Wales by train

The best time to visit Wales is during the shoulder seasons, May to June or September to October. Weather is mild, coastal towns are quieter than peak summer, and accommodation is easier to book. There are highlights year-round: the Hay Festival brings the world's leading writers to Hay-on-Wye every spring, the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod fills North Wales with music each July, the National Eisteddfod, Europe's largest festival of its kind, alternates between North and South Wales every August, and the Six Nations rugby brings crowds to Cardiff's Principality Stadium each February and March.

The best things to do in North Wales include hiking Snowdonia, exploring historic castles, and visiting the coastal towns of Conwy and Llandudno.

• Hiking or mountain climbing in Snowdonia National Park

• Watersports and treetop ziplining along the North Wales coast and River Dee

• Exploring Conwy Castle and the medieval walls of Conwy

• Riding the Great Orme Tramway above Llandudno

• Walking sections of the Wales Coast Path around Anglesey

• Visiting Caernarfon Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

• Exploring Cardiff Castle and the Wales Millennium Centre in the capital

• Browsing the second-hand bookshops of Hay-on-Wye, known as the 'town of books'

• Hiking the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog), with waterfalls, mountain peaks and some of the UK's darkest skies for stargazing

Wales is reachable by direct trains from London Paddington to South Wales, calling at Newport, Cardiff and Swansea, and from London Euston to North Wales, calling at Bangor and Holyhead. Connections are also available from major English cities including Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham. Within Wales, the North Wales Coast Line and South Wales Main Line connect towns along both coasts, including onward links to Pembrokeshire in the west.

Our price includes all transport, accommodation and a personalized itinerary for your trip. Byway's travel experts are also available on WhatsApp throughout for disruption support and travel tips.

No, flights to Europe aren't included, but all transport and accommodation once you're here is. Short-haul flights are highly carbon-intensive, and traveling around Europe by train, ferry or bus is an easy, enjoyable alternative.

Yes. Different hotel options are available to choose from on the trip page, and any room upgrade requests can be added in the booking form. Our team will then find upgrade options and discuss them with you.

No. If you'd like to leave Europe from a different city, our concierge team can build you a custom one-way trip.

Yes. Prices on our trip pages are shown in your local currency by default, or you can select your preferred currency, including USD, CAD, EUR or CHF, from the dropdown in the top right corner of the trip page. The payment page will always show the price in your chosen currency.

You can generally bring as much luggage as you can carry, as long as it fits in the luggage racks or overhead space. On Eurostar, UK and most European trains, the standard allowance is two large bags and one smaller item, provided you can manage them yourself; let us know in advance if you're planning to bring anything oversized. Since you may need to change stations or walk to hotels, packing light makes the journey more comfortable.

Most European train tickets are digital and sent to you by email. A few, including tickets for Spain, Portugal and some EuroCity trains, require paper tickets, which can be mailed to a hotel on your itinerary.

No, Byway trips are self-guided, not part of a group tour. You'll have on-demand personalized support by WhatsApp, text or phone throughout, so all the planning and booking is done for you, and any disruptions are handled without you having to worry about them.