Wales, from the Brecon Beacons to the Snowdonia Passes

Wales is often treated as a single destination and it is really three. The south, around Cardiff and the Beacons, is easily reached from Bristol or London and makes a very good long day. The north, Snowdonia and the castle coast, is a different country in feel and needs its own time. The west, Pembrokeshire and the Gower, is the quietest and the one people are most surprised by.

A Beacons day from Cardiff or Bristol is the simplest introduction. You climb out of the valleys into open moorland within the hour, and the road over to Brecon and on to Hay-on-Wye — a small border town with more second-hand bookshops than seems plausible — is one of the pleasant drives of Britain. Lunch at a hill farm inn, a waterfall walk in the afternoon, and back before dark.

Snowdonia asks for longer. The Llanberis Pass, Nant Gwynant and the road down to Beddgelert are as good as mountain driving gets in Britain, and the Edwardian castles at Conwy, Caernarfon and Harlech ring the coast around them. The narrow-gauge railways still run. If you are coming from the north-west of England, Snowdonia is closer than you would expect and makes an excellent two-day escape.

Roads here are the reason to think about the vehicle. Much of rural Wales is single carriageway, frequently single track, often steep and wet. A Range Rover or a comparable SUV is the sensible choice, particularly outside summer. Journey times are longer than the map suggests, and we will always quote you a realistic day rather than an optimistic one.

As ever, we provide the car and the chauffeur. Your chauffeur is a professional driver rather than a licensed guide and does not deliver commentary. Castle admission, hotels and railway tickets are arranged by you, and we will build the driving around them. If you would like a qualified guide to travel with you, we are glad to arrange that on request.