Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Dangers & Annoyances
In general you'll receive a warm welcome all across Wales. The country is, overall, a pretty safe place to travel, but use
your common sense when it comes to hitchhiking or walking alone in city centres at night. Traffic issues and car theft
are not major concerns.
The obvious things to guard are your passport, travel documents, tickets and money. Don't leave valuables lying
around in your hotel or B&B room and never leave valuables in a car, especially overnight, even in more rural locations.
Look for secure parking near tourist offices and national-park visitor centres.
If you do encounter a problem, it could be inspired by alcohol. Binge drinking remains a social curse in Wales. If
you're unlucky enough to encounter a brawl outside a bar or club at closing time, just