May 22, we started the day with sunny skies in Llandudno and hopped on a short bus ride to the town of Conwy, which is beautifully set on the harbour, with castle views overlooking the water and a back drop of the hills of Snowdonia National Park. Conwy Castle is great to explore, featuring a total of 8 towers which you can climb and get great views overlooking the water, mountains and small town of Conwy. After, we walked through the town and saw some great gift shops, cafes and ‘award winning’ fish n chips; there is no shortage of this delightful dish in the UK!
When staying in Llandudno, another popular days out trip is to visit Snowdonia National Park, which has some great nature reserves and hiking trails. In this region there are also some nice train rides on Heritage Railways, including the Ffestiniog Railway and don`t forget you get a 20% discount on this ride when you show your BritRail Pass.
Next it was time to make our way back to Llandudno, where being Oceanside creates some windy and at times unpredictable weather, so I suggest you bring your raincoat along just in case. We hopped on a train, once again using our handy BritRail Passes and traveled southbound to Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The train station is centrally located, as they all are in Britain, so it was easy enough for us to wheel our way to Park Plaza hotel. Upon arrival, we noticed that the lobby area is cozy and welcoming, complete with a fireplace and modern lounging areas, and we were equally pleased with our room. By this time it was late Sunday night so we ventured out to find a restaurant to have dinner, where we opted for some delicious Indian food, also well known to be a British specialty.
For more information on planning your trip to Wales: Visit Wales
Stay tuned for Day 10 – a day in Cardiff Wales…
Jen’s highlight of the day: Conwy Castle, with spectacular views.
Angela’s highlight of the day: being beachside and walking around Llandudno – it`s clear why this is a vacation destination!
By: Angela Guezen
Photos by: Jen Crane