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Trip Report
Wales Travel Itinerary. Liverpool to Betws y Coed Conwy.
We flew to Liverpool and drove a rental to Wales. We chose Betws y Coed for our base and did some hiking trips from there.
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Highs & Lows
We had fantastic weather and a very good visibility while hiking Snowdondonia National Park
Snowdon Mountain Railway cancelled our ride due to technical failure
Itinerary Overview
Betws-y-Coed Betws-y-Coed is an excellent base to explore North Wales and a good starting points for hikes in Snowdonia National Park.
6+We rented a car in Liverpool and drove to Wales straight from the airport. There are plenty of interesting places you can visit on the way from England to north Wales. Here are a few ideas:
- Flint Castle - castle ruins in a picturesque area, great place for an outdoor picnic/lunch
- Conwy Castle - 13th century fortress that you can see from the outside but also go inside
- LLandudno Pier - Victorian pier with plenty of restaurant options and small shops nearby
- Bodnant Garden - 80-acre botanical garden with well-maintained paths suitable for walks. You can explore a variety of different gardens and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere.
On our next day in Wales, we drove to Llanberis for our train trip to the top of Mount Snowdon. We booked the tickets for Snowdon Mount Railaway three months in advance as they tend to sell out especially on weekends. Sadly, upon arrival we were informed that our ride has been cancelled due to a mechanical issue and we were offered a refund or a possibility to reschedule the ride from Saturday to Monday. We were not going to be in Wales on Monday, so we didn't end up taking the ride after all.
Instead we opted for some small hikes in the area as we were not prepared to hike to the top of Mount Snowdon that day (though it's totally doable and if only your fitness level allows that, I recommend to explore that option). That day we hiked to Dolbadarn Castle, Llyn Padarn and Llanberis View Point, Ceilog Maw and Dinorwig Slate Quarry. All hikes are well marked and suitced for people with different fitness levels including some very easy ones. Related: Favorite Hikes in Europe
Liverpool We stayed in Liverpool for 1 night because there's an international airport that is close to North Wales
We only had one afternoon to explore Liverpool so we mainly focused on walking around the city center and exploring the area around The Liverpool Docks. It's a nice place with many restaurants, shops and local bars.
Q & A
Anything go wrong during the trip?
Snowdon Mountain Railway cancelled our ride to the top of Mt Snowdon last minute due to a technical failure. We were offered to get our tickets rebooked for 2 days later but unfortunately by then we were not going to be in Wales anymore.
Restaurant recommendations?
- Hangin Pizzeria - great place, gets busy so be prepared for a bit of a wait on weekends but serves delicious pizza!
- Y Stablau - elevated pub food. If you want to try some traditional food, that's the place to go to. Also possible to sit down and just grab a drink.
- Duke Street Food & Drink Market - nice place in the center of Liverpool with many restaurants and lots of food choice. You order via a QR code and your food is being delivered to your table.Packing tips?
Do check the weather before you go and prepare accordingly. We had amazing weather, very sunny and hot but evenings were surprisingly cold.
Lodging
Gorphwysfa House B & B - lovely little B&B in Betws-y-Coed
Maldron Hotel - centrally located, close to the Liverpool Docks