Driving in Wales proved to be a unique adventure of its own. The country is small and there are very few main freeways. Instead there was a patchwork of tiny, narrow, curvy roads winding through the hilly countryside and through tiny towns and villages. We hadn’t driven on the left side since New Zealand, so it took a little getting used to. Despite the challenges though, driving was so much fun. Every road was beautiful and because of the low speed limits we were able to enjoy driving from one location to the next. The only problem we found was that many of the roads are lined with tall shrubs and walls, so it could be difficult to watch as the scenery went by.
Wrexham
Our first major introduction to Wales was through watching three seasons of Welcome to Wrexham. They do a great job teaching viewers about Wales, and it created a bit of a spark for us to go and see what the hype is all about. Our trip coincided with Wrexham’s home opener of the season, so we joined the fan club and tried to get tickets. Unfortunately because of the show, tickets are extremely hard to get. Our attempt failed, but we were happy to just visit the city and experience what it’s like to spend a game day in Wrexham.
Our visit to Wrexham got off to a shaky start. The hotel cancelled our reservation, but thankfully we were able to get a room at the hotel across from the stadium. Since we couldn’t get tickets to the game, our only option was to wander around and experience this working-class town from outside the stadium. The streets were very quiet and many of the shops and restaurants were closed. There was a certain sort of charm in the old stone buildings and historic downtown district. After getting some drinks, on our walk back to the hotel, the game had finished and we found ourselves walking against the crowd of Wrexham fans that flooded the streets. It was a fun experience, but hopefully next time we actually get to see a game!
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
On the day following our stay in Wrexham we had a long road trip planned through the northeast of Wales. We got up early and drove about twenty minutes out of town for our first stop of the day, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. This historic structure was completed in 1805 and is the longest aqueduct in Great Britain.
The hike to the aqueduct began in an empty carpark and led us along a nice wooded path. After a short time we began walking along the beautiful canal and passed under a few old stone bridges. It was fun to see the long boats docked for the night. There are some boats that you can rent and take for a day trip, or a multi-day adventure along the canals and over the aqueducts. That could be a fun adventure for another time.
The views from the top of the aqueduct were gorgeous. It was funny to see a warning sign prohibiting the use of stand-up paddleboards. Boats and canoes regularly cross this narrow channel of water, but since there are no guard rails, you can see how disasterous a slip and fall from a paddleboard could be.
We spent about 45 minutes walking across, taking pictures, and enjoying this wonderful spot, but had to rush out knowing that we had reservations at Conwy Castle and we didn’t want to be late.
Chester, England
Since we were driving through the far northeast corner of Wales, we took the opportunity to cross the border into England and visit one of its famously photogenic little towns, Chester. Being a Sunday, the town was completely dead. Nothing was open and the streets were nearly empty. That can be a good or a bad thing. In this case, it was nice to wander the streets and not have any crowds getting in the way. Since we had limited time, we were only there for a couple pictures and hopefully some breakfast.
Unfortunately all the restaurants were still closed. Even reliable Starbucks wasn’t open yet this early, so we walked back to the car and once again hit the road. Shortly after we exited the city center there was a little more activity, and we found an open Starbucks to quick stop at and have a muffin and some coffee. So far we were still on track to make it to Conwy Castle in time for our reservation.
Conwy Castle
The main stop on our day of road-tripping was Conwy Castle. After driving through some more countryside, we arrived at the town of Conwy and the approach was quite unique. To get over the Conwy River you must cross a triple bridge. One bridge is for cars, one for pedestrians, and one for trains. On the opposite side of the river, Conwy Castle looms over the bridge as if defending the town from the hordes of tourists that come here to crowd the narrow city streets and visit the castle.
Built in the 1280’s by Edward 1 during his conquest of Wales, Conwy Castle and the surrounding city walls commanded impressive views of the Conwy River and were in the perfect location to defend the interior of Wales.
Conwy Castle has to be one of the most fun castles to explore. We climbed each of the towers, explored the lower areas, and enjoyed the incredible views from every different angle. There is no set tour or path, so we were able to just wander around as we pleased and it didn’t seem like there were any areas that were off limits.
