My mom and I are planning a 10 day trip to North Wales in early June. We will arrive in London and plan to spend just one day there and then on to Chester by train and from there to Llandudno which will be our base for exploring north Wales. We plan to visit Conwy, Beaumaris and Caernarfon castles. We also plan to go to Betws-y-Coed where we would like to see Fairy Glen and Gwydir Castle (the home of the Wynn family, our ancestors). We also plan to travel to Llanberis and ride the train to the top of Snowdon. On Anglesey we would like to visit Newborough Forest and Holyhead (in addition to Beaumaris) and after much thought have decided not to take the ferry to Dublin. What do you think is good and/or bad about this itinerary? Have we left any places out that are "must sees" in north Wales? Should we add Portmeirion to our itinerary? Also, since we do not know if or when we will ever get back to Wales, should we visit the Pembrokeshire coast during our trip (the pictures we have seen look stunning)? We do not plan on renting a car; will this be a problem? Will it be easy for us to get to all of these places on trains or buses? We would really appreciate suggestions of places to stay in Llandudno (and Pembrokeshire, if you think we should go there) and your favorite places to eat in all of these cities. Thank you in advance for all of your help!

Hi!!!
What fun you are going to have!!! I have been to Wales (and many of the places in your itinerary) a few times with my Mom and we've had such a blast!!!! We do self-catering and do rent a car to get around, so, I'm afraid I cannot be of much help with getting around by train and bus!! What I can do is suggest other areas to maybe check out!!!

Swallow Falls, http://snowdonia-information.co.uk/attra/swallo.htm
which is in the area you will be in around Betws-y-Coed.

Their is a wonderful little place between Conwy & Betws-y-Coed...it's called Crafnant Lake in Trefriw and the water from the lake powers the Trefriw Woolen Mill. You can sit by the lake and have lunch outside...there is a place to get food right there...very serene!!!

Beddgelert is another little town that I enjoyed visiting and they have some wonderful little places to eat as well!!!

Bodnant Garden, http://snowdonia-information.co.uk/a...efault.htm...I have never been but want to get there one of these trips!

The Cardigan Bay coastline is beautiful and the views of it from Harlech Castle are breathtaking!!!

Taking a ride on one the steam railways is fun too!!! We took the Ffestiniog Steam Rail which is a 13 mile ride from Porthmadog (sp?) to Blaenau
Ffestiniog. Once there you can visit the Llechwedd Slate Caverns!

I have been to Portmeirion and it was okay...glad I went, because I had read so much about it, but, I would not go back. If you were going to have a car then I would suggest Horseshoe Pass which is just a great ride with spectacular views outside the town of Llangollen!!

I love Wales and spent some time in Mid Wales last May! We are in the early stages of planning another trip for next fall!!!

Ginny- Thank you so much for all of those suggestions and the links! I'm especially glad you mentioned Bodnant Gardens and Swallow Falls because I am very interested in seeing those. And I've never heard of Crafnant Lake but it sound like a beautiful place to picnic. Thanks again!

I'd give up Portmeiron and go to Dublin instead.

Another wonderful castle in that area is Harlech Castle.

I would suggest a car, if at all possible. A small car. The time you save by not being tied to bus and train schedules can be better used towards more sightseeing.

Happy travels!

There is a wonderful little restaurant in Harlech, on the right hand side walking down from the castle, you can eat outside (in the back of the restaurant) and the view is spectacular. I also walked the dunes from St. Davids Golf course just below Harlech castel and it brings you to the beach of Cardigan Bay. I'm Ginny's Mom and we had an awesome time in Wales, been there on three trips and planning another in the fall of this year. Enjoy

Your itinerary sounds good but I am also suggesting adding Harlech Castle to your list - the views are fantastic.
Renting a car in Wales is a must - except around Betws-y-Coed, we did not find the traffic overly challenging. Personally I would NOT stay in Llandudno - not especially interesting or attractive. Stay in Conwy or near Betws-y-Coed.

If you do stop off at Harlech Castle, try and get down to that beautiful sandy beach at Llandanwg.

Go and have a salad and pizza at the Maes Cafe or just get his ice cream from him in the summer. Say hi to Phil for me!

Right on the beach are the ruins of the Tanwg Church, buried for several centuries in the sand and therefore perfectly preserved. Dates back to the 8th century. One of the oldest churches in Wales.

Directly across from the entrance to Harlech Castle is the Harlech Hotel. The hotel also offers excellent dinners in a cozy little dining room.

Say, alabamagirl, got room in your luggage for me?

I also vote for adding Harlech. If you enjoy castles, also consider Cricceth--the seaside atmosphere was wonderful.

Oops--forgot to add, if you have not already booked your flight, consider flying into Manchester. It will cut down on your time in transit.

Have to agree with the flying into Manchester. That's is where we flew into. It is still quite a ride, but a beautiful one. We rented a house in Llbandur called Tan-y-Rhiw it was wonderful.

I think y'all have convinced me that we must see Harlech and the Cardigan Bay area. vstanton- that restaurant and its views sound wonderful; we'll definetely eat there. JMM- that's the second time I've heard not to stay in Llandudno, so I'm being convinced. Do you know a good place to stay in Conwy? Easytraveler- thank you for all of those good suggestions (and I love the specifics)! How many times have you been to Wales? It sounds like it might be worthwhile to make room for you in my luggage,. XXX and vstanton- how long is it from Manchester to Conwy? Finally, are y'all ready for a stupid question? What does self-catering mean? I've seen it everywhere but have no idea...My appreciation to all of you!

