In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From Chepstow through Bannau Brycheiniog and along the Pembrokeshire coast, across Cardigan Bay and the Llanberis Pass to Anglesey and the ferry at Holyhead: around 785 kilometres on narrow roads, at 20 mph through villages and with a tide table in the glovebox.
The spirit of the route
Wales is slow to drive, and that is its charm. Beyond the Severn Bridge, ranges of sandstone and bracken hills close in, and then Bannau Brycheiniog appears with its smooth summit ridges under a sky that turns from sun to sleet in ten minutes. On the Pembrokeshire coast, Norman castles stand above the bays, seals lie on the rocks at Strumble Head, and the wind smells of salt and gorse. Further north, the Nant Gwynant and the Llanberis Pass cut into the rock of Eryri; sheep, dry-stone walls and slate tips frame the view from your sliding door. The roads are often single-track with passing places, the place names seem to consist only of consonants, and in the evening rain runs down the windows before the sun breaks out once more from under the clouds. If you travel here, you need patience, a passenger who is comfortable with driving on the left, and the knowledge that wild camping here is not the everyday thing but the exception.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Chepstow to Crickhowell (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- Cross the Severn Bridge (M48) or the Prince of Wales Bridge (M4) to Chepstow, then take the A40 and A449 as far as Raglan and continue via Abergavenny into the Usk valley to Crickhowell. Well-built main roads, narrower over the last kilometres of the A40. Around 1.5 hours of driving; heavy lorry traffic before Abergavenny.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Tintern Abbey in the Wye Valley, a few kilometres north of Chepstow: the ruins of the Cistercian abbey in the early-morning mist.
- Abergavenny on the edge of the Black Mountains, with a castle ruin and market square; the market is a regional meeting place for food.
- Crickhowell with its old stone bridge over the Usk and the climb to Table Mountain (Crug Hywel).
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Riverside Caravan Park on the Usk near Crickhowell, with electricity, sanitary facilities and waste disposal according to its OpenStreetMap entry; check opening times and the motorhome length limit in advance. There are other small sites in the area, such as Cwmdu Campsite in the Black Mountains valley, better suited to tents and small campers.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): There is no right to roam in England and Wales. Wild camping requires the landowner’s permission, and the police and the national park authority can move you on. Staying overnight in a car park is prohibited or restricted by local bylaws in many areas; signs with height barriers are common. Do not count on legal free camping in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.
- Insider tip for campers
- Fill up with fuel and fresh water before shopping in Abergavenny, because filling stations are rarer in the hills. The Severn bridges have been toll-free since December 2018. If you arrive by ferry from France, pay the Dartford Crossing (M25) online via Dart Charge by midnight the following day – otherwise a penalty is likely.
2Stage 2: Crickhowell to Brecon (Aberhonddu) (approx. 50 km)
- The drive
- Take the A40 to Brecon, with a detour up onto the high ground to Storey Arms on the A470: first to Brecon (around 25 km), then back south on the A470 and again to Brecon. The A470 climbs through broad valleys to around 450 m; it is well built, but full of hikers’ cars at busy times. A good 1.5 hours in total.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Pen y Fan (886 m) from Storey Arms: the classic of Bannau Brycheiniog, around 4 hours there and back; in fog it is easy to lose your bearings, so take the waymarking and the weather forecast seriously.
- Brecon with its cathedral, canal basin and the start of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal.
- The Cambrian Way, a long-distance trail from Cardiff to Conwy, crosses these hills; if you are not walking all of it, you can do stages as day walks from the road.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Brecon Beacons Caravan Club Site at Brynich near Brecon (Caravan and Motorhome Club), with electricity, waste disposal and sanitary facilities; check the facilities and whether non-members are admitted in advance. Alternatives: Brecon Beacons Caravan Touring Park or Brecon Beacons Camping & Caravan Park, both listed in the area south of the town.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): At Storey Arms and Pont ar Daf, the parking area is intended for walkers during the day; overnight stays are not intended. The national park asks that motorhomes are not left overnight. Dark-sky reserve: dim your lights at night if you are staying on a site.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Storey Arms car park is full by mid-morning; it is better to start early or use the seasonal bus services, checking the timetable in advance. In Brecon there are supermarkets with filling stations on the edge of town.
3Stage 3: Brecon to Manorbier (approx. 150 km)
- The drive
- Head west on the A40 via Sennybridge, Trecastle and Llandovery to Carmarthen, then continue on the A40/A477 into Pembrokeshire and on minor roads to the coast at Manorbier. The first part is wide; from Carmarthen it becomes rural, with roundabouts. Around 3 hours of pure driving time; between Llandovery and Carmarthen there are only a few places where overtaking on the A40 makes sense.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Carreg Cennen Castle near Llandeilo as a detour from the A40: a castle on a limestone crag above the river.
