Wales & cost saving measures

Wales is pretty small so you won’t need to fill up more than once or twice. Fuel prices have increased 20p a liter since the beginning of the war, equating to about $1 a gallon. Not knowing where you’re picking up and dropping off the rental car, fuel probably wouldn’t add even an extra £75 to the trip cost. Fuels prices are pretty much the same with little variation no matter where you fill up.

We bought the CADW annual pass. To determine if it would make financial sense for you figure out which CADW sites you’d be visiting and the total entry fee costs. Entrance fees for each site are on the CADW website. A number of CADW sites have no admission fee.

https://cadw.gov.wales/

www.cadw.gov.wales will answer some of your questions. The CADW Explorer Pass is the most flexible for your time-frame. We are also from the PNW and the Castles are the reason most people visit Wales. You will be sad if you don't take advantage of this. Castles are in scenic areas with plenty of hiking built-in. There are a few coastal trails, one includes a boat across an inlet. Most lodging does include breakfast or has a buffet available. Llangolin is a charming town and has lots of amenities. There are casual eateries in most places. We also bought picnic stuff for lunch. Pub food menues are sometimes posted at the door. Hotel dining is often open to non-residents also. You'll run into a lot of like minded outdoors people in Wales.

Prices for fuel do tend to be a little higher in rural areas than urban areas in the UK. Probably not enough to have a significant impact on the overall cost of a trip covering reasonable mileages. Prices at motorway services (freeway rest stops?) are significantly higher than in town, but I'd guess that's probably a universal truth wherever you go to some degree.

Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. It's definitely making me a feel better about pricing. I will definitely ask my student to look into the castles. We will research the recommended CADW and get some sites mapped out.

I've bought some tasty main-course salads at UK supermarkets, though not specifically in Wales.

Supermarkets with fuel are the cheapest places to fill up the car and services on motorways (interstates) the most expensive.

A lovely drive from Llangollen is to head south westward via Bala all the way to Barmouth on the west coast. Then go N up the coast and be sure to go through Harlech to see the castle (CADW). Then drive the short distance to see the Italianate village of Portmeirion before heading back to Llangollen via a more northerly route to Bala.

I take it that you know about the Pontcysyltte Aqueduct just east of Llangollen.

When traveling south to Brecon, suggest you call in at Powis Castle - just west of Welshpool. Note that this is National Trust - not CADW.

When in Brecon it is possible to drive to Blaenavon to visit Big Pit - which being part of the Museum service is FREE. Especially good if the weather is bad.

South westward from Brecon - https://www.showcaves.co.uk is also worth a visit.

If you are going to go hiking up any mountains - such as Pen-Y-Fan (Brecon Beacons) - make sure you have suitable footwear & clothing. Note that on the mountains there is no cover so heat / sun burn could be a problem. If weather is hot, consider Waterfall Country with hikes through wooded valleys in the Pontneddfechan area of the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Consider lodgings where breakfast is included. While included breakfasts are mostly continental style, there are generally breads, juices, coffee, yogurt, and maybe cereals.