AlineWyllie

Hello folks,

Will be coming to Great Britain in July-August, ending my trip in North Wales and then heading back to London to fly back home. Originally, I would be arriving in the Llandudno/Conwy area on Aug 16th and leaving late on the 18th, which would give me 2 full days and a half to visit the area. My question is whether or not it would be worthy sacrificing my time in the Llandudno/Conwy area to be able to spend some more time in London.

Thank you so much.
Aline

PalenQ

What's your full itinerary - how many days planned in London?

What do you want to do in North Wales?

those questions need to be answered before anyone can say yes sacrifice time in North Wales - if you already will be in London several days or just a few days?

do you mean 'more time' in London because you've been there before or will be there this trip too?

janisj

Can't answer in a vacuum. How many days do you have, if any, in London? Have you been there before? What things are you hoping to see in North Wales? Where are you arriving from? Are you traveling down to London just to fly out? How are you traveling - car, public transport, whatever? Are you a 'city person' or are you hiking/walking and want to spend the time rural areas?

If you lay out your entire itinerary, we'll know what you are working with . . . .

thursdaysd

I wanted three full days (four nights) in Conwy, so I think your time is already short. But you need to decide what you want to see to determine how long you need.

Saraho

North Wales is one of my favorite places. I would definitely go there.

ESW

I would also much rather spent the extra time in Llandudno/Conwy/North Wales, but also know others would disagree with this. It is impossible to advise as everyone is so different. My ideal itinerary could be the itinerary to Hell for someone else. It all depends on what sort of things you like doing and seeing. What are your expectations?

AlineWyllie

Hello ESW,

Thank you so much for your reply. I am glad to hear you speak so well of the area. I like to get peopleīs feelings and go from there.

I would be basing my trip on what Iīve read in a few travel magazines. The author of the article started in Llandudno, whom he said he fell in love with, mentioning a walkway and a pier that looked beautiful at twilight. He also mentioned a village in the Island of Anglesey which is famous by its incredibly long name, composed of 58 letters. he didnīt go there but I thought it might be fun to take a picture in front of a plate with its name. Then he went to Conwy, mentioning a castle, a marina, bridges and, most especially, the smallest house in the world. He also mentioned Chester, which I know is back in England but that was also very well recommended by my brother, It is important to mention, however, that I wonīt be driving which makes moving around a little bit more difficult.

In another thread I posted, I got these suggestions:

• take the antique tramway to ascend the Great Orme
• take the bus from Conwy to Caernaferon, where there is a great castle
• take the bus to Mount Snowdon's railway that ascends famous Mount Snowdon or walk up on a gently rising busy footpath or maybe walk down and take scenic bus via Pyg Pass to Betwsy-Coed for Conwy Valley railway to return to Conwy

These all seem interesting things to do. So, knowing the area, what would you suggest as the best itinerary to be able to squeeze most of these things in? And not tterms of time optimization, what might I be able to do the first evening, considering I should be arriving around 17:35 hrs and that I will be staying in Deganwy, at about a 17 min walk from the Llandudno Junction station?

Thank you so much,

Aline







Now, looking at

ESW

I assume from your comment that you are arriving by train so won’t have a car?

In July/August there will still be plenty of daylight, although by the time you arrive, most attractions (eg Conwy castle and the smallest house) will be closed. The last tram on the Great Orme Tramway is 6pm and it looks as if the last full hop on hop off bus departs at 16.30. BUT the Pier in Llandudno will be open until 10pm and you could always go for a walk down that and along the promenade of North bay.

Alternatively you could go for a walk up to the ruins of Deganwy Castle. Details here.
Pictures and information here. It’s not one of the best known castles and there isn't a lot of it left, but would make a pleasant walk with good views.

LLandudno is a delightful Victorian sea side town that has managed to retain its character. The Great Orme Tramway is great fun and is definitely worth doing for the experience. Trams leave every 10 minutes during the summer and it is a ten minute ride to half way station where you get off and get another tram to the summit , which is another ten minute ride. Aim to be at the tramway when it opens as there are often long queues in the morning and you may have to wait 30 minutes before catching a tram. Queues are less in the afternoon, but then you may find you have to wait for a tram leaving the top. Trams carry just over 40 passengers.

