a week to Wales: What to see & do & where to drive? Tips pls

[Black Betty]

We are planning on going to Wales next year for a week. We are a group of 4 Porsche enthousiasts that go every year on a week long trip abroad. We already did the NC500 last year, and we went to the Mille Miglia. It's a nice collection of cars also: I have a Cyclam red 944 S2, one friend has an Oak Green 968 CS, the third one has a 993 4S and the last one has a Silver 987 Boxster S...

Next year (2020) we are planning to visit Wales.

We are now (already) making plans and we want to make daily trips of appr. 150 miles.

We've never been to Wales so it will be a whole new experience for us, so that's why I would like to get some tips from you guys, what to see, what to do and -of course- where to drive...

The plan is to take the ferry on friday (evening) to Hull and then drive on Saturday to Wales. So our 'first day trip' into Wales will be on Sunday. We will have the ferry back to Holland on Sunday the week after...

So here are my questions:

- What do we absolutely have to visit in Wales?
- What (car related) things are there to do and visit?
- Do you have Hotel tips?
- Are there routes/trips available in GPX?
- What trips would you recommend?
- Are there things we should arrange beforehand?

Thank you already for your tips!

[Tosh]

If you need adrenaline, take the zipwires at Zipworld https://www.zipworld.co.uk/

[Timo]

My only bit of advise would be to watch out for the speed cameras, they are literally everywhere but in my experience North Wales is the worst, main routes back to England on a Sunday are particularly targeted so it would seem!

[911hillclimber]

Timo is dead right, little opportunity to open (any) car up esp the weekends.
Little car related stuff in Wales, some steam train stuff and the Zip-Wire experience is ledgendary.

Port Merrion is quaint (north), Anglesey race trace very very good, might be on for the Sunday you are there?
Snowdonia is scenic but many others like to see it too...

There are some open fast single track good visibility roads used by many magazines for sideways-action shots in the north, Gary71 is the expert on the area.

Moggie, who does electric conversions, is to hand too, could be a nice visit.

Hotels can be a lottery, cheap ones in Pubs are plentiful, nice big ones few and far between. I've never found a cheap one!

There is a hill climb at Epynt in the Brecon Beacons which is really good if on at the time.

Way south is Pendine Sands which has the Hot Rod drag races on the sand, a real treat of a day.

Hope this helps a bit.
Graham.

[BILLY BEAN]

I have used Milebrook House a great deal over the last 30 years:
Milebrookhouse.co.uk
It is on the Powys (Wales) / Shropshire border. A relaxed and informal hotel with good food. Enough parking. The hotel is roughly equidistant between north and south Wales.

[anglophone1]

Make it coincide with a Bicester Scramble and go there on way to/from Wales.
Gary 71 knows all the best roads- but not sure whether they will fill a weeek.
As well as Anglesey - Oulton Park is very close- maybe something going on there.
C

[Sam]

The abandoned mental hospital at Talgarth. Proper eerie.

[911hillclimber]

Just on the Welsh/UK border you can find the Loton Park hill climb, www.hdlcc.com , close to Shrewsbury and many other (non car) related sights.

You don't have enough 'weekend' to cover all this lot!

[yoda]

Wales is great fun and there is plenty to do if you have a week.

Car related - Anglesey or Pembrey Circuit for a trackday. Visit Richard Morgan (Moggy on here) at Electric Classic Cars. Lots of good roads that can be driven and enjoyed. Stick to the speed limits through town, be extra careful on weekends and don’t speed on the Evo triangle and you will be fine. Some good roads - B4501, B4391, A4069, A4061, B4518, A4086 are all worth a look.

Non car related - Bike Park Wales if you like mountain biking, Zip World experience and Surf Snowdonia in North Wales. Hike up Snowdonia or the surrounding areas. Visit the West Wales coastline for beaches and walks.

Hotels / Food - Llangoed Hall, Felin Fach Griffin, Griffaes Hotel, Tyddan Llan, Groes Inn.

Most things are better to be booked but essential during school holiday periods.

Have fun.

[Ashley James]

Abergwesyn Common and the Devils Steps.

[Black Betty]

Thanks for the tips so far! Greatly appreciated...

Is there -except Scotland- another great countryside in the UK where it's really fun to drive?
Is Wales not as much fun to drive as I imagine?

[hot66]

North Yorkshire Dales / County Durham / Northumberland .. some amazing roads & IMHO better than Wales ( but that is just opinion ) .. also for the tourist stuff you can drop into the Lake District ( but roads there can be stunning from a location point of view but terrible to drive due to tourists etc .. still worth a visit though )

eg
https://www.pistonheads.com/news/genera ... ines/39798

https://www.pistonheads.com/features/ph ... rive/30293

[DustyM]

Is Wales not as much fun to drive as I imagine?

Wales is great fun with some stunning scenery but you need to keep off the main routes and preferably do you driving during the week, weekends can be busy on the main routes.

[Ashley James]

Is Wales not as much fun to drive as I imagine?

Wales is great fun with some stunning scenery but you need to keep off the main routes and preferably do you driving during the week, weekends can be busy on the main routes.

Good advice that applies everywhere. The Elan Valley roads are well worth exploring and best in an open top car that drives well. You won’t go terribly fast, but you will really enjoy yourselves.

If you can want to drive fast contact Classics on the road and book one of their tours. Five star hotels and very fast guides who know where to take you. It’s about £3000 a week but really worth it for the way they look after you.

[dean1057]

Take the A5 from Tregarth to Betwsy coed, stunning scenery along that road, keep heading south past Lake Bala and you have the below lake too.
https://www.lakevyrnwy.com/ also the slate mines and Zip world around that area too.
Don't forget Anglesey, worth calling to see if there is anything going on at the track.
Plenty to see and do around North Wales.
Enjoy!!