Wales

From Wikitravel

Wales (Welsh, Cymru) is one of the countries that make up the United Kingdom. Rich in history and natural beauty, Wales has a culture distinct from the rest of the UK. Travellers are attracted to Wales because of its beautiful landscape, the wide open spaces of its stunning national parks and the wealth of history and culture.

Table of contents

1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Understand 4 Talk 5 Sleep 6 Eat 7 Get in 7.1 By Car 7.2 By Rail 7.3 By Air 7.4 By Bus 8 Get Around 9 Contact 10 External links

Regions

Due to the central mountain range, Wales is culturally and economically divided into three regions:

• Mid Wales - a mountainous region with a coastal area facing the Irish sea.
• North Wales - several holiday destinations along the coast, but primarily a rural area.
• South Wales - Wales' main centers of population are established along the South Wales coast.

Cities

• Cardiff - the capital of Wales and largest urban area.
• Newport - the third largest city in Wales.
• Swansea - Wales' city by the sea and second largest urban area.

Understand

In the twentieth century Wales was dominated by the traditional industries of coal and steel. However, recent years have seen a decline in heavy industry and a large growth in the tourist industry.

Talk

Wales has its own language, Welsh (Welsh: Cymraeg), which is spoken by some 21% of the population (thought this varies geographically, from under 7% in Gwent to over 61% in Gwynedd). Additionally, according to Census 2001, some 39% of all 10-15 year olds can speak, read and write Welsh. Although there are several Welsh-language television and radio channels, English is still the main language spoken in Wales - very few people can only speak Welsh.

Sleep

Wales is very tourist-friendly, so finding hotel accommodation or a place to pitch a tent should not be a problem. However, you might need to make prior reservations during the summer season in tourist areas such as Llandudno, Llangollen, Rhyl, Swansea/Mumbles and Tenby.

Eat

Wales is not famous for its cuisine, but there are a few speciality dishes that you might like to try:

• Welsh Rarebit - a melted cheese dish, often spiced with ale and herbs and served on toasted bread.
• Laver bread (pronounced "lar-ver") is not, as the name implies, bread, but a specially-prepared purée made from sea-weed. It is generally rolled into small cakes mixed with oatmeal and served at breakfast alongside bacon rashers. This dish is only available in Swansea and places west and can be purchased raw at Swansea market.

Get in

By Car

South Wales enjoys good motorway connections with the rest of the UK

• The M4 links London with Bristol, and via the Severn (toll) Bridge, Newport, Cardiff, Swansea, and Carmarthen
• The M50 links the Midlands with South Wales

North Wales has no motorway connections. However there are still good road connections with the rest of the UK

• The A5, followed by the M54 after Shrewsbury, to London and the Midlands takes you through the spectacular Snowdonia National Park
• The island of Anglesey is along the A55 road along the North Wales coast. If you are approaching from the south try the A5 that takes you through the mountains of North Wales.

By Rail

• South Wales - Main line rail services connect south Wales (especially Cardiff) with all parts of the UK, via Virgin Trains (http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/) (to Birmingham and the North East, including Scotland), Central Trains (http://www.centraltrains.co.uk) (to the Midlands), Arriva Trains Wales (http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/) and First Great Western (http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk) (to London Paddington).
• North Wales - Connections to Birmingham New Street and Manchester are provided by Arriva Trains Wales (http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/).

See National Rail (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk)'s website for train timetables, or The TrainLine (http://www.thetrainline.co.uk)'s website for tickets.

By Air

Air Wales (http://www.airwales.co.uk), bmibaby (http://www.bmibaby.co.uk) and Ryanair (http://www.ryanair.co.uk) all operate scheduled services to and from Cardiff Airport. The airport is located nine miles from the city centre, and there are regular bus services from the centre to the airport. Alternatively, you can also get to the airport using a bus service from Barry Station, which is closer to the airport and on local rail lines.

By Bus

National Express (http://www.nationalexpress.co.uk) operates coach services around the UK including to and from many parts of Wales.

Get Around

• Arriva Trains Wales (http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/) operates most local rail services in Wales.
• Arriva (http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/) operates a large amount of bus services in North Wales.
• First Cymru (http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/wales/swwales/home/index.php) operates services in South West Wales
• Stagecoach (http://www.stagecoachbus.com/southwales/) operates services in South Wales

Contact

See Contact entry under United Kingdom for national information on telephone, internet and postal services.

See Contact entries under individual cities for local information.

External links

• Official Wales Tourist Board (http://www.visitwales.com/)
• Welsh Historic Monuments (http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/)
• Castles of Wales (http://www.castlewales.com/home.html) - non-profit web guide of Wales' 641 (!) castles