There is also a cable car up the Great Orme, but this is very much weather dependent and shuts if the wind is too strong.

On a good day there are superb views from the top of the Great Orme and lots of footpaths to wander. Download information about trails here. The Summit Complex has a cafe. If you are interested in archaeology, you can go for a tour round the Bronze age copper mines close to Halfway station.

Alternatively you could do a vintage bus tour around Marine Drive which is the road which runs round the Great Orme. There is also a traditional Punch and Judy on the North Bay giving regular performances during the day to appreciative audiences.

The Hop On Hop Off bus would take you to Conwy, or you could catch service bus 14 or 15 which runs a regular service (and would be a lot cheaper).

Conwy is just a short distance away from Llandudno and is a medieval walled town with one of the best ruined castles in Wales. I actually prefer it to Caernarfon Castle, as the walls of the internal domestic buildings are still standing and you really do get a feel as to what it must have been like to live there. Unlike Caernarfon, it is also possible to walk round part of the medieval walls.

The smallest house on the quay is a bit of something and nothing - very much a tourist trap. Much better to my mind is Plas Mawr, the Elizabethan manor house in the centre of the town. You can also walk across the original suspension bridge built by Thomas Telford in 1826, with its toll house.

If you are wanting a longer walk, there is always the walk up Conwy Mountain.

You mention “ a village in the Island of Anglesey which is famous by its incredibly long name, composed of 58 letters. he didnīt go there but I thought it might be fun to take a picture in front of a plate with its name.” Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysilio gogogoch, which is often shortened to Llanfair PG. Like many Welsh place names it is descriptive. In this case "Saint Mary's Church in the hollow of the white hazel near the rapid whirlpool and the Church of Saint Tysilio of the red cave".It is actually a Victorian con...The name was invented in the 1860s to encourage visitors to visit the area. (Beddgelert and the legend of Gelert date from the same time, being invented by the landlord of the Goat Hotel to encourage visitors. )

It is the longest place name in Europe and many people visit Llanfair PG station just to have their photo taken in front to the name.To be honest that is the only reason to go there as the town is boring with nothing to do.

Snowdon Mountain Railway is popular and does get very busy. If you turn up without a ticket you may have a long wait before you can catch a train, particularly if there are coach loads visiting. I have done the walk up Snowdon from Llanberis and it is a long hot slog with the sun full on your back. The top of Snowden is also very busy.

Another suggestion would be to catch the train up the Conwy Valley to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Here you could visit Llechwedd Slate Caverns and do a tour into the deep mine to find out what it was like to mine slate in the C19th. Or if you are an adrenaline junkie there is an underground zip wire....

The narrow gauge Ffestiniog Steam Railway runs from Blaenau Ffestiniog to the coast at Porthmadog. It was originally built to carry slate from Blaenau Ffestiniog but is now run as a tourist heritage railway using some of the original locos which are over 100 years old. It is a lovely run down the Vale of Ffestiniog. Timetable here.

If you don’t want to do the whole trip, you could do the trip as far as Tan y Bwlch at the mid point on the line. There is a cafe here and walks through the woods. Map here. If you are only wanting a short walk, the nature trail which drops down from the station to Llyn Mair makes a nice circular route.

If you like gardens, then there are Bodnant Gardens which can be reached using bus service 25 from Llandudno. (In July, the laburnum arch will have finished flowering...)

Hope this helps and will give you some ideas...

AlineWyllie

Hello Eleanor,

Sorry for not responding to your e-mail sooner. I really want to thank you for your kindness, attention and great suggestions. They are really helpful. Yes, I will be arriving by train and it is nice to know Iīll still have time to enjoy the first evening, as my visit will be so short So, again, thank you so much. And if you ever come to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I will be very happy to help you.

Best Regards,
Aline