Best driving roads in Wales.

Trev Latter

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As the title says really.

I'm off to Wales week after next for a spot of touring around with Toni. We're starting off staying near Betws-y-coed for a few days, then heading down to Tal-y-llyn for a few days and finally just north of Barry before driving home. Any must do's or don't go near's would be appreciated.

Ta muchly.
 

dickygrace

www.richardgracecars.co.uk
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The roads round Betws, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Porthmadog are great roads. You'll have an ace time.
 

Trev Latter

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1,213
Thanks Dicky. Haven't been over that way for years, so have forgotten more than I knew in the first place. Most of the driving will be edging more towards sedate rather than spirited, but I'm sure I'll get tempt my foot down a bit at some point.
 

RobinL

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Llandegla Moors for sure. Shame I am away on holiday as I live in Llandudno. My wife a runs a B&B, Abbey House in Llandudno. Anyone looking to stay (we only do 2 nights or more) look us up on t'interweb, drop a pm and we will do 10% discount for Forum Members. We have good off road parking!

Sent from my XT1635-02 using Tapatalk
 

Andyk

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Make sure you stay north of Barry and go to Barry......Barry is a sh1t hole...Don't believe what you see on Gavin and Stacey.......
 

Team GCR

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You should have a great time. Make sure you explore the Llŷn Peninsula it is beautiful and visit Aberdaron at the tip, beautiful old fishing village and now very foodie great seafood etc.,.. then just outside go to Porth Oer Beach (Whistling Sands) which is a National Trust beach and just stunning - it was a toss up between the house there (Carreg Plas) and the one I am buying in Llan, Aberdaron was the better location but the other is a much nicer house with a stunning view etc.,..

Llandudno as mentioned is well worth a visit, try the cable car up the Great Orme and from a driving point of view it is well worth paying the toll to drive the toll road round the bottom of the Great Orme.

In Snowdonia, Beddgelert is very pretty and worth a visit and the roads around there are stunning.

The area around Tal-y-llyn is lovely. Head out to the historic deserted leadmine village of Dylife the countryside round there is breathtaking and you can stop off at Y Star Inn there which is the highest pub in Wales. (This will hopefully become my 'local'!). Shame I haven't moved yet as I hope to be in Llan just outside Llanbrynmair soon and you would have been most welcome to come and stay.

As you go further south make sure you visit and preferably stay in Llandeilo (another place I considered living) it is a pretty market town and probably the 'chicest' town in Wales. Again the countryside around there is stunning with more great driving roads heading out to Camerthenshire or the Brecon Beacons in the other direction.

HTH
 

Felonious Crud

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There's a "best driving roads" piece in the Sunday Times today, Trev:

Black Mountain Pass, Wales
Best for Empty roads
Distance 20.5 miles
Time to go Daybreak, as the sun hits the mountains

Jeremy Clarkson has proved that if you rise in the early hours in London, you can reach the Black Mountain Pass by daybreak. In his case, it was the perfect stretch on which to let a growly Mercedes CLK 63 AMG Black Series off the leash in an episode of Top Gear. The Sunday Times retraced his tyre tracks and found you can have fun there even in an estate car. This section of road is like a rollercoaster ride on tarmac. Visit it on a weekday and you’ll be able to count on one hand how many cars you pass; the only delays here are caused by sheep. Cutting across the Brecon Beacons, the route passes through Lower and Upper Brynamman, climbs to 1,600ft and then drops down to Llandovery, with more twists and turns than an aerobatic display team. It’s the perfect antidote for city folk who have spent too long at their desks.
 

Trev Latter

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1,213
Got that, thanks. I need to pay another visit to Scotland. We had a wonderful time up there and plan top go back at some point and head a bit further North than last time. I've never really toured much of the UK, having spent a lot of my life living in Kent and being fairly close to channel crossings, have headed for Europe more often than not if driving.
 

Felonious Crud

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We're guilty of the same sin - scarpering to Europe instead of exploring the beautiful island we're already on.
 

Team GCR

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I would also recommend Ireland, we had a fabulous 10 days touring there last year, stunning roads and scenery - one of the best trips I have done in recent years.
 

Trev Latter

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1,213
Indeed it is. I have friends that live in Castle Gregory and Belfast, so have had "guided" tours of both North and South. The West coast/ Ring of Kerry is stunning. If only I hadn't drunk so much Guinness, I may have been able to remember more about it.
 

Navcorr

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We're guilty of the same sin - scarpering to Europe instead of exploring the beautiful island we're already on.

This may have something to do with the weather. Obviously it is always glorious sunshine in Scotland but when I go to Wales & Ireland it pi**es down :smile:
 

safrane

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Despite living just 10mins from Wales I have inly been twice in the last 11 years... too many bad memories of work related visits put me off. However;

My second visit just two weeks ago was to my friends new farm just outside of Monmouth. I have to say the roads were super smooth and quiet... the former being a prerequisite for having the GS in sports mode.

Apparently its a bikers paradise which suits my friends as his commute is to Usk along the same roads each day.

Oh and Chris Harris lives down the road from them and passes with lots of nice cars including his new F 550.