We had arrived when the castle first opened so there were no crowds, but more and more people began to show up so we did a final lap around the castle then headed down into town to look for some food.
The Smallest House in Great Britain
After visiting the castle, we took a stroll down the streets of Conwy in search of The Smallest House In Great Britain. Sitting directly across from the water, this tiny home was continuously occupied from the 16th century until 1900 when the owner was forced to move out because it proved to be unsanitary living. For a small fee we were able to go inside and experience how truly tiny this home is. I could reach across the entire width of the house, and couldn’t stand up straight. I can’t imagine living here, although the views across the river would be pretty nice!
Our final goal in Conwy was to find some good seafood, and we had success. We ordered crab, shrimp, and a sandwich which we ate while sitting and watching the bustling activity on the quay. We definitely enjoyed our short stop in Conwy, but we still had a busy day ahead so we had to get moving.
Betws-y-Coed
Betws-y-Coed is a tiny, fairytale-like village on the eastern end of Snowdonia. Built around a Celtic Christian monastery back in the 6th century, the village developed and eventually became an important railstop along the Conwy Valley line. Now it exists mainly as a tourist town and the gateway to Snowdonia, Wales’ largest attraction for outdoor enthusiasts.
This was the last stop on our long day of touring northeast Wales, and we were excited to visit thie picture-perfect village.
Our fast-paced travel style usually doesn’t allow time for us to slow down and enjoy the quieter parts of a country. While in Wales we wanted to take more time and experience a little more of the towns, people and customs. However, we get bored rather quickly in places where there isn’t much to do but eat and drink coffee. Betwys-y-Coed is exactly that kind of place, a scenic little village with very little to do but sit, eat, and enjoy the views.
However, we were extremely lucky because we happened to arrive at the meeting point of Minis In The Mountains 2025, an annual gathering of classic-only Minis. From this park in the center of Betws-y-Coed, this massive group of Minis from all around the UK would embark on a 25-mile scenic drive through the beautiful mountain roads of Snowdonia.
We arrived just in time for their departure and got to walk around and enjoy the colorful array of beautiful classic Minis. The exit to the park was bottlenecked, so while they sat there stuck in the mini traffic jam, we took some pictures and tried to find our favorites.
The idling cars filled the air with exhaust fumes and the buzzing sound of the tiny engines. We felt bad for the drivers who were stuck waiting for their turn to hit the open road. This would have been a great opportunity to ask for a ride along, but neither of us are the type who would approach a stranger like that, so we just enjoyed looking. We were so happy that our lucky timing brought us to this fun little event, and it gave us something to do while we were in Betws-y-Coed. Once the village had cleared of Minis, we got in our boring hatchback and drove to our hotel for an early night sleep. The following morning we would be climbing Snowdon, so we needed to get to bed as early as possible.
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
After hiking Snowdon we took a nice, long nap. The rest of the day we planned on road-tripping around the Isle of Anglesey at the northern tip of Wales. Our first stop was a town called Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. The name means “St. Mary's Church in the hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near the red cave.” and is the longest name in Europe. The only reason we stopped here was to see the sign and get some snacks before continuing on the road trip.
Trac Môn Anglesey Circuit
This remote racetrack in the north of Wales is one one of the UK’s most modern racing facilities. The unique location, between the Irish Sea and Snowdonia, provide a scenic backdrop for an exciting course that uses the natural landscape to shape its course.
We were behind schedule, so unfortuntely we weren’t able to do any ride-alongs on the open track weekend that was going on. We just drove up to the viewpoint and watched as the last of the day’s drivers were making their final rounds.
Traeth Llanddwyn
One of the things we were continually impressed by while driving around Wales was how beautiful and expansive the beaches were. After visiting the racetrack we drove south to this isolated stretch of pristine beach on the southeastern side of Anglesey. The original goal was to hike over to Llanddwyn Island, another tidal island with gorgeous views of a lighthouse.
At this point we were pretty exhausted from all the traveling, so we just took a nice walk through the forest and enjoyed the beach for a short time before getting in the car and heading back onto the mainland. Our visit to Anglesey wasn’t timed the best, and we should have dedicated at least a full day to explore this wonderful little area of Wales. That’s ok though, I’m sure we’ll return someday to see the rest.
