So far plan to arrive in Cardiff spend 2 nights then Swansea and on to Brecon then S Newport for April 8 & 9..worrying about Good Friday and Easter and Easter Monday holidays impacting travel plans open attractions etc..
Plans also include Aberdovey, Bangor and Snowdonia.
We plan on public transportation with senior passes for rail. Trying to figure out transport between Brecon and Newport or alternatively north instead.
The two bank Holidays won't affect visitor attractions opening hours, and trains run to a normal timetable on those days. However that weekend is a good time to do engineering work, which can result in rail replacement buses running over part routes. They may not yet be in journey planners. I know it "should" be 12 weeks ahead, but that deadline has not been adhered to since 2020- so just keep checking.
Bus replacements usually result in extended journey times.
What will be affected is buses (which you need to use for Brecon and Snowdonia)- they run to a Sunday timetable on Bank Holidays.
For the Brecon Beacons and other long distance buses see the Traws Cymru network.
https://traws.cymru/en
From Newport to Brecon you would either go to Cardiff for the bus to Brecon, or Abergavenny or Hereford by train for buses to Brecon.
You may well find that an Explore Wales is your best travel option- covers all trains in Wales and many buses-
https://tfw.wales/ways-to-travel/rail/ticket-types/rovers-and-rangers/explore-wales
4 days in 8 for £65.35 Senior Railcard, or £16.50 each day.
No point in going back to Newport - which is a dump. So, you arrive in Cardiff and see the castle and perhaps go out to St.Fagans Castle & Museum on Cardiff Bus 32. You may also like to take a local train for the short journey N to see Caerphilly Castle. If doing that, on the return, you may like to get off at the first stop after the tunnel (Lisvane) - cross the footbridge and exit the car park - turn L & R into Cefn-Onn-Park = lovely park in temperate woodland. Then resume journey S to Cardiff. Castell Coch is also worth seeing in north Cardiff - use bus to Tongwynlais & 20 minute uphill hike on road.
Use train to Swansea - city in not attractive but has nice location on Bay. What is attractive is the Gower peninsula to the west. Suggest you use Adventure travel local bus to Rhossilli at SW tip of peninsula. https://www.adventuretravel.cymru/
Next, you want to head north - presumably to Aberdovey. You could go by direct train from Swansea to Shrewsbury (via Cardiff, Newport & Abergavenny). At Shrewsbury, you change for a train to Aberdovey. However, there is another way of doing it by train which is cheaper. You take the Heart of Wales train from Swansea to Shrewsbury. This slow train takes about 25 minutes than the longer but faster route via Abergavenny. The Heart of Wales train will be an old (usually single coach) diesel but does go through lovely countryside. https://www.heart-of-wales.co.uk
Another way of doing it is by bus. You need T6 Swansea to Brecon and then you could do it by T4 from Brecon to Newtown where you get the train going to Aberdovey. OR use T14 Brecon to Hereford where you pick up a train going to Shrewsbury OR X43 bus from Brecon to Abergavenny to pick up a train going to Shrewsbury. Don't expect luxury buses on these routes.
Another way of getting from Swansea to Aberdovey is a westerly route. Train from Swansea to Carmarthen - then T1 bus to Aberystwyth - then train or bus to Machynlleth where you change to another train or bus for the short journey to Aberdovey - which might be spelt the Welsh way = Aberdyfi. Buses crossing Wales =https://traws.cymru/en/services
This site should tell you how to get from a to b in Wales:> https://www.traveline.cymru/#
Not a good idea to travel over Easter as engineering work may close rail lines and many things shut down. Even Garden Centres are not open on Easter Sunday even though it is the main planting season.
On Easter Day itself all stores, except local neigbourhood ones under 280 square metres in size, legally have to be closed, due to it being a major Christian festival.
The exceptions being at airports, railway stations, service stations and farm shops.
So a bit of an update on planning.
We will stay 2 days in Brecon then go to Abergavenny for a day then to Shrewsbury (Skipping Newport, seems that the transportation will work better that way).
From Shrewsbury we will take the train to Aberdovey, and then go north along the coast and hopefuly stay on the peninsula near Pwlheli. Any suggestions?
That seems to be OK. If you want to climb to the top of the Brecon Beacons, you will need the bus (Stagecoach T4) going south and get off at the highest point on the road at Storey Arms - tell the driver on boarding to tip you off where to get off. The main path starts just south of the bus stop on the east side of the road - so walk downhill a bit first. It takes about 1 hour 15 minutes of steady climbing to reach the summits - no rock climbing involved - but only do it in good weather. Be sure to know the bus schedules back.
