At a glance
North Wales is 85 miles from Manchester (~1h 30m), 90 miles from Liverpool (~1h 40m) and 200 miles from London (~3h 45m) via the M56 and A55 North Wales Expressway. Trains from Manchester Piccadilly reach Llandudno Junction in approximately 1h 30m. The A55 Junction 19 (signed "Llandudno Junction / A470 / Betws-y-Coed") is the key interchange for Snowdonia.
Getting to North Wales
By Car from the North and Northwest
From Manchester or Liverpool, the route is straightforward: M60/M56 (Manchester) or M53/A55 (Liverpool) to the North Wales Expressway (A55). The A55 is dual carriageway all the way to Holyhead — 75 miles of fast road running along the north Welsh coast. Key junctions:
- Junction 19 (A470): Signed "Llandudno Junction / A470 / Betws-y-Coed" — the turn-off for the Conwy Valley and Snowdonia interior
- Junction 11 (A487): For Caernarfon, Llanberis and the Llŷn Peninsula
- Brittania Bridge: Crossing to Anglesey — continue on A55 to Holyhead
Journey times from Manchester: Conwy 1h 30m (85 miles) · Llanberis 1h 45m (100 miles) · Holyhead 2h (115 miles). Allow 30 extra minutes on summer weekend afternoons.
By Car from the Midlands and South
From Birmingham: M6 north to J20, then M56/A55 (as above) — approximately 130 miles, 2 hours 15 minutes to Conwy. Alternatively, M54/A5 via Shrewsbury and Llangollen to Betws-y-Coed — a more scenic route through the Dee Valley (allow 2 hours 30 minutes). From Cardiff and South Wales: A470 north through the Brecon Beacons and Cambrian Mountains to Dolgellau, then onward to Snowdonia — approximately 180 miles, 3 hours 30 minutes to Llanberis.
By Car from London
From London: M1 to M6 to M56/A55 — approximately 200 miles to Conwy, 3 hours 30 minutes in normal traffic; allow 5 hours in peak summer. An alternative route: M40/A5 via Shrewsbury and Llangollen — approximately 220 miles, similarly timed but takes you through the Dee Valley rather than the M6 motorway system.
By Train
The main intercity rail route to North Wales runs from London Euston to Chester (2 hours, Avanti West Coast), then Arriva Trains Wales along the North Wales Coast Line to Llandudno Junction (40 min), Bangor (55 min) or Holyhead (1h 15m). From Manchester Piccadilly, TransPennine Express and Avanti run direct services to Llandudno Junction and Bangor (approximately 1h 30m direct).
For the Conwy Valley and Snowdonia: change at Llandudno Junction for the Conwy Valley Line to Betws-y-Coed (30 min) and Blaenau Ffestiniog (1h). For the Cambrian Coast: change at Machynlleth for the Cambrian Coast Line serving Barmouth, Harlech and Pwllheli (Llŷn Peninsula).
By Coach
National Express coaches run from London Victoria, Birmingham and Manchester to Bangor and Llandudno. Journey times are significantly longer than rail — London to Bangor approximately 5h 30m — but fares can be substantially cheaper when booked in advance. FlixBus and Megabus serve selected routes. For the journey once in North Wales, coaches are limited to the A55 coastal corridor; a hire car or the Snowdon Sherpa bus is needed for Snowdonia.
Frequently asked questions
Approximately 85 miles from Manchester city centre to Conwy via the M56 and A55 North Wales Expressway, taking approximately 1 hour 30 minutes in normal traffic. To Llanberis (Snowdon base), allow 1 hour 45 minutes (approximately 100 miles). Llandudno is 80 miles from Manchester, typically 1 hour 20 minutes. Allow extra time on summer weekends — the A55 can queue near Rhyl and at the A470 junction (J19).
From London Euston: Avanti West Coast trains to Chester (2 hours), then Arriva Trains Wales to Llandudno Junction (40 minutes) or Bangor (55 minutes). From Manchester Piccadilly: direct Avanti/TransPennine trains to Llandudno Junction or Bangor (approximately 1 hour 30 minutes). From Birmingham New Street: train to Chester then Llandudno Junction — allow 2 hours 30 minutes total. Tickets at avantitrain.co.uk and transpennineexpress.co.uk.
From the north and northwest (Manchester, Liverpool): M60/M56 → A55 North Wales Expressway. The A55 runs coast-to-coast from the English border to Holyhead, passing Rhyl, Abergele, Conwy, Bangor and Anglesey. For Snowdonia: leave A55 at Junction 19 (signed "Llandudno Junction / A470 / Betws-y-Coed") and take the A470 south. For Caernarfon: continue to the A487 junction near Bangor. From the Midlands (Birmingham): M6 → A5 (through Shrewsbury and Llangollen) or A470 from Cardiff. The A55 is dual carriageway throughout; the A5 and A470 are single carriageway with overtaking sections.
From London: M1/M6 to the junction with the A55 at Chester, approximately 200 miles. Allow 3.5–4 hours in normal traffic, 5 hours in peak summer. Alternatively: M40/M54 to Shrewsbury, then A5 to Llangollen and north into Snowdonia — approximately 220 miles, 3.5–4 hours. Serviced motorway stops at Chester (M6 J10a) and Bodelwyddan are convenient en route on the A55.
National Express coaches run from London Victoria, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool to Llandudno, Bangor and Caernarfon. Journey times are longer than trains — London to Bangor is approximately 5 hours 30 minutes. Megabus also runs selected routes. FlixBus serves Llandudno from several UK cities. For internal travel once in North Wales, coach connections to smaller towns are limited — public transport works best for the coastal corridor (A55 towns) and Llanberis, but not for the Llŷn Peninsula or Clwydian Range.
There are two bridges across the Menai Strait to Anglesey. The Britannia Bridge carries the A55 dual carriageway — the main route for most visitors. The Menai Suspension Bridge (1826, designed by Thomas Telford) carries the A5 and is worth crossing deliberately for the experience — it is one of the great engineering achievements of the 19th century. Both bridges are open at all times and toll-free.