Cycle Touring in Wales. Richard Barrett

decide how many days you can spare or need,

       then use the alternative schedules to identify roughly where each day will ideally begin and end.

       Identify the most convenient accommodation that suits your budget. This may mean amending your initial schedule so be prepared to be flexible, perhaps enjoying a night in a B&B if there are no hostels nearby and vice versa.

       Book your accommodation and finalize your schedule. You will have more choice of where to stay if you book your accommodation well in advance of your departure date.

      You can combine the cross routes with sections of the circular route to plan your own itinerary. The suggested tours are categorized as short, medium and long, but you can take them at your own pace.

      Short Tours (2–3 days)

      Around North Wales: 144 miles/230km with 3000m of ascent

      This circular tour crosses North Wales from the border through the dramatic Snowdonia Mountains before turning back along the coast to return to the start at Wrexham. It is easily accessed by rail and there is plenty of accommodation to choose from throughout the route.

      Tour of Pembrokeshire: 146 miles/234km with 3300m of ascent

      This wonderful short tour around the spectacular coast of Pembrokeshire is easy to reach using the train network, with direct services from many mainland stations.

      Across and back: 156 miles/250km with 3650m of ascent

      This tour runs from the border to the coast and back again through some of the less-visited parts of Wales. Again, it is easily accessed via the national rail network – and you may also wish to take the train between Aberystwyth or Tywyn and Machynlleth to avoid a particularly busy stretch of the A487. See Stage 5 for further details.

      Medium tours (4–5days)

      Around the heartlands: 171 miles/273km with 7100m of ascent

      This circuit has considerable variety, including the well-surfaced canal towpath between Welshpool and Newtown, the high mountain road between Llanidloes and Machynlleth, the seaside at Barmouth and a high-level traverse of the Berwyn Mountains back to the start.

      Around the Welsh Valleys: 232 miles/371km with 3500m of ascent

      This easily accessible tour takes in the South Wales coast, where much of the route follows a shared-use path, returning on quiet lanes along the northern edge of the Brecon Beacons.

      Through the high hills: 218 miles/349km with 5040m of ascent

      This more demanding short tour passes through Snowdonia before turning south down the more gentle west coast, returning over the Berwyn Mountains. Plenty of accommodation is available in the resorts and coastal towns, and you may wish to take a rest day before tackling the more strenuous ascent on the return leg.

      Longer tours (6–7 days)

      The following three tours are ideal for those who can only get away for a week. They are all easily accessible by rail, and there are plenty of opportunities to resort to the train should you need to make up lost time.

      Loop of North Wales: 348 miles/556km with 7100m of ascent

      This is the easiest of the longer tours as it avoids the higher mountains.

      Loop around Central Wales: 422 miles/675km with 10,000m of ascent

      This week-long tour takes in the less-populated parts of Wales, which is ideal for those wanting to get away from it all.

      Loop around South Wales: 472 miles/755km with 9200m of ascent

      This longer tour can either be ridden fast over a hard week or taken at a much more leisurely pace over two weeks.

Getting there

      Many local cyclists will happily add an extra day or two to either end of their tour and make use of the National Cycle Network (NCN) to get to the route and back. But others from further afield, and those pressed for time, will undoubtedly need another form of transport. Unless you are riding in a big group or on a tandem, the easiest way to access the route is by train, as Cardiff, Chepstow and Holyhead are all on the national rail network. Similarly, there are a number of stations along the route, so you can easily split the ride into sections. See ‘By rail’ below for further details.

      If you are riding as a group you may be able to commandeer someone to drop you at one end and collect you from the other. Some lucky groups may have their support vehicle stay with them to move luggage between stops and provide catering support.

Travel

      For details on all public transport journeys throughout the UK, including local bus services, tel [phone] www.traveline.info or www.traveline.cymru.

      By rail

      All correctly ticketed awaiting the morning train

      There are numerous stations where you can start or finish your bike ride around Wales as detailed in the notes below. But for general information on travel by rail tel [phone] www.nationalrail.co.uk

      Cardiff Central Station, where the route description of the circular tour starts and finishes, provides direct trains to stations in West Wales and most parts of the UK. Great Western Railway provides services between the south of England and Cardiff, Swansea and beyond. They have space for bicycles on most trains but ask that you reserve your bike space when booking your tickets online, at a ticket office or by calling 0345 7000 125. See www.gwr.com for details.

      Aberystwyth, Barmouth, Criccieth, Porthmadog, Harlech, and other stations on the Cambrian Coast Line, are close to the circular route and provide services via Machynlleth to Shrewsbury and Birmingham, with connections to most other parts of the UK.

      Bangor Station, on the North Wales Coast Line, provides trains to Chester and Cardiff, with connections to most other parts of the UK.

      Trafnidiaeth Cymru/Transport For Wales runs local and commuter services along the north coast tfwrail.wales. The train company provides bike space on all of their services except during peak hours on some Valleys and Cardiff Local Routes. They recommend that you make a reservation as far in advance as possible and reserve a cycle space at the time of booking. You can do this at any staffed national rail station or by calling their telesales office on 0870 9000 773. See tfwrail.wales for further details.

      Virgin Trains runs mainline services to and from Holyhead and provides special bike storage areas with space for up to 4 bikes, but you will need to reserve a space for your bike before you travel. The service is free and reservations can be made at any booking office or by calling 0344 556 5650. On the day of