When you go by bus from Brecon to Abergavenny, you might wish allow time to walk around the town before walking to the rail station - which is a good 15 minutes away on the SE side of town. I don’t know if you are staying in Shrewsbury or not but the town is worth a look if you have time. https://originalshrewsbury.co.uk
If you are on a through train from Shrewsbury to Aberdovey, they will split the train at Machynlleth with one half going south to Aberystwyth - be sure to be on the part going north. If it is not a through train, you will need to change trains at Machynlleth.
Aberdovey is a lovely coastal town but beware of strong tidal currents in the sea. If you want something to do - go to nearby Tywyn and take the > https://www.talyllyn.co.uk
Pwllheli has a lovely location but when I visited about 7 years ago thought it was rather a miserable place. I think you would be better off in Porthmadog which although whilst not a particularly scenic town is a much better transport hub. It is on the Cambrian Coast Railway and has bus services going off in different directions. It is also a short distance form Portmeirion - which is we’ll worth seeing. Porthmadog is also the home of 2 narrow gauge scenic railways > https://www.festrail.co.uk
The Ffestiniog line could be used when you leave Snowdonia to reach the ’normal railway’ going north to Llandudno.
The Premier Inn at Porthmadog is right by the narrow gauge railway station but the normal rail station is about a 13 minute walk away at the other end of town.
Thanks James
We are not likely to do more than dip our toes in the water at any of the beaches. (Spoiled by really warm water after multiple years in South Florida.)
We are planning for an overnight in Abergavney and again in Shrewsbury.
O gosh train separation ...could be an issue for us we ended up lost in Poland when we were in the wrong section of a train that split..
We would enjoy the scenic railroads and plan to take the Ffestiniog line to meet up with more mainline railroad and go to Holyhead.
I am continuing to work on plans, any recommendations for Snowdonia for lodging close to public transportation?
Just curious - does anyone know of any ukulele events in Wales within our timeframe April 4 - 19?
Don't worry about the train divide. It is always the back 2 coaches of the 4 coach train which continue north. When you board the train at Shrewsbury it will have come from Birmingham and reverses direction at Shrewsbury. So you board the front 2 coaches as it arrives, as those are the back two going out.
The doors have paper labels in them (or had)- brand new trains are being introduced which may have electronic displays. When the Conductor checks your tickets after departure s/he will ensure you are in the right section.
As a final check, if all else fails, the train divides at Machynlleth (the 4th station, 1 hour 15 minutes, after Shrewsbury) with lots of announcements. The next station is Dovey Junction. At Dovey, if the platform is on the right hand side of the train you are on the (wrong) Aberystwyth section. Get off and cross over the platform to the other side- your (Pwllhelli) section will be 4 or 5 minutes behind.
EDIT- I have now seen the new Class 197 sets today. They do not have electronic displays on the doors, so paper labelling will continue.
You asked about accommodation in Snowdonia close to public transportation. If staying in Porthmadog, the Premier Inn would be suitable. It is right be the narrow gauge steam railway station and if you look on the map on the link, the red interlocked arrows show the position of the station for the normal trains. Between the two, you will also find bus stops.https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/wales/gwynedd/porthmadog/porthmadog.html
One of the best ways I use to find accommodation and distance from say a rail station - is Google Maps. So, for example, in Aberdovey the following show up not far east of the rail station:> Awel Y More B&B; Fron Haul: Seabreeze; Dovey Inn. Then check reviews and prices / availability. I have not stayed in any of the places I mention.
In the Conwy area of north Wales, you will find a bigger choice of hotels in nearby Llandudno. The Quay Hotel at Deganwy is near Deganwy rail station (request stop - as is Conwy) and has bus stops nearby. This is an upmarket hotel with views across the estuary to Conwy. To get to Bodnant Gardens, you need Arriva Bus 25.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/bodnant-garden
In Cardiff, the Marriott is about 8 minutes walk from the Central Station and is right by the main shopping area. The Castle is about a 10 minute walk N and the National Museum of Wales about a 15 minute walk. Buses to the Bay (really a harbour) are found in next street west - the Cardiff Bus 6 loops around the city centre anti clockwise. You can also reach the Bay by ferry from the landing pier in Bute Park - which is west of the castle. Try and visit Bute Park because in early April, you will find masses of Magnolias in flower on the west side of the castle wall. Entrance to Bute Park can be found by walking the street outside the castle passing the tower on your right. Cardiff Bus 32 for St.Fagans is in Westgate Street (stadium side).
Also consider the Premier Inn on Churchill Way in central Cardiff. If going to this one, buy a train ticket to Cardiff Queen Street station from where it is a 6 minute walk - but still only about a 15 minute flat walk from the Central station. (Trains to Queen Street depart from Platform 6 at Central every few minutes).
https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/wales/glamorgan/cardiff/cardiff-city-centre-queen-street.html
