This year's road trip!

[cj_eds]

Family in the far North to visit, and a wedding in Kent this summer. This year's roadtrip is nearly planned! At least we get a week or so break in between the Northern and Southern legs.



Any advice welcome on the highlights to see in Wales for the day or two we're going to spend there. Only ever been as a child so at the moment no ideas where to go to - apart from probably Snowdon.

Similarly any suggestion for a place to stay around Ullapool. For years we've driven straight up the A9 to Thurso every year, and each time we tell ourselves we're going to take a leisurely stroll up the West Coast instead. Finally this year going to do so. Hopefully include an afternoon to sample the scenery at Applecross too.

[jaxZ4]

Hi cj eds - if you're going to stay Ullapool direction you might want to try the single track road out to Achiltibuie which overlooks the Summer Isles - quite stunning (if the weather is not too Scottish !) - there's some luxury log cabin type things on the shore in a dramatic setting where we stayed a few years back. Not much else other than a great pub and posh hotel.

That's quite a trip you're taking - seeing most of UK ! good luck. J

[Jembo]

Deffo the Gower is a place to visit in South Wales, especially Rhossili bay (Google it), then closeby is the King Authur Pub which does fab food. If you have time you've got both 3 cliffs (difficult to get to) plus Caswell which is definitely worth a visit with silky soft sand.

For a place to stay, highly recommend Ty Newydd Country Hotel, ABERDARE... go to Laterooms.com. Got a booking for £49 for a Sunday night earlier this year. Set back off the roads, old country house, very friendly & for this price got a massive room plus full Welsh breakfast... outstanding. Just remember your TomTom to find it.

Otherwise look up Top Gear's greatest driving routes through Wales... have some hidden Gems.

Used to date some chick from Swansea... showed me many things in our times together... lol

[cj_eds]

Thanks for the advice jax & jembo.

Sounds like a couple of days in Wales might not cover it? We could've flown down to Kent for the wedding, but then it's a chance to visit friends in the deepest darkest South so also a good opportunity to make it more of a holiday and visit Wales. I'll definitely look into the places you've suggested Jembo. Plan is to probably stay with friends in Banbury, then onto Wales for a couple of nights, then stay with mates in Manchester before the long haul back up the M6.

Going up the country it's as mentioned - we always charge up the A9, this time I'll saunter up the west coast. Thanks for the places jax, will look into those as well. Ullapool is a bit up of a stick in the ground, might decide to try somewhere further South so we've more time to see the Isles or Skye or something. If there's somewhere fantastic to stay there though then it could be a good place to go. It's possible my family are moving from Caithness in the next year or so (their house is on the market) so also deciding whether to go to places like Cape Wrath that I've never gone to. Not likely to find myself up there again in the near future.

[cj_eds]

Well, trip planned, bookings made, car checked and ready to go!

On the way from Kent to Wales hopefully going to find time to stop for a look at Brunel's bridge. Have devised a route around Wales that involves either Black Mountain Pass or Dead Sheep Pass (will decide at the time depending on how much time to spare), onto Ellan Valley (where we're staying), then North to Snowdonia and later a trip around the 'EVO Triangle'. Looking forward to it!