daytrip to Wales from London

[Meghan]

Hi everyone,
I need a little help figuring out a daytrip to Wales. I'm a student doing study abroad in London, so my time and finances are limited (otherwise, I would love to spend more time in Wales!), but the problem is I can't figure out how to actually plan out a trip for Wales. I'd really like to visit Snowdonia, but it seems fairly hard to do so without access to a car. Does anyone have any tips on how to plan this, or know of any tour companies/websites that offer daytrips?? Thanks!

[crystal]

;DHi Meghan

There are buses between London and North Wales but this would take -FOREVER - some journeys are down as 9hrs with stupid stops for up to 45mins . I think a better idea would be a train.

You could get a train from London Euston to Crewe and then change and head for Bangor or head for Blaenau Ffestiniog and Porthmadog using the Ffestiniog Railway.
try
www.nationalrail.co.uk/
for tickets, availablity and cost.
Once you are in Wales there will be local public transport available to get you where ever you are going.

www.snowdonia-wales.net/default.asp
for stuff to do and transport ect

I don't know of any tour companies but loads of people go to Snowdonia so they must be out there.

Good luck ;D

[LHR02]

Distance says that London to Wales...most anywhere in Wales but especially Snowdonia...is NOT a daytrip.

[Jules80]

i was thinking the same thing... just london to crewe has to be a good 2 hours...

[MuvverRussia]

Yeah, London to Snowdonia is impossible as a daytrip. London to Cardiff is just about doable (the train is 2hrs each way, from Paddington) though and could be worth doing.

Realistically any organised daytrip to Snowdonia from London just isn't worth doing. To really see the area you'll most probably need a couple of nights or so up there.

[mango]

Hi ya Meghan. A day return from London to Cardiff in South Wales is definitely doable. I make the journey (in the opposite direction) quite often.

There are attractions and things worth seeing in Cardiff but if it's scenery you're after, the Brecon Beacons National Park is not that far away, even taking into account the 2 hours 5 minutes it takes to get to Cardiff from Paddington.

So I guess you could get an early train out of London and in to Cardiff by around 10. You'd catch the bus to Brecon from the bus depot which is situated in front of the train station. If you want a coffee there is an excellent place for that just past the bus station, turn right and it's on your right next to a Boots Chemists. Anyrate you could be up in the Brecon Beacons before lunch. That would give you maybe 5 hours in Brecon to look around around before getting the bus back into Cardiff and an evening train back to Paddington

Train timetables www.nationalrail.co.uk/planmyjourney

Bus timetables for Cardiff-Brecon (route X43)
www.sixtysixty.co.uk/service.htm#service43

Info on Brecon Beacons: www.breconbeacons.org/

[Meghan]

Thanks so much for all your replies! Sorry I couldn't get back on the board sooner, but I was traveling for my school break and wasn't checking in on the internet for the past 2 weeks. I really want to go to Snowdonia, but I'm thinking I don't have time to spend 2 days there. I'm looking online now to book my train ticket to Cardiff for Saturday though! And now I have another excuse to come back to the UK later on... to see Snowdonia. Thanks again.

[ashleyg]

For those of you familiar with the area... I want to spend a couple days exploring Snowdonia - I'm a big hiker, but would also like time to relax and see the coast and such. Would Caernarfon be the best base, or do you have any other suggestions?