Wales itinerary, without a car?
 

We are hoping to spend about 3 weeks in wales in June. I have seen this thread, which has been extremely useful, but we are not wanting a car.
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...-itinerary.cfm

Our interests are castles, gardens, natural beauty (especially coastal since we don’t have an ocean near us), seeing puffins, maybe a stone circle or prehistoric site, and having time to spend over a cider or beer in a pub.
We are VERY SLOW travelers, can spend a long time in one place without losing interest.

After batting some ideas about we have this a rough plan at present:

- 10 days in North Wales based in on or two towns where we can take day trips
- 10 days in Pembrokshire where we will work with an outfitter to walk a short section of the Pembrokshire Coastal Trail, plus spend a few days hanging in a town
- a couple of nights in a moderate luxury castle or manor house, preferably one with a nice attached garden, to finish the trip

At this point we are open to any suggestions on this.

Questions:
1) A town or two to base ourselves in the North, with good public transportation? On an older Fodors thread I saw Betws-y-Coed , which seems good. What about Portmeirion?

2) If we did a short stretch, maybe 5 days of walking , of the Pembrokshire Coastal Trail is there a particularly impressive section?

3) Finally, suggestions for a semi-luxury splurge at the end of the trip?

4) I almost forgot: is it better to fly into London or Manchester, if that option is open to us?

Thanks much.

Conwy is the perfect base for North Wales. Check out regional day passes for buses and trains - www.nationalrail.co.uk has rail schedules - for general info on Wales' transports check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

I'd also second either Conwy (medieval walled town with a ruined castle) or nearby Llandudno (Victorian seaside town) as one of your bases for North Wales. Fly into Manchester and catch the train to Llandudno Junction, changing at Chester.

Either of these are a lot more flexible than Betws y Coed for what you want to do. You can catch a bus to Caernarfon for the castle. Get the train from Llandudno Junction to Bangor and then bus to Beaumaris for the castle.

Use the Conwy valley railway line to Betws y Coed where you can catch the Snowdon Sherpa bus service to Llanberis (national slate mining museum, Dolbadarn castle, Snowdon Mountain Railway...) and other parts of Snowdonia


For the other base I'd suggest Criccieth (with its ruined castle and two beaches) rather than Portmeirion. Catch the Conwy Valley line from Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, then catch the Ffestiniog Railway (preserved narrow gauge steam railway- fantastic ride) to Porthmadog and then bus to Criccieth. The other alternative is bus to Caernarfon, change for bus to Porthmadog (or use the Welsh Highland Railway, another preserved steam railway which runs along the flanks of Snowdon to Porthmadog) and again bus to Criccieth.

From Criccieth you can catch the train to Harlech for its ruined castle (but the station is at the bottom of a steep hill...) or catch a bus from Porthmadog which drops you off in the centre.

There are also bus services which will take you to Pwllheli, Abersoch and Aberdaron, at the tip of the Llyen Peninsula. You can also get a bus from Porthmadog to Beddgelert.

Bus timetables
https://www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/en/Re...imetables.aspx

Snowden Sherpa timetable (still the winter one)

Train timetables
https://www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/en/Re...imetables.aspx

Welsh Highkland and Ffestiniog Railway website
http://www.festrail.co.uk/index.htm

I forgot to add the Snowdon Shertpa link
https://www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/en/Re...imetables.aspx

Perfect! Thanks much for those replies and that very detailed info, wasleys. Really appreciate it.

I downloaded the British rail map and see that some sections in Wales need to be connected by road travel.

Will show this to my wife for her consideration. The pictures we are finding online of Wales castles, gardens, and scenery are stunning.

Wales is very much underrated as a tourist destination and has so much going for it.

I didn't answer the question about the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path.

My favourite bit is from St Davids to Abercastle, followed by the stretcg from Dale to St Brides. Angle Bay is nice but is a bit out on a limb.

Thanks again wasleys. Looks like the Dales to St. Brides region puts us closer to Skomer Island. If we used a town near there as a base after doing the walk, that should increase our odds of being able to make a trip out to Skomer.

Our trip is falling into place, now we have a car for part of it. Current plan is:

1) Arrive Manchester, head straight for Pembrokeshire
2) Spend 6 days on Coast Path, from Marloes to St. Justinians, with some days padded up front in Marloes (to try to get to Skomer) and at the end in St. Davids. This is being arranged by an outfitter who is shortening the daily walks for us, down to about 6 miles per day, with some taxi transfers.
3) Rent a car in St. Davids and spend several days making our way up the coast to Conwy.
4) Drop the car and spend several days in Conwy before departure.

Feedback or further suggestions for places to stay appreciated!

Thanks again.

I based in Llandudno, faded bu somewhat revived seaside resort just by Conwy (Conwy is nicer base as on main rail line and terribly cute ancient ramarted town - Llandudno is more my style because I collect faded British seaside resorts and like cheap B&Bs). and day tripped by train and or bus to Beaumarais - great old medieval castle - mainly a shell but still awsome in its seaside setting; Conwt Valley towns and Ffestiniog Railway to Ffestiniog- a bit of Appalachia in Wales -old slate mining town down on its heels - Caernarferon Castle and town - and Snowdon - took steam train up and walked down via footpaths to Pyg Pass and caught bus from there to Betwsy-Coed and trains back to Conwy - awesome path!

Great Orme - great lookout place - right opposite Conwy - take antique tramway up or any of several trails- views for miles around - even way iover to Blackpool disringuished by its tall Blackpool Tower.

Port Mierrion - left North Wales buy taking Ffestiniog train there and then went along coast by train

Coming into Wales a nice stop is Shrewsbury - really nice old town on a neat river.

Thanks PalenQ. We are currently planning to visit Caernarferon and Beaumarais on the way up from Pembrokshire, and possibly stay in one of those towns.

My homework assignment is now to look up the other stuff.