Across the Severn and beyond: an introduction to Wales in a hire car

The best tip I have for visiting Wales is to take a car.

Despite the merits of using public transport, and tourist-targeted railways through scenic spots, access to a car affords tremendous freedom (especially if used in combination with other forms of transport). Isolated spots are more easily accessible, you can travel at your own pace and to your own timetable, and you can make as many impromptu stops as you like. Some places can be difficult to reach for the independent traveller who is relying on public transport, and some scenery is just too breathtaking to watch speeding by through a window. Sometimes you need to stop and explore the castle that appears out of nowhere on a hill, or the ruined chapel that peeks out from between the trees.

To that end, it would also be a wonderful place to take a cycling or walking holiday. Unfortunately, we only had a couple of days so couldn't afford such a relaxed pace of travel. In our case, a car was perfect.

Hiring a car

We arrived at Luton Airport (from Berlin) and picked up a hire car. Researching prices in advance, we found it was much cheaper to book a car through 1Car1, whose Luton branch is a short trip from the airport. We called them on arrival, they sent a car to collect us, and then we sorted out the paperwork and installation of the child car seat (which cost an extra £15 to hire). The whole process took quite a while, and I admit to feeling a bit impatient, but a little extra time saved us a lot of money over picking up a car at the airport.

(Note: a quick internet check revealed that 1Car1 went into administration in March 2009. I'm unsure of the business's fate.)

Don't get lost!

I recommend a sat-nav system if you'll be doing a lot of driving in out-of-the-way, unfamiliar territory, or a street directory, at the very least, if you can get hold of one along the way.

We managed to make our way through the entire trip using only print-outs of directions, from an internet service such as the AA's route planner, and a 1:650,000 scale map of Britain (picked up in Germany before departure). While this method was OK, and saved money (yes, I'm a cheapskate when I can get away with it), I have to confess that the starting points on the directions were not always entirely clear, especially if we were leaving a location that had, say, three exits on three different streets, or a car park that was located off the site of the attraction. (Although, a quick look at the AA website recently gave me the impression that the directions provided there are somewhat clearer than the directions I had at the time.)

While we were always able to head in the right general direction, and in most cases we made it to the target location without too many problems at all, we did have a problem reaching our Cardiff hotel after heading into the city from Caerphilly Castle. We drove around in circles for at least an hour in the city, due to the fact that our city maps, printed from the internet, didn't reveal which streets were only one-way, or which were closed to vehicles during peak traffic times. And, of course, our prior knowledge of Cardiff was zero.

If you enter Wales via the M4 Second Severn Crossing

• Make sure you have cash to pay the toll, as credit/debit cards are not accepted.
• Ideally, have the appropriate amount in coins so you can use the automated coin machines (which, as of 16 June of this year, have only "limited availability"). The staffed toll booth is probably not the best place to break your crisp £50 note. (Better yet, fellow foreign tourists, don't allow your bank to issue you any £50 notes at all. I had real trouble spending them in England, though no problems in Welsh shops.)
• Don't attempt to cross on a bicycle. There are no foot/bicycle lanes. Use the (old) M48 Severn Bridge instead.
• Check the latest information on tolls, closures and maintenance work here.

First views of Wales: through the car window

Wales is, immediately over the border from England, decidedly Welsh. (What a surprise: there really is a difference!)

Traffic signs are bilingual (Welsh first in some places, English first in others). Red dragons flutter on their white and green flags, and in late March, the ground was covered in clumps of daffodils (the floral emblem of Wales), more daffodils than I could have imagined. They seemed to spring up in every available space, and, as we headed into the Brecon Beacons, they almost covered some of the fields. Viewed through the soft, golden light of the setting sun, the colour alone was enough to make me gasp, especially when offset by the sombre grey stone of ruined castles and churches poking up, surprisingly often, in between.

The Welsh countryside is full of beautiful ruins, and home to over 400 castles (a very high concentration for a nation only about 20,800 square kilometres in area). And, unless you've researched them all thoroughly and know exactly when and where to expect them, as you drive around Wales, these castles and ruins seem to appear out of nowhere as you round a bend. At times like this you'll wish you were on a bicycle, so you could savour the view slowly, stop, and probably take a photo. In a car, sometimes you're gone too quickly and the most beautiful spots often don't have a safe place to park the car off the road.

Furthermore, any photos you take, or view, of the Welsh countryside will struggle to capture the real beauty of the place. Looking at the trees on the hills near Tintern Abbey, for example, I was fascinated by the softness, the painted-on look of them. A photograph couldn't quite capture that.

But, having a car does enable you to stop wherever you can park, and I certainly found myself stopping unexpectedly at Llandovery when I caught sight of the castle and shiny statue of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan (not to be confused with Llywelyn ap Gruffydd) on the hill.

(Note for parents: this is a great place for your kids to stretch their legs. Clambering up to the castle is great fun, but there's also a playground/park behind the hill. As it's in town, you can also find the all-important food and drink.)

Before you drive off

If you're coming from abroad, you should make yourself acquainted with the basic UK-specific road rules and penalties for their infringement; even if you're an experienced driver, driving in another country, possibly on the other side of the road (depending on where you come from) can be a strange experience. Before you hire a car, you should also check with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to make sure your licence is valid in the UK (though most are).