Wales Driving Trip Questions
Discussion
I am currently planning a driving trip around Wales with a few mates in June, and I would appreciate a bit of local advice on a few things.
The plan is to drive in from Nottingham on Thursday afternoon, aiming to arrive at Brecon for an overnight stop.
Then Fridays plan is to criss-cross the black mountains in the morning, A470, A4059, A4067, A4069 etc, before heading up to the Elan Valley in the afternoon, before an overnight stop somewhere in mid-Wales.
Saturdays plan is to pull in the B4391, A4212, Pass of Llanberis and EVO triangle before stopping overnight in Llangollen.
Return to base on sunday morning.
Still finalising the actual route, but have a few queries (sorry if this becomes a bit of a list):
1). Thinking of Brecon for Thursday night stop, but could do Abergavenny, Hay-on-Wye or Builth Wells. Any preferences or recommendations?
2). Was thinking of stopping over in Aberystwyth on the Friday night, thinking it might be good for some sea air, a meal and a few beers, but am considering a few locations a bit further north. Are Machynlleth, Newtown, Welshpool or Dolgellau decent spots for an overnight stop?
3). Want to do the run between the Elan Valley Dams and Devils Bridge - I assume either direction is as good?
Many thanks in advance. I will put some route plans up once the route is a bit more resolved.
The plan is to drive in from Nottingham on Thursday afternoon, aiming to arrive at Brecon for an overnight stop.
Then Fridays plan is to criss-cross the black mountains in the morning, A470, A4059, A4067, A4069 etc, before heading up to the Elan Valley in the afternoon, before an overnight stop somewhere in mid-Wales.
Saturdays plan is to pull in the B4391, A4212, Pass of Llanberis and EVO triangle before stopping overnight in Llangollen.
Return to base on sunday morning.
Still finalising the actual route, but have a few queries (sorry if this becomes a bit of a list):
1). Thinking of Brecon for Thursday night stop, but could do Abergavenny, Hay-on-Wye or Builth Wells. Any preferences or recommendations?
2). Was thinking of stopping over in Aberystwyth on the Friday night, thinking it might be good for some sea air, a meal and a few beers, but am considering a few locations a bit further north. Are Machynlleth, Newtown, Welshpool or Dolgellau decent spots for an overnight stop?
3). Want to do the run between the Elan Valley Dams and Devils Bridge - I assume either direction is as good?
Many thanks in advance. I will put some route plans up once the route is a bit more resolved.
Having recently had a quick 24 hour blast in Wales, we stayed in Ffestiniog. Whilst there isn't much there a late night blast in the Llanberis pass was pretty good (5.0 Supercharged XKR did help) along with Ffestiniog to Bala road.
Its a bit further north but if it's driving you want ideal stop in my view.
Its a bit further north but if it's driving you want ideal stop in my view.
Ride these roads all the time.
Can't help with 1 or 2 but as for 3 the mountain road to Aberystwyth from Rhayader - which take you to Devil's Bridge and gives you the option of doing the loop of the Elan Valley lakes - is IMHO a delight but you really need a sunny day to appreciate it. It's great either way but you drive it for the scenery not to do silly speeds.
These are taken from just above the top lake
Can't help with 1 or 2 but as for 3 the mountain road to Aberystwyth from Rhayader - which take you to Devil's Bridge and gives you the option of doing the loop of the Elan Valley lakes - is IMHO a delight but you really need a sunny day to appreciate it. It's great either way but you drive it for the scenery not to do silly speeds.
These are taken from just above the top lake
spicjt said:
Having recently had a quick 24 hour blast in Wales, we stayed in Ffestiniog. Whilst there isn't much there a late night blast in the Llanberis pass was pretty good (5.0 Supercharged XKR did help) along with Ffestiniog to Bala road.
Its a bit further north but if it's driving you want ideal stop in my view.
Thanks for the recommendation - planning to do the roads around Bala and Llanberis pass on the Saturday. Will have a look at Ffestiniog as a possible overnightIts a bit further north but if it's driving you want ideal stop in my view.
sleepersix said:
1). Thinking of Brecon for Thursday night stop, but could do Abergavenny, Hay-on-Wye or Builth Wells. Any preferences or recommendations?
We usually overnight in Llandrindod Wells. It is centrally located and has an excellent selection of hotels as well as a Tesco serving Momentum. said:
2). Was thinking of stopping over in Aberystwyth on the Friday night, thinking it might be good for some sea air, a meal and a few beers, but am considering a few locations a bit further north. Are Machynlleth, Newtown, Welshpool or Dolgellau decent spots for an overnight stop?
None of these are as attractive as Aberystwyth for a night out imo. said:
3). Want to do the run between the Elan Valley Dams and Devils Bridge - I assume either direction is as good?
Yes it's a great run either way. If you are heading to/from Aberystwyth anyway I highly recommend the A4120 from Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge.Feel free to PM if you'd like more route ideas.
The Evo triangle isn't the best of the roads. The run through the forest to Denbigh Moor from Cerygidrudion? is good, the A5 leg isn't brilliant, the Denbigh Moor to the A5 is ok, the road mentioned from Ffestinog to Bala is actually Trawsfynydd to Bala and is the A4212. Although sometimes camera'd this is possibly one of the better roads, but you can join it from a mountain road from Ffestinog by the railway bridge, which is good and technical.
The A470 goes to Dolgellau? which is by Trawsfynedd, the road over Llanberis joins the road from Tremadog to Capel Curig, which is good too. Turn left at Capel Curig and drive down toward Bethesda.........nice road indeed.
