A guide to North Wales

May is the best overall month — good weather probability, full visitor infrastructure, manageable crowds, and the chance to catch Bodnant Garden's laburnum arch in bloom. September is recommended for experienced visitors who prioritise atmosphere and solitude over warmth. July and August are warmest but busiest.

Approximately 85 miles from Manchester to Conwy via the M56 and A55 North Wales Expressway, taking around 1 hour 30 minutes in normal traffic. Llanberis (the Snowdon base) is approximately 100 miles, 1 hour 45 minutes.

The five experiences most consistently cited by visitors are Conwy Castle and town walls (UNESCO, the free walls circuit is exceptional), Snowdon by walk or Mountain Railway (the highest mountain in England and Wales at 1,085 m), Portmeirion (Sir Clough Williams-Ellis's extraordinary Italianate village), the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct towpath crossing (UNESCO, free, genuinely extraordinary), and Porth Dinllaen beach hamlet (car-free, Tŷ Coch Inn on the sand).

Exceptionally so. The Snowdon Mountain Railway takes children to the summit at 1,085 m without walking. The National Slate Museum in Llanberis is free and excellent for all ages. Zip World Fforest at Betws-y-Coed has activities from age 3. Bounce Below (underground trampolines in a Victorian slate cavern) and Llechwedd Slate Caverns engage children from age 7. Over 60 attractions in North Wales are completely free.

A car gives the greatest flexibility, but the main Conwy and Snowdonia attractions are accessible without one via the Conwy Valley Railway, Arriva buses, and the Snowdon Sherpa bus service. The Llŷn Peninsula, interior Anglesey, and the Clwydian Range require a car. For a 2–3 day Conwy and Snowdonia visit, car-free travel is entirely feasible.