Introduction to The North Wales Road Trip
Wales is a spellbinding country. It is a landscape rich with Celtic history, natural wonders, and mystical places. In North Wales, you will find a particularly impressive concentration of these cultural and environmental sites. From lofty peaks and crashing coastlines to riviera-style towns and medieval castles, a North Wales road trip has a variety of activities to offer for all types of travellers.
As this region is 6,172 square kilometres in size, with many of the key sites spread across different locations, it is best to visit this area in a motorhome or campervan. This allows you to drive during the day yet sleep in the comfort of your mobile home each night. It is a convenient yet liberating way to complete a North Wales road trip in style! With that in mind, here are some top tips for driving around North Wales.
Where is North Wales
North Wales, or Gogledd Cymru in Welsh, is a rural region of the United Kingdom. It contains the Isle of Anglesey along with the northernmost Welsh counties of Conwy, Gwynedd, Denbighshire, Flintshire, and Wrexham. This region is fronted by the Irish Sea along its coastline and the English border to the east. It is perhaps best known for its impressive mountain ranges in Snowdonia National Park.

Starting a North Wales Road Trip
North Wales is a deceptively difficult area to access. Rail and bus links are sparse in this region which makes driving the easiest mode of transport. If travelling from Manchester or Liverpool, the M53 and M56 will take you to the Welsh border in no time. After that, it’s A-roads between the bigger towns and country lanes to access the remote tourist destinations! Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to explore this region by hiring for at least 7 days – more if possible!
When to Visit?
North Wales is a very seasonal place. Choosing the right season depends on what you want to do and see. For example, the winter can be bitterly cold with lashings of snow and rain making for poor road trip conditions. However, in the summer, the weather is steady with calm days and more hours of sunshine.
If your North Wales road trip is focused on hiking, summer will be the prime season for you. The trade-off is that trails in Snowdonia National Park will be brimming with people. However, beach days are lovely, and the long evenings are perfect for camping.
If you want to go surfing on your North Wales road trip, autumn brings some decent swells to the coast. Autumn is also a good time to see the Atlantic grey seals. They swim into the coves to raise their pups in September and many of these animals can be spotted from lookouts in Cardigan Bay.
Spring is a lovely time to watch birdlife or go coarse fishing in the lakes and rivers. Daffodils are in bloom and the country is in a particularly buoyant mood on the 1st of March for St David’s Day. Outside of the Easter Holidays, much of North Wales will be a quieter affair, perfect for visiting cultural sites and historical monuments.

Where to Stay?
North Wales is a truly bucolic place. This is great news for any van travellers as it means there are idyllic campsites dotted throughout the region. If you hire a motorhome from Life’s an Adventure, you can benefit from the Camping and Caravanning Club loyalty scheme. Therefore, if you visit the sites at Bala or Llanystumdwy you can receive a discount of up to 30%!
If you are interested in staying close to an urban area, Bangor is one of the biggest settlements in North Wales. Alternatively, adventure lovers should base themselves at Camping in Llanberis on the doorstep of Snowdonia National Park. If you want to soak up the coastal scenery, head up to Blackthorn Farm near Holyhead.
During your North Wales road trip, you should make the most of the countryside campsites in this area. Beddgelert Campsite, Garth Farm, and Glanllyn are all hotspots for hillwalkers as they’re situated inside Snowdonia National Park.
If you want to go off-grid camping in your motorhome, try boondocking. This is when you park your vehicle in an unofficial location to sleep for the night. You can’t do this in a National Park or AONB, but a country layby or beach car park could be possible. Make sure you read any signs within the vicinity and try using an app like Park4Night to help you find the ideal location.

Top Sites?
An unmissable location on your North Wales road trip is Snowdonia (Eryri) National Park. Here you’ll find alpine-style peaks and glacially-formed landscapes. Many ancient myths swirl among the mists and waters of this National Park, such as the legends of King Arthur and stories about dragons. Snowdonia is also home to Wales’ highest peak, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) and many fantastic hiking areas such as the Ogwen Valley, Carneddau, and Glyders.
If you want to drive to some cultural sites, check out Portmeirion. This town was built in the early 20th century with much of the architecture resembling an Italian alpine village! For some Victorian promenades and pleasure piers, head to Wales’ oldest cathedral city of Bangor.
On your North Wales road trip, it would be a shame to miss some of the country’s most impressive ruins and fortifications. The World Heritage Caernarfon Castle is one highlight that sits on the tidal flats overlooking the Menai Strait. There’s also the 13th-century Conwy Castle which is perched above the National Trust Telford Suspension Bridge.
For island escapes and coastal camping, head to the top corner of the country on your North Wales road trip. Here you’ll find Anglesey, a windy and wild isle home to nesting sea birds, lighthouses, and bracing beach walks. Further south, the Llŷn Peninsula also offers remote beaches and thrilling surf spots.
For another intriguing location in North Wales, check out the UNESCO World Heritage “Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales”. This includes the Penrhyn and Dinorwig slate quarries amongst other smaller mines throughout the region. If you want to see these slate mines but also go on an adventure, check out Zip World activities in North Wales.
What to Pack for a North Wales Road Trip?
Depending on what excursions you want to do on your North Wales road trip, there are a few essentials to bring with you. If heath camping and coastal drives are your thing, why not bring a surfboard to catch some waves? (Alternatively, rent a board from Abersoch Watersports on the Llŷn Peninsula). For an easier-to-store item, pack a pair of binoculars to enjoy birdwatching at the coastal nesting sites.
If you want to go hiking or country walking, make sure you carry some appropriate equipment with you. Wales is prone to rain and waterproofs are usually required. A sturdy pair of hiking boots help to tackle mud and loose rock. Lastly, pack a warm fleece and woolly hat to fight off the nipping wind that blows off the Irish Sea!

Food & Drink
A North Wales road trip would hardly be complete without sampling a Welsh tea cake or bara brith (traditional fruit cake). You can find these tasty treats in many cafes throughout the region but there are some particularly good ones at Popty Conwy Bakery or Pen Ceunant Isaf.
Throughout the country, Wales has some fine dishes to enjoy. On your North Wales road trip, keep an eye out for the world’s best cheese on toast, a.k.a. Welsh rarebit. Leek is another typical Welsh ingredient, and you’ll find it in everything from soups and stews to tarts and pastries. Lastly, if you’ll feeling brave, opt for a side of laverbread (seaweed and cockles) with your full Welsh breakfast!
When in Conwy, make sure you sample some of their renowned mussels. In this location, the River Conwy meets the Irish Sea to produce cross-varieties of salt and freshwater molluscs. For top-tier mussels, check out The Erskine Arms or buy them fresh from Conwy Mussels Company to have a go at cooking them in your campervan!

Bonus Tips
North Wales is a relatively large region. To make the most out of your North Wales road trip, pick a few key areas to target. Focus on a handful of spots rather than trying to zip through the entire area at breakneck speed. It is a much safer way to travel, allowing you to explore the local scenery at a leisurely pace, without rushing to numerous destinations within a certain time scale.
For example, when starting in Manchester, you can head along the coastal road to Conwy. From there, you can either cut south to Snowdonia or continue west to Anglesey and then down along the Llyn Peninsula. You can choose to spend most of your time in these brilliant locations or cut back up through the Clwydian Range and Wrexham before returning north to round off your epic North Wales road trip. If you are looking for any advice, do not hesitate to contact one of our friendly team who are always happy to help!