Hi alabamagirl. You'll have a great welcome in Wales, and your itinerary is fine. The Pembrokeshire coast will be a little out of reach as, even though it's not a large country, the road links between North and South/West Wales are not good. It's unfortunate, but people generally have to decide between North and South.
Get someone to teach you how to say hello (Shwd mae) and thank you (diolch) phonetically as Welsh is spoken a great deal in North West Wales (you'll find road signs in Welsh first above the English, and many of the shops have Welsh sinage) and it will go down exceptionally well - even though it's not as correct as South Walian Welsh (tongue firmly in cheek, sorry Gogs).
Have a lovely time and Croeso i Gymru (Welcome to Wales).

Chester, walk the wall! Llangollen, visit the Wine Bar...maybe overnight there.

Self Catering is renting a cottage/house and having all of the home amenities. Kitchen, living room, bedrooms, bathrooms etc. We have been doing that in the UK for the past 8 yrs and won't travel any other way. We did stay in a bed and breakfast in Conway but my daughter Ginny could tell you the name, but we did meet the mayor of Conway in the restaurant and he suggested that we visit Crafnant Lake. We also took the train up Snowden Mountain. You can ride up and down or walk one way or both ways. This year we stayed at a place called Neuadd Farms about 3 miles from New Quay which is right on Cardigan Bay, but another side of the lake. Plan on going back this fall.

The questions you ask revolve around your wish to use public transport.Staying in Llandudno is not a bad base for using the trains and buses as it is only about 10 mins by train to Llandudno Junction from where you can get fairly frequent trains east and west and less frequent trains south up the Conwy valley. Llandudno is also on the main bus route east and west with connections to most near places.
However the logistics of what you are suggesting mean that the transport will be the main focus of your holiday. For example to get to Newborough Forest you will need first of all to get a train to Llandudno Junction. Then you will need to connect to Bangor. ( Alternatively you can get a bus to Bangor)
At Bangor you will need to get a bus to Newborough- not too many of these- or a bus to Llangefni and then another bus to Newborough. In Newborough you will then have to walk about three quarters of a mile to the top of the forest and then about another one and a half miles down to the beach ( uphill coming back) If you then want to see the Pilots cottages on Llanddwyn Island its about a mile across the beach.
That's probably the most extreme example.
To go to Llanberis (no mainline station) you will need a bus to Bangor and then at least one other bus to Llanberis-I'm not sure if you have to connect through Caernarfon to go to Llanberis.If you want to go up Snowdon and it is a lovely day the best time to do it is early morning- about 9a.m. There is no way you will manage that by public transport.
Please bear in mind also that it rains here and bus stops do not always have shelters and buses don't always arrive.
You will have far more out of your stay if you have a car.
I think that your question about Pembs is for you but in terms of scenery then yes it should be seen.
If you try to do that by public transport from North Wales you have three options
1.Train to Chester, Crewe, Cardiff and west-sounds ridiculous but probably the fastest- about 6 hours if you are lucky.
2.Traws- Cambria the long distance bus daily from Bangor to Cardiff- you will need to get off somewhere on the south coast and then connect by train to Pembs
3.Bus to Caernarfon, bus to Porthmadog (or from Llandudno, train to Junction, train to Blaenau Ffestiniog, narrow gauge railwy to Porthmadog)Cambrian coast railway to Aberystwyth(change in Machynlleth) then pick up the Traws- Cambria.
As for Portmeirion, well if you're doing this on public transport don't bother. Otherwise I'd go there.

Sorry I took so long to reply to your question Re: B&Bs in Bews-y-Coed area but I was trying to find the name of the place we stayed at - unfortunately I cannot find their card. It was Ty - something - which does not help at all since half the B&Bs in North Wales are Ty - something. Sorry - If I find it I will post it.

We stayed at Ty Gwyn (maybe that's what JMM was thinking of?) in B-Y-C in March of 2002 and loved it-its a 16th century coaching Inn...they have a WONDERFUL little pub on the main floor with original beemed ceilings and fabulous restaurant. We also had a beautiful 4 poster bed.

Probably the most central spot to stay when touring North Wales is Betws-y-Coed. Although expensive, a truly wonderful place to stay there is the Tan Y Foel Country House. You can check out their website (www.tyfhotel.co.uk) which has some great information about the whole area including some suggested driving routes. As others have suggested, as a matter of convenience, you really need a car to get around in North Wales, and its not hard to drive there. The roads are basically very good and not that crowded. Whatever you do, don't miss Bodnant Gardens.

This post brings a smile to my face as I can recall a conversation I had with a local in our Hotel bar in Llandudno. My wife was upstairs getting ready & I was talking to this elderly gent about places in the area that might be worth visiting. He recommended Betws-Y-Coed, and told me to "make sure we took our eyes with us".

As things turned out, we never actually got to Betws-Y-Coed & I often wonder just what we missed out on - I guess it must have been something pretty special to warrant that advice!

Jim