Exploring Carmarthenshire and Powys by bws?

The Powys Rover ticket is a brilliant ticket for how it extends deep into each of the surrounding counties, but there are also three area versions of it for £7 per day each- see these maps- which I also happen to think are excellent examples of schematics as well- https://lloydscoaches.com/daytickets/

If you scroll down the page you will also see about the West Wales Day Rover covering Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion for £8.50.

The X4 bus still runs from Cardiff to Merthyr hourly for £7.70- but there is also a £10 South Wales All Zones Day Rider ticket for £10 which covers a huge area- https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/ZoneMaps/South%20Wales/2025/StagecoachSW2433_ZONE_MAP_SOUTH_WALES-September.pdf, and a £10.50 Network Rider for all buses in the south east wales area, so covers both the X4 and the T4 from Cardiff to Brecon- https://tfw.wales/ways-to-travel/bus/network-rider

Thank you—very helpful indeed. I will confess I find the south and mid Wales buses very confusing! The Lloyds page is especially good.

Nonetheless I may skip exploring mid-Wales until next year with a car, and this time head north from Brecon or .

Right now I am stuck trying to figure out Brecon/Rhayadar to Dolgellau by bus (and train?) — not sure there is an “efficient” way.

I've traced the B57 timetable- the bus from Llandrindod Wells to the Elan Valley via Rhyader- https://www.traveline.cymru/uploads/OmniPDF/OWPDF__S_P_Cars-B57_-_Elan_Valley_-_Llandrindod_Wells-2/B57SPA2.pdf

So I think you could use the train to Llandrindod Wells then the X47 to Rhyader- https://celtictravel.wales/Bus-Times-Listing.aspx?ID=7tfw

The X47 back from Rhyader to Llandrindod Wells, then the T4 to Tregaron. Once you are at Tregaron you are on the T1 route for a good service north (to Aberystwyth, also the T21, 585 and 588 routes north) and south to Carmarthen.

Note the X47/X75 link to Aberystwyth for the T1 etc to Tregaron as another viable option.

I was tempted to suggest staying in Llandrindod Wells, but the morning X47 to B57 connection at Rhyader is a bit nail biting. I would like to think the B57 would wait for the connection if need be. I'm sure they would if you 'phoned them ahead of time.

So you could go from Cardiff to Brecon by bus X4/T4 all the way via Merthyr Tydfil, 2 nights Brecon, transfer to Llandrindod Wells/Rhyader for 2 nights on the T4 (or the X80 to Llandovery for the train to L Wells.) The T4 is an established service, the X80 is one of those new links which needs trade to survive.

Or the T5 from Brecon to Neath/Swansea for the train from Swansea to Llandrindod Wells.

Whatever then 2 nights in Tregaron.

Then use either Carmarthen or Aberystwyth as your railhead for your journey back home.

You can also go the (very) long way from Cardiff to Brecon by bus via either Abergavenny or even Hereford.

Thanks so much for taking the time to do this! Not only have you suggested routes, but this is in fact a very good example/tutorial of how to get through the timetables and routes.

Tregaron is now on the 2027 list, most likely, along with a leisurely exploration of Carmarthenshire by car. So Brecon northward this year.

And yes, when I was muddling through this, I saw a couple of connections that I would indeed characterize as nail biting. Glad to be assured that’s a sensible reaction, not just tourist nerves.

Thanks again!