- Carew Castle and the tidal mill at the mouth of the Cleddau.
- Barafundle Bay and the Stackpole cliffs: a short walk from Stackpole Quay to one of the most beautiful sandy beaches on the coast.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Manorbier Country Park (also listed in the OpenStreetMap entry as Manorbier Bay Holiday Park) above Manorbier bay; ask in advance about facilities (electricity, fresh water and waste disposal), season and admission for passing travellers. Alternatively Buttyland Manorbier nearby. Book early in high season.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and the county do not allow free camping; at many coastal car parks motorhomes are prohibited at night or excluded by height barriers. Wild camping without permission can be disturbed and you can be moved on by the landowner. If you visit a National Trust site, you will find day car parks there for a fee.
- Insider tip for campers
- There is a military training area near Castlemartin: on firing days the road from Bosherston to St Govan’s Chapel and the road to Stack Rocks (Green Bridge of Wales) are closed. The monthly firing times (“Castlemartin firing notice”) are on gov.uk; check before you drive there. It is worth filling up in Carmarthen or Pembroke; there are hardly any filling stations on the coast road.
4Stage 4: Manorbier to St Davids (Tyddewi) (approx. 95 km)
- The drive
- Via Pembroke and Haverfordwest on the A4076 and then the A487 to Newgale bay and on to St Davids. Easy to drive, but narrow on the coast road, with hedges that brush the wing mirror. Around 2 hours of driving, longer in summer traffic.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Pembroke Castle, birthplace of Henry VII, overlooking the Mill Pond.
- Solva, a deeply cut natural harbour with a lime kiln and fishermen’s huts.
- St Davids Cathedral and the Bishop’s Palace in the valley – Britain’s smallest city.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Newgale Camp Site right behind the shingle beach at Newgale: sanitary facilities, simple amenities, pitch availability varies with the season. Alternatively St Davids Lleithyr Meadow, a Caravan and Motorhome Club site near St Davids, as well as Newgale Holidays in the village. Check the current situation and motorhome rules in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): At Newgale beach, overnight stays in the car park are not allowed; the road can flood at spring tides. In and around St Davids there is no designated area for campers without advance booking, and access to coastal car parks is mostly restricted overnight.
- Insider tip for campers
- Plan your visit to Newgale beach around the tides: at high water the sea reaches almost to the road, at low water a broad sandy beach opens up. In St Davids, the car park on the edge of town is a better choice than the cramped centre. The campsites offer fresh water and waste disposal; Elsan points are signposted at sites or filling stations.
5Stage 5: St Davids to Dinas Cross (Fishguard) (approx. 50 km)
- The drive
- Northeast on minor roads to Strumble Head with a detour to the lighthouse, then on to Fishguard (Abergwaun) and Dinas Cross. Partly single-track with passing places, slow going; around 1.5 hours. Watch for height restrictions at car parks.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Strumble Head Lighthouse on the rocky islet of Ynys Meicel, easily seen from the mainland by its footbridge; seals and seabirds are often seen in autumn.
- Pwll Deri: steep cliffs with a wide view over the bay, on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.
- Fishguard Lower Town (Cwm), a winding harbour village, the filming location of “Under Milk Wood” in 1971.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Dinas Island Campsite near Dinas Cross on the Dinas Head peninsula, with sanitary facilities according to the operator; or Fishguard Bay Caravan and Camping Park near the town with a view of the bay. Ask both sites in advance about pitch size and opening.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and at the coastal car parks at Strumble Head, overnight stays are prohibited; walkers’ car parks are checked regularly. Expect protests from residents about motorhomes in lay-bys.
- Insider tip for campers
- On the narrow coastal lanes, always fold in your mirrors when a tractor comes and wait in the passing place; do not reverse along the carriageway. For linear walks on the Coast Path, the seasonal coastal buses are worthwhile; check the timetable locally.
6Stage 6: Dinas Cross to Barmouth (Abermaw) (approx. 175 km)
- The drive
- The A487 along Cardigan Bay via Cardigan, Aberaeron and Aberystwyth, then on via Machynlleth and Dolgellau (A487) and on along the A496 to Barmouth. Mostly well built with narrow roads through villages; Aberaeron and Aberystwyth are slow going in summer. A good 4 hours of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Aberaeron with colourful harbour houses and shellfish stalls on the quay.
- Aberystwyth with the promenade, the funicular and the Camera Obscura on Constitution Hill.
