that this is also peak holiday season, so I am concerned about how congested the roads will be.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a region/base for such a trip?

I'd stick to North Wales (amazing mountain scenery, castles till your eyes fallout, lovely gardens, and beautiful sea coast)

But what I'd consider is maybe fly open jaw into London and home from Manchester (or vice versa depending on which end of the trip you plonk the weekend).

There are few if any places in N. Wales that can do a one-way car hire. But you could take the train to Chester, get car and return it at MAN before flying home.

If you can't open jaw for some reason -- you could train or fly up to MAN, rent your car there, drop it back there, and return to London/LHR

for a short trip, I'd opt for south-east wales, in particular the Brecon Beacons.

you could get the train to Cardiff, hire a car, drive up to Brecon, then work your way back to Bristol/bristol parkway, and train back to London, or for a slightly longer trip, drive up to Carmarthen and then do the same thing.

loads to see, lovely scenery, not much traffic.

I,d probably do South Wales/Welsh border area. Train to Cardiff, rent a car and book a farm B&B in the Monmouthshire area. See http://www.farmstay.co.uk/ and search on Wye Valley and Valley of Usk. You'll get mountain scenery (the Brecon Beacons), castles (Raglan, Chepstow, others), Tintern Abbey, easy walking along the Brecon & Monmouth canal and the Wye Valley Way, or slightly more challenging, climb Sugarloaf at Abergavenny, medieval cathedrals at Brecon and Hereford. And if you decide you want some city life, just head back into Cardiff.

You have some good advice.
I would take the train to Cardiff, it takes less than 2 hrs from Paddington, pick up car near the railway station and head out.

Another nice place is the Neath Valley, lots of wonderful walks along rivers where there are loads of waterfalls.

http://www.npt.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=2810

Check this site out for castles.
http://www.castlewales.com/

Good luck

Muck

We spent a long weekend in Tenby at this lovely B&B and just loved it: http://www.tenbybandb.co.uk/index.php

The hosts are amazing, breakfast fantastic, and we did some driving around the countryside and visited beaches, castles and cathedrals. It was amazing, and definitely not roughing it.

You could pick up the car in Cardiff.

yes -- doing South Wales gives you the opportunity to do a one-way rental. Train to Cardiff, tour around, drop car at LHR.

Thanks for the replies so far. This is really helpful.

We will have to fly in and out of London because I'm attaching this trip to a business trip and can't change my point of departure.

Does anyone have any info on how crowded the coast will be in South Wales in August if we choose that option? I realize that it's August (holiday season) and it won't be possible to avoid tourists, but are we talking Hamptons long weekend bumper-to-bumper (or Blackpool seaside?), or something more manageable?

Also, one other question. I am mosquito/midge-phobic but the little critters love me. How bad is the bite-y bug situation in Wales in early August (for example, in Snowdonia National Park or by the shore)?

thanks

As you know, August is the school summer holidays and depending upon the weather, roads could be quite busy.

The beach areas don't really come alive until you get up as far as Porthcawl,Gower peninsula, saundersfoot and Tenby.
Slightly inland through the Pembrokeshire National park is not very busy at any time. Tenby takes the brunt of the tourists.
Roads heading west are generally worse at weekends but the M4 is pretty good. I think it will be manageable.
If we have a heatwave, expect heavier traffic.

I never suffer from mozzies or midges,I don't suppose Wales is any worse than anywhere else.



Muck