Is a road trip around Wales comparable in beauty to North Scotland or South Ireland?

Posted by pb00010@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 22 comments

We're from London - done a few weekend trip to Ireland and love the place. We were looking at doing a road trip around he South in the summer as a cheapish holiday, however the ferry is quite expensive, and it's about the same to fly and rent a car. North Scotland also looks beautiful, however either we fly and rent a car for the same expense, or we have to waste 2 days for driving up and back. How would a road trip around Wales compare in terms of beauty? I found the attached which looks very nice. Just want some nice scenery, small villages to stop in, a few basic landmarks to visit, nothing overly fancy. Thanks

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22 Comments

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SilyLavage@reddit

Wales has a wonderful coast, but it's not great for a coastal road trip. As a general rule the major roads don't hug the coast *that* closely, so it's often the case that you're near some spectacular views but can't see them from your car. What I would suggest is visiting either North or South Wales, picking a base or two, and then doing day trips from it which may well incorporate some scenic drives. If you base yourself in central Eryri (Snowdonia), for example, you'll have plenty of options for drives over the high mountain passes. You'll also be able to see far more if you're able and willing to hike; Anglesey, for example, has a truly spectacular coastline which is served by a good [coastal path](https://www.walkthewalescoastpath.co.uk/wcp-sections/the-wales-coast-path-interactive-map/wales-coast-path-the-anglesey-coast-path/).

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AliensOverMaracana@reddit

Hi! We got a cottage in Pembrokeshire for a few weeks this Summer. Do you think it's too far away for some day trips up North?

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SilyLavage@reddit

Yes, honestly. The drive from Pembrokeshire to Harlech in North Wales is over three hours, and that's quite a southerly part of North Wales. I would, however, encourage you to visit the area around Cardigan and to venture east into Carmarthenshire and maybe even the Gower peninsula. There's beautiful scenery and interesting historic sites in both directions.

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AliensOverMaracana@reddit

Ah, thanks a lot! Might need to get one night stay further up North. I really appreciate the sights you recommended. Excited to see Wales!

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SilyLavage@reddit

Yeah, spending a night or two somewhere like Porthmadog will give you a good base to see sights like Portmeirion, Harlech Castle, Criccieth Castle, and Beddgelert. You'll be glad of not having to drive back south at the end of the day, too!

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JoeDaStudd@reddit

Wales is closer to the south west coast of Scotland then the Highlands and islands. It definitely has some beautiful scenery and good wildlife (one oft he best places to see dolphins and whales in the UK is Cardigan bay).\ It's definitely not as isolated, but if your used to London then some places can be eerily quiet.

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AliensOverMaracana@reddit

Just read your comment, and I'm using the phrase "eerily quiet" as the selling point when pitching it to my gf. :)) Thanks!

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tmstms@reddit

Yes. I would say N Wales and S Wales are separate trips, though. Betws-y-Coed- Harlech- Portmeirion- Llyn Ogwen- Snowdon- Beddgelert-Caernarfon -Conwy- Beaumaris and Brecon- Black Mountains- Gower Peninsula- S Pembroke coast- St David's

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Stamly2@reddit

Yes, just avoid the extreme bottom-left bit and it's mostly lovely.

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Albert_Herring@reddit

Except you're missing out on the whole coast of Cardigan Bay there.

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SilyLavage@reddit

You can't do everything in a single trip.

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Papaya-Extract@reddit

This is the correct answer.

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Flibertygibbert@reddit

Don't miss Rhossili. Breathtaking in every sense of the word.

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jarvis-cocker@reddit

I did a road trip round the coast from Cardiff to Liverpool last summer. Highly recommend. The coast is beautiful as is Snowdonia.

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Cyanopicacooki@reddit

Yes. It's got just about everything, and in a much shorter journey the Scotland (and I live in Scotland and big it up as much as possible). From the coastal beauty of Mumbles, the history of the Valleys, to the grandeur of the hills in the Park I can't spell, Wales has just about everything. And male voice choirs, as a bonus(?)

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ChanceStunning8314@reddit

Look you. :-) I’m in Scotland too and also big it up. However I have a huge soft spot for mid wales. In fact the border (Montgomery) and west - Llanidloes, Rhayader, Machynlleth, Aberdyfi, Dolgellau, even Barmouth. Hasn’t got the density of Brummies like Pembrokeshire, (I’m a Brummie that used to have a caravan in Tenby so I can say that), nor the packed roads around Snowdonia (these days). Bizarrely of course because of the geography and road infrastructure, neither north or south wales is easily connected, so a traverse of mid wales is easy to include.

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MrNippyNippy@reddit

Unless you’ve a load of time the drive from the south of England to Scotland is horrid and shit - both the M6 and A1 are crap. If you’ve got the time Edinburgh is nice enough but it’s nothing special - it’s just another fairly old city. Definitely worth a visit if you like old cities but hardly unique. Same with Glasgow. Certainly sounds like Wales is a better idea for you this time.

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pickle_party_247@reddit

There's a lot of stunning scenery in North Wales which that map fails to cover- The most striking part of Wales I've driven through is the A470 driving up from Betws-y-Coed to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Genuinely incredible scenery and we were lucky enough to go through a partial cloud inversion which further added to it. The A4609 black mountain pass in Brecon is also supposed to be mega.

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ThePolymath1993@reddit

If you like small villages and nice scenery in Wales you don't necessarily need to stick to the coast. The Valleys can be quite picturesque too. That said my wife is originally from Cardigan. Cardigan Bay is gorgeous.

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AerodynamicHandshake@reddit

Not as dramatic as northern Scotland but certainly stunning in its own right.

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bangkokali@reddit

I wouldn't say 2 days drive are a waste. We drove from South London to Oakney in about 3 days with stop overs in Edinburgh and Inverness . Lovely to see the other parts of Scotland

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