- Cadair Idris near Dolgellau: walk from Minffordd to the summit, around 6 hours, only in settled weather.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Hendre Mynach Caravan Park near Barmouth, a large site on the beach with electricity, sanitary facilities and waste disposal; motorhomes welcome, reservation necessary in summer. Alternatively, near Dolgellau there are smaller sites such as Tyddyn Du Campsite.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Along Cardigan Bay, bans on overnight stays are widespread in the car parks of Aberaeron, Aberystwyth and Barmouth; councils carry out checks. Staying on the beach is possible during the day, not at night. Lesser-known places on the west coast are often private – use them only with permission.
- Insider tip for campers
- The drive is long: split it if the weather is bad, and fill up in Aberystwyth or Machynlleth. The Barmouth Bridge is a wooden railway bridge with a footpath and is not open to vehicles. Mobile reception occasionally drops out in the mountains – download offline maps.
7Stage 7: Barmouth to Llanberis (approx. 105 km)
- The drive
- Take the A496 to Harlech and Maentwrog, then the A487 to Porthmadog, east on the A498 to Beddgelert and through the Nant Gwynant up to Pen-y-Gwryd, and on the A4086 through the Llanberis Pass to Llanberis. The Nant Gwynant and the pass are narrow with rocks at the roadside; oncoming traffic is slow in summer. Around 2.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Harlech Castle on the rock above Cardigan Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site among the castles of King Edward I.
- Beddgelert, the village at the confluence of two rivers, with a walk to the Aberglaslyn Pass.
- Llanberis Pass: dry-stone walls, a glacial valley and the view of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) from Pen y Pass.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Bryn Gloch Caravan & Camping Park at Betws Garmon on the A4085, around 10 km from Llanberis; check facilities and season in advance. In Llanberis itself, Llanberis Touring Park (OSM entry); check facilities in advance. In the Nant Gwynant, Llyn Gwynant Campsite, mainly for tents, with a view of the lake.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Eryri National Park, overnight stays at the roadside or in walkers’ car parks along the Llanberis Pass are not permitted; the road has numerous no-stopping zones. Pen y Pass: until 1 November 2026, advance booking via JustPark applies there; spaces are available for vehicles up to 5 m long, vehicles between 5 and 8 m only by arrangement. Check in advance for longer vehicles; check in advance whether and how the arrangement will continue in 2027.
- Insider tip for campers
- Take the Sherpa’r Wyddfa bus from Llanberis or Nant Peris instead of the motorhome to Pen y Pass. Drive the pass in a motorhome only in dry weather and early in the day; give way to oncoming traffic at the narrow points. The Snowdon Mountain Railway rack railway runs only seasonally; check the timetable and weather status in advance.
8Stage 8: Llanberis to Holyhead (Caergybi) (approx. 100 km)
- The drive
- Via Caernarfon on the A487 to the Menai Strait, then across the Britannia Bridge (A55) to Anglesey and west on the A55 to Holyhead; detours to Newborough Forest and Llanddwyn Island at low tide and to Beaumaris. Well built, the section on Anglesey runs over roundabouts. Around 2 hours without detours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Caernarfon Castle, the mightiest of the Edwardian castles, right on the River Seiont.
- Newborough Beach and Llanddwyn Island with the small lighthouse and the cross of St Dwynwen.
- South Stack Lighthouse near Holyhead: sea cliffs and seabirds in spring.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Ty Mawr Farm Campsite near Holyhead (Camping and Caravanning Club) close to the port; or Pen-y-Llyn Touring Caravan Site near Rhosneigr, around 20 minutes from the ferry, with electricity and sanitary facilities. Watch the check-in times if the ferry leaves early in the morning.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On Anglesey, free camping in car parks is often prohibited; Newborough Forest and the beach car parks charge fees and are not intended for camping at night. Around Holyhead, waiting areas for ferry passengers are only in the port itself or on sites in the surrounding area.
- Insider tip for campers
- The ferry operators on the Holyhead–Dublin route are Stena Line and Irish Ferries; state vehicle height and length correctly when booking. On gas cylinders, Stena Line states: valves closed during the crossing, up to three cylinders with a combined 47 kg permitted, larger quantities to be notified in advance; check the conditions with Irish Ferries yourself. Telford’s Menai Suspension Bridge is closed to vehicles over 7.5 t and over 3 m in height – for taller motorhomes the Britannia Bridge is the safe choice.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- England and Wales have no right to roam for camping. Wild camping with a tent or vehicle requires the landowner’s permission; without it, it is trespass, which usually ends with a request to leave. Parking and camping are distinguished: staying overnight in a vehicle in a public car park may be prohibited by local bylaws, signs or height barriers.
