Wales Holiday Visitor Travel Guide

About Wales

Wales is part of the United Kingdom, bordering England to the east, and the Irish Sea and Atlantic Ocean to the west. Wales is a land of contrasts, from secluded mountain valleys to busy vibrant cities. Wales is famous for its beautiful countryside, 750 miles of picturesque coastline, 641 castles, ex-coal mining industry and wonderful food and drink. Wales fits the bill on all accounts for being the perfect holiday destination, with stunning coastline, castles and countryside giving it a great combination of historic and natural treasures. The propular Northern part of Wales is just two and a half hours by rail from most major British cities and is not too expensive. The top right image is of the beautiful Snowdon scenery in North Wales in all its glory during the winter months. The bottom right image is of the stunning coastline (Stac Rock Cliffs) that await you in South Wales. Both North and South Wales has a lot to offer visitors from the stunning, rugged coastlines though to the many remarkable medieval castles. There is so much to see and do for all ages you will be spoilt for choice. If your family enjoys outdoor activities you can choose from water sports such as kayaking and sailing through to hiking, horse riding and biking. There are also plenty of learning opportunities with many historic sites, museums and activity centres.

County Visitor Guide's

We have compiled a comprehensive visitor travel guide for each county in Wales. The county visitor guide includes information about the county including attractions, history, heritage sites, golf courses and more. Anglesey Visitor Guide Cardiganshire Visitor Guide Carmarthenshire Visitor Guide Conwy Visitor Guide Denbighshire Visitor Guide Flintshire Visitor Guide Glamorgan Visitor Guide Gwynedd Visitor Guide Monmouthshire Visitor Guide Pembrokeshire Visitor Guide Powys Visitor Guide Wrexham Visitor Guide

Travelling to and within Wales

Airports The main international airport is Cardiff International. There are flights into Cardiff from Europe, several airports in England, Scotland, Ireland, Middle East, North Africa and Caribbean destinations. Ferry All direct ferry crossings to Wales are from Ireland. Dublin and Dun Laoghaire to Holyhead - 1½ to 3¼ hours Rosslare to Pembroke Dock - 4 hours approx. Rosslare to Fishguard - 2 to 3½ hours Cork to Swansea - 10 hours approx. If travelling from Europe you can get one of the many ferries travelling to England and drive to Wales. See the England travel guide page for information of ferries to England. Getting Around Travelling by car is a great way to see Wales, most of the roads offer very good driving conditions. Wales has many picturesque lanes that can be a great way to see the rural areas. A great way for tourists to get around Wales is with a Flexipass. One ticket gives you unlimited access to all of the mainline train services and most bus services. Added bonus for visitors is that the pass includes discounted admission to many of the biggest tourist attractions in Wales. Most of Wales has bus service coverage; the main operators are Arriva Cymru, First Cymru and Stagecoach.

Wales Facts and Useful Information

Population: 3 million Currency: Pound Sterling (GBP) £ Symbol Capital: Cardiff Electrical Plugs: 240V 50Hz Languages: Welsh, English Time Zones: GMT/UTC 0 Country Dialing Code: +44 Welsh Public Holidays January 1st (New Years Day) March 21st (Good Friday) March 24th (Easter Monday) May 5th (May Bank Holiday) May 26th (Spring Bank Holiday) August 25th (Summer Bank Holiday) December 25th (Christmas Day) December 26th (Boxing Day)

Wales Most Popular Tourist Attactions

Raglan Castle - 8 miles to the west of Abergavenny Visit the imposing Raglan Castle. Originally Norman, but extensively renovated in the 15th century, it is the last surviving medieval fortress in Wales. Talyllyn Railroad - Abergynolwyn Talyllyn Railroad from Tywyn, which is claimed to be Wales's oldest narrow-gauge line opened in 1865. Brecon Beacons National Park The Brecon Beacons are one of the most beautiful parts of Wales. Caernarfon Castle The castle has 13 towers and two making one of Europes most impressive and well preserved medieval fortresses. National Slate Museum - Gilfach Ddu The workshops of the National Slate Museum in Gilfach Ddu were built in the 19th century for the slate quarry of Dinorwic, which when built was the largest in the World. Nelson Museum - Monmouth The museum in Priory Street stages a special exhibition dedicated to Lord Nelson, displays of weapons (his sword), pictures and love letters to Lady Hamilton. Snowdon Mountain Railway By far the easiest and most relaxing method of ascending Snowdon from Llanberis is provided by the snowdon mountain railway. It steams up to the summit of Snowdon at a speed of 5miles (8km) an hour. The Valleys of South Wales Spectacular lakes, forests, open hillsides and green mountains dotted with coal mining heritage sites. The valleys are also home to attractions like Caerphilly Castle and Blaenavon World Heritage Site. Gower Peninsula - Swansea The Welsh south coast is classified as an area of outstanding natural beauty and is a nature reserve. Only accessible by foot apart from the towns and villages. The Gower Peninsula has many famous spectacular beaches including broughton bay, caswell bay, rhossili bay and langland bay.

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