sgingold

My husband and I are planning a driving holiday to Wales and Ireland in September 2018 and would very much appreciate advice. We plan on being there for 5 weeks.
We will be flying into Heathrow and then spending 3 nights in Oxford before heading across to Wales.
Suggestions of a driving route through Wales that will end at Holyhead where we will catch the ferry over to Ireland would be great. We look forward to seeing the natural beauty of both Wales and Ireland, castles (but not all of them��) and don't mind going to out of the way places.
As we will be arriving at the end of the first week of September would it be better to go straight to Ireland first or see Wales on the way?
Your advice from personal experience, would be greatly appreciated.

maitaitom

topping so someone might help

PalenQ

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...pt-uk-trip.cfm

See this current thread for suggestions for North Wales where Conwy seems to be the recommded base - right on the way to Holyhead.

As often the case the thread got off target but it also thus has an interesting discussion of the Welsh language many people in some areas at least use as their daily tongue.

I've taken trains along the coast via Abertswyth and Harlech (famous castle) and that is a scenic route by train at least.

Cardiff is neat - spend a few days there - now let's have inuts from Fodorites much more versed in Wales as a whole - I spent a week around Conwy and can say spend several days in that great area with so many neat things in a compact radius.

historytraveler

Some years ago we did a tour of Wales starting in Oxford. Sorry I don't remember the exact routing but we drove first to Cardiff stopping along the way. We spent a couple of nights in Cardiff visiting nearby sites then drove to Pembrokeshire coast and spent several nights near Fishguard. Then headed north with a stop in the Brecons before heading north again toward Snowdonia area with a couple of nights at Betws-y-coed. We spent a night in Conwy and a night in Beaumaris and then on to Holyhead for a night prior to sailing to Dublin. Basically we did a circular route missing only the northeastern part of Wales. I feel we saw a good bit of Wales and would recommend something similar. BTW, I would not stay in Holyhead.

PalenQ

Beaumarais to me for a largely ruined castle was so romantic in its seaside setting:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Beau...w=1745&bih=864

I think they said "Bew-maris"

sgingold

Thank you to the lovely travellers who have posted suggestions. Our itinerary is a work in progress so any further ideas are appreciated.
Have a wonderful day!