- In the Pembrokeshire Coast, Bannau Brycheiniog and Eryri national parks, the authorities expressly ask people not to camp freely; motorhomes are not tolerated overnight in walkers’ car parks. Free camping is practically ruled out, except for individual farm pitches with permission.
- You can stay legally on campsites, on Caravan and Motorhome Club and Camping and Caravanning Club sites, on Brit Stop sites (pubs, farm shops, farms with permission) and on small farm sites. Useful apps: park4night, Campercontact and the clubs’ search functions; non-members sometimes pay a surcharge.
- Visitor levy: Welsh local authorities may introduce it from April 2027 at the earliest, after consultation and with at least 12 months’ notice, starting only on 1 April or 1 October; the planned rates are £0.75 per person per night for pitches for tents (excluding under-18s) and £1.30 for other accommodation. Cardiff will charge it from 1 April 2027; Conwy postponed the decision on 24 September 2026. We are not aware of any introduction for the places on this route – ask the site about the current position before booking.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Empty chemical toilets at Elsan points on campsites and at some filling stations; grey water belongs at the disposal point, not on the ground. Freely accessible stations are rarer in Wales than in France or Italy.
- Tap water (Dŵr Cymru) is drinkable everywhere. Fill up with fresh water at campsites, filling stations or public toilets; do not use standpipes without permission.
- Gas: British Calor cylinders (butane and propane) and Campingaz cylinders are available from specialist shops and filling stations; foreign cylinders are generally not exchanged. Regulators and connections of British cylinders differ from German ones and do not always fit – bring adapters and a changeover regulator, or travel with Campingaz cylinders. You can fill refillable tanks at autogas filling stations with a suitable adapter, which does not work everywhere.
- Electricity: British campsites use blue CEE plugs (16 A, 230 V). An adapter for sockets in the washroom is worthwhile. Mobile coverage is patchy in the mountains.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Entry: Great Britain is not in the EU. EU citizens need an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) for short stays, applied for online via the official GOV.UK website or app; it has cost £20 since 8 April 2026 (previously £16) and is valid for two years. Carry your passport; an ID card is not enough. Have the vehicle registration document and proof of insurance ready, and a Green Card if applicable; have your insurer confirm cover in Great Britain.
- Customs: meat, milk and dairy products from the EU may not be brought into Great Britain. Dogs and cats have their own import conditions (including an animal health certificate); check the rules in advance with the British department Defra.
- Driving on the left: go clockwise at roundabouts and drop right-hand-traffic habits. Check your headlights (adjust the dipped-beam alignment for left-hand traffic or mask them) and fit extra mirrors if needed. On single-track roads with passing places, the rule is: whoever has the passing place on their side stops there; do not reverse along the carriageway.
- Speed limits (mph): motorhomes up to 3.05 t unladen weight 60 mph outside built-up areas, 70 mph on dual carriageways and motorways; over 3.05 t unladen weight 50 mph on single carriageways, 60 mph on dual carriageways, 70 mph on motorways. Cars with caravans: 50 mph on single carriageways, 60 mph on dual carriageways and motorways. In Wales, the standard limit on built-up roads (restricted roads, usually with street lighting) has been 20 mph since September 2023; since July 2024, local authorities may raise individual roads back to 30 mph. The Senedd rejected a motion to abolish it on 30 September 2026, so the rule still applies. Watch the signs.
- Alcohol limit in Wales: 80 mg per 100 ml of blood; in practice it is better not to drink at all. Using a mobile phone at the wheel is prohibited, including for photos; fines and penalty points apply.
- Dimensions: maximum width 2.55 m, length for rigid vehicles 12 m; height restrictions on bridges and car parks are signposted (in feet and inches). The route is not subject to tolls; the Severn bridges are toll-free. If you arrive via large English cities, check Clean Air Zones (e.g. Bristol, Bath) in advance for your own vehicle; there are none on the route itself.
- Winter tyres are not mandatory; upland roads can be very wet and slippery in winter. Warning plates are not required.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Tide tables for Pembrokeshire and Anglesey, because beaches such as Newgale and Llanddwyn are barely accessible at high tide.
- Waterproof clothing and wellies: it rains in Wales all year round, and on Pen y Fan or Cadair Idris it is often 10 degrees colder at the top than in the valley.
- Ordnance Survey maps (OL12 Brecon Beacons, OL17 Snowdon, OL35/OL36 Pembrokeshire) and offline maps, because the mobile network drops out in the valleys.
- Adapters and a changeover regulator for British gas cylinders, plus a cable reel with a CEE plug for campsites.
- Headlight masking or adjustment for driving on the left, and extra mirrors for hedges and narrow roads.
- Midge nets and towels: midges are possible in Snowdonia in autumn, especially near water.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
