Lonely Planet Wales

by Amy Pay

Discover Wales

Find out how a dream inspired Wales' greatest castle in Caernarfon.
Tuck into a Welsh Black beefsteak at the Bear Hotel near Abergavenny.
Go green at the Centre for Alternative Technology near Machynlleth.
Throw yourself into the Atlantic on a coasteering day out in Pembrokeshire.

In This Guide:

Two authors, more than 1700 hours of research, 68 maps.
Expanded coverage of Snowdonia for mountain lovers.
Top recommendations for that special weekend away.
Content updated daily: visit lonelyplanet.com for up-to-the-minute reviews, updates and traveler suggestions.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Reference, History

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2001

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated and well written guide book. The cover of the book has a lovely soft finish and the pages inside are of a good quality. A great gift for anybody interested in Wales.

[Hermien · Rating 5 out of 5]

This rating is as much for the country as for the book.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like how Lonely Planet guides cover more than just the "best" parts of a country, like the Rick Steves' guides. Mostly the places mentioned to stay and eat had good reviews on Google Maps, too. A few had closed, but this guide is from 2021 so that's understandable. I do wish there was more information about traveling in the winter though--it's hard to tell which roads are sometimes closed or what walking trails aren't passable in winter.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

the copy I read was a 2021 edition.
It has a cheerful picture of a steam train climbing a grassy hill past grassy fields with a shaggy sheep in the foreground.
every page is packed with information. It has places for eating and sleeping, sights, getting there, shopping, worth a look, and diagrams of walking tracks.
It is a very useful book, but I need to buy one to take with me. I will have to return this to the library.

[Syntaxx · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are two ferry routes to Wales from Ireland: Dublin > Holyhead, or Rosslare > Pembroke/Rosslare > Fishguard.

Holyhead is on the northernmost part of Wales, literally an island unto itself, separated from the mainland by a sreait of choppy water.

Public transport is spotty, and a car is recommended/required to see most sights. Wales is a great country for biking, hiking, birding, and the like. Not super handicap accessible tho.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did like this book. Very handy and informative etc but I wish there had been photos for me to refer to as that helps a little more with planning etc. But the guide is helpful.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent guide book with many helpful links.

[JC Cornell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love all the Lonely Planet guides.

[Katrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great guide. I read the general parts and all the descriptions of locations I have been to myself. I loved to read about this amazing small country and got absorbed in the history part, too. I must say though that I have been to places in Northern Wales, which are not featured in this book, and I wonder why this is so. Ok, I understand that not every ruined castle, can be mentioned, but I would have liked a more thorough part on castles. I also wonder how running did not make it into the sports part. There are so many races! I took part in two, myself, the Conwy Fun Run and the Gary Speed memorial 10k. But yea, I might be not the best reviewer of this book since I already come with enough experience :D Still, it covers everything you might want to know about Wales and really makes you hungry for the vast landscapes and windswept beaches of Wales..

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent guide book that answers many of the questions you may have before visiting. I especially liked the sections on language and also the nice feature of highlighting other books that may be of interest.

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

of the different travel books around, Lonely Planet is probably my preferred series.... and this is a good one

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good source of information on an area that't harder to find.