The Denbigh moor road, instead of left onto the Evo leg to the A5, go right and to Denbigh, or toward Denbigh, and left to Llansannan, takes to to the Abergele road to Llanrwst, good road! Left at Llanrwst to Betys Y Coed, and to Capel Curig that way. Over Llanberis pass toward Caernarfon road are good. Capel Curig towards and through Beddgelert to Tremadog too, or towards Beddgelert, but not left over the bridge, go straight, leads towards Caernarfon.
Anglesea only a few miles on
You can do all this in a route in a day, I do most on my bikes. The Evo crew just weren't that adventurous. The roads are known now, especially the A5 which quite a bit of is boring and straight, I guess where they floor the cars, but posted a 40 in parts, still nice don't get me wrong.
If I were you, I'd work ou a set of routes ove two days, and drive some of the roads again the other way. You'll be surprised maybe.
Watch watch watch for bikers please. There are often cars being pulled out of ditches, and last years a crew of cars took out a row of riders over Denbigh Moor.
Bikes will tend to stay in their lane even when moving fast, but can't always easily change position in the lane, and anxious car drivers out playing have to use both lanes passing, bikes don't. So have fun safely.
So many stunning places
Out of Bala towards Aberystwyth, but small road on left out of Bala as diversion. Out of Bala towards the A5 is an ace road, but gets a lot of traffic, but facing towards the A5 say, at the end of Bala high street, almost opposite the A4212 is another road, heads out towards Lake Vernwy, I didn't go to the lake, but stay on the road past it. Goes to Oswestry I think. Couple of tricky hairpins! A steep drop too, well, a few of them. The road from Betys Y Coed to Ffestinog over the Crimean Pass, do that! (nicknamed the racetrack by someone).
Lots of cyclists, lots of bikers, and some (not me) furiously fast, especially early riders sometimes who go for clear roads. They go past me like i'm in reverse, and I'm not slow haha.
Sorry if names are miss spelt, and I can't remember road numbers, but stick some pins in these places, and it will appear. The roads around Anglesea, too coastal road, all great, and road from Llanrwst to Conwy x 2 are good, one very fast, one over Llanwrst bridge, nicer drive.
Some of these roads are light traffic, but do have tractors too.
Good luck, sorry to go on, oh, they're all mostly two lane 'driveable' roads, not the single like pics above, although lovely to see.
The A470 goes to Dolgellau? which is by Trawsfynedd, the road over Llanberis joins the road from Tremadog to Capel Curig, which is good too. Turn left at Capel Curig and drive down toward Bethesda.........nice road indeed.
The Denbigh moor road, instead of left onto the Evo leg to the A5, go right and to Denbigh, or toward Denbigh, and left to Llansannan, takes to to the Abergele road to Llanrwst, good road! Left at Llanrwst to Betys Y Coed, and to Capel Curig that way. Over Llanberis pass toward Caernarfon road are good. Capel Curig towards and through Beddgelert to Tremadog too, or towards Beddgelert, but not left over the bridge, go straight, leads towards Caernarfon.
Anglesea only a few miles on
You can do all this in a route in a day, I do most on my bikes. The Evo crew just weren't that adventurous. The roads are known now, especially the A5 which quite a bit of is boring and straight, I guess where they floor the cars, but posted a 40 in parts, still nice don't get me wrong.
If I were you, I'd work ou a set of routes ove two days, and drive some of the roads again the other way. You'll be surprised maybe.
Watch watch watch for bikers please. There are often cars being pulled out of ditches, and last years a crew of cars took out a row of riders over Denbigh Moor.
Bikes will tend to stay in their lane even when moving fast, but can't always easily change position in the lane, and anxious car drivers out playing have to use both lanes passing, bikes don't. So have fun safely.
So many stunning places
Out of Bala towards Aberystwyth, but small road on left out of Bala as diversion. Out of Bala towards the A5 is an ace road, but gets a lot of traffic, but facing towards the A5 say, at the end of Bala high street, almost opposite the A4212 is another road, heads out towards Lake Vernwy, I didn't go to the lake, but stay on the road past it. Goes to Oswestry I think. Couple of tricky hairpins! A steep drop too, well, a few of them. The road from Betys Y Coed to Ffestinog over the Crimean Pass, do that! (nicknamed the racetrack by someone).
Lots of cyclists, lots of bikers, and some (not me) furiously fast, especially early riders sometimes who go for clear roads. They go past me like i'm in reverse, and I'm not slow haha.
Sorry if names are miss spelt, and I can't remember road numbers, but stick some pins in these places, and it will appear. The roads around Anglesea, too coastal road, all great, and road from Llanrwst to Conwy x 2 are good, one very fast, one over Llanwrst bridge, nicer drive.
Some of these roads are light traffic, but do have tractors too.
Good luck, sorry to go on, oh, they're all mostly two lane 'driveable' roads, not the single like pics above, although lovely to see.
Edited by CarsOrBikes on Wednesday 13th May 23:58
Just finalising the route plan, but not sure about the last days route from Aberystwyth to Llangollen. Currently as shown below, but it seems like a long drive to get to Penybontfawr to do the B4391 and A4212 before heading up to Llanberis and EVO triangle.
Option 1
Would we be better heading straight up to Snowdonia and picking the A4212 and B4391 on the way back to Llangollen?
Option 2
Any comments very welcome!
Option 1
Would we be better heading straight up to Snowdonia and picking the A4212 and B4391 on the way back to Llangollen?
Option 2
Any comments very welcome!
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