Beddgelert
While spending time in the north, Beddgelert was our home-base where we stored our luggage and napped at every opportunity. This tiny village of under 500 people is famous for it’s old stone buildings and quaint bridges over the River Glaslyn. Because of its central location we could access most of Snowdonia and northern Wales with short, scenic drives through the surrounding mountains.
We decided to stay at the Royal Goat Hotel. Sitting on a scenic bend at the north end of town, the hotel was old, run down, a little smelly, and the staff wasn’t very helpful. However, it had the perfect charm, history, and most importantly, parking so we never had to fight for a spot. Being such a small village with a large number of tourists, Beddgelert has a major parking problem and we loved not having to worry about where to keep the car.
This is one of the rare times while traveling where we stayed in one place for several nights. We were happy in our down time to wander around Beddgelert and just take in the views, sample the different restaurants, and just enjoy a little bit slower of a pace. We had some delicious pizza, ice cream and I even tried an Affogato on the recommendation from Max and Ayhan...it wasn’t as good as expected. The rain and cloudy skies added to the charm of Beddgelert, it somehow fit the somber, gray tone of the beautiful little village.
An American Werewolf In London Film Locations
Wales has an identity crisis in the entertainment industry. While featured in countless films, Wales is always pretending to be any other country but Wales. Similar to Vancouver, Wales doesn’t have a distinct character of its own on the world stage, so when studios need to save some money or find a location that can act as a more popular spot, they come to Wales. We had seen Dobby’s grave earlier in our trip, and on our final day, as we drove across the entire country back to Heathrow in London, we decided to stop at Wales’ most famous film locations from An American Werewolf In London. An iconic film from my childhood, AAWIL set the creepy tone with some perfectly chosen locations.
The first stop on our An American Werewolf In London tour was a tiny village in the middle of nowhere called Crickadarn. We were driving almost the entire length of Wales, and to get to Crickadarn we drove on some of the smallest, most isolated roads in the country. It was a beautiful drive, and after emerging from some incredible tree tunnels, we arrived in Crickadarn.
In the movie, the main characters are backpacking through Europe. On a rainy night they stop in this “English” pub where they meet a bunch of mysterious locals. Today, the pub is someone’s home, repainted but still looking nearly the same. They also shot several church scenes at the Crickadarn church which was next door to the pub. The only thing missing was the statue which they had brought in only for the filming and removed immediately when they were finished.
The second location on our tour of An American Werewolf In London locations was this unassuming intersection on the eastern edge of Brecon Beacons National Park. In the open scene of the film the two main characters are dropped off in this exact location, and that is where their nightmare begins.
Today, there is almost no noticeable difference. It’s hard to imagine that over 40 years later and this landscape hasn’t changed a bit. We were imagining how fun it would have been as a location scout exploring these remote areas of Wales to find the perfect places to shoot the film.
While we were on the hunt for filming locations, we discovered that half the fun was the exploration in between sites. The roads were comically narrow and difficult to navigate, often completely walled in and nearly impossible to see around the tight corners. But when the views opened up, they were gorgeous. The rolling green hillsides of Wales were always unique and we never got tired of looking out over this unique landscape. Often we were being watched by wary sheep, and rarely did we encounter any other cars or human beings. Little did we know in looking for movie locations that we would have taken one of our most memorable and scenic road trips. We never expected this in Wales!
This curvy mountainside road was the final stop on our An American Werewolf In London tour. This run-down road leading out of Brecon Beacons was another location in the open sequence of the movie. Also unchanged, this stretch of road is popular for motorcycles and bicyclists looking for a fun ride into some beautiful mountains. We also noticed that the gloomier the skies became, the more fitting the scenery was as this was technically a horror movie and no horror movie is shot under bright blue skies!
After this stop, we drove on to London and ended our memorable trip through Wales. This country offered so much more than we had anticipated and we now highly recommend traveling here to anyone with a sense of adventure and a love for nature. We ended this trip with an understanding that Wales is very similar to Ireland, Scotland and England but with its own subtle character, traditions, language, and most importantly, a lack of crowds that makes it more appealing if you just want to get away.