Trip to Ireland and Wales
 

My wife and I are planning a 12-day trip to Wales and Ireland in August. We arrive at Heathrow and will rent a car for a 6-day trip to Wales---We will then fly into Belfast for the next six days in Ireland.

We'd appreciate help with our itinerary, places to stay, where to eat...basically what to see and do. Any and all suggestions would be VERY much appreciated.

Hello, Hope you enjoy your trip. The only place I want to recommend is the town of Betsy Coed in Wales. I'm sure I spelled it wrong, but, we were on a tight schedule in 94, and I have longed to go back to that little town. Let me know if you go. Thanks.

I lived in Wales for 14 months, and I just loved it. I agree that Bets-y-coed is lovely. Snowdonia Park is beautiful, and my favorite castle is Conwy (up north). If you remember the cult 60's TV show, The Prisoner, then you will want to visit 'The Village' where it was filmed... Portmierion (on the west coast near Porthmadog.) Just driving through the countryside, seeing all the sheep is fun. My favorite game was to try and pick out the one black sheep. I have a suggestion for something that you may not find in the guidebooks: Wales is famous for its men's choirs. They practice every week in schools or churches, and welcome people to come and watch them. I know in Swansea, if you ask at the Tourist Information, they will tell you where and if a choir is practicing. We watched 120 men, average age 60, sing in an elementary school... and it was one of the highlights of my stay in Wales. Their voices were unbelievably beautiful.

I would agree with previous person's comments on Wales. We really enjoyed Portmeirion, you can buy seconds of their pottery there and can actually rent a cottage or stay at a hotel on the grounds. Expensive but quite romantic for at least a night. We also loved Caernarfon Castle, only the shell left, but what a shell. You can wander for hours inside, really get the feel for how primitive it would have been to live there, and some spectacular views fr. inside. The Bakestone restaurant near the castle entrance has great crepes. Other castles we enjoyed: Beaumaris, great location, and lots to explore, the town is nice too, try the Liverpool Arms pub, some good seafood dishes; Criccieth, on the edge of the town of the same name, a charming Victorian seaside resort. Other things we enjoyed: you can actually go up Mount Snowdon on a Railway, it climbs something like 3k feet, and you can walk down, quite spectacular; don't miss Bodnant Gardens, lots of paths, waterfalls, beautiful spots just to sit and appreciate nature; we haven't been to Llandudno, but have heard from friends that it is quite interesting, quite Victorian; and Plas Newydd, an 18thc mansion on Menai Straits. Would need to know what areas you are going to focus on in Ireland to probably give you anything of value. Feel free to contact me at my e-mail address if you want more info.

Walter, I agree with Betwsy Coed (means church in the wood). Also you may want to go to Llanberis (prounounced Clanberis) and take the Snowdon Mountain railway to the top of Mt. Snowdon. E mail me for a good B&B in town. The Llanberis pass on the way into the town is a spectacular sight. Also, take the beautiful drive to a very small village nearby called Beddgellert. There are 2 of Edward I's castles nearby, Conway and Caernarfron. Either one is very enjoyable. Take the guided tour - it is very informative. Before you get to Wales, you may want to stop a day in Chester - a city which is still entirely walled and which also has quite a few Roman ruin.

You will have the time of your life!!! Just remember, they were doing B&B's over there long before the idea took hold (and got over-luxuriated) over here. So hop in your car and follow your nose, and you will find lovely, warm, hospitable people, gorgeous scenery, and comfortable, if sometimes simple, accommodations. We did three weeks in the British Isles, including quite a bit of time in Wales, with reservations only for London; same thing in Ireland, made a reservation for (outside of) Dublin (and took the train in for the day); the rest of the time, we stayed in the countryside and relied on serendipty -- it never failed us!

If you go to southern Wales, be careful when parking at Caerphilly Castle--especially late in the day, when there are fewer people about. Our rental car was vandalized and all our luggage in the trunk was stolen. However, thanks to the incredible hospitality, this was actually the highlight of our trip--as the police felt sorry for us and 1 of them took us home to stay. They were so incredibly helpful, generous and kind. They fed us, helped us find clothes and let us stay the night. I still would recommend the castle, it's one of the biggest in the world, but exercise some caution. Also, Cardiff Castle is not too far away and worth a look.

Hello, I am thinking to go to Ireland in August. I would love to receive some general suggestions:
- B&B in the countryside
- What to visit in the countryside
- Which gorgous small towns to visit
- nautic sport: cannoying, windsurf, etc
- What is the best way to go by ferry from Wales
Thanks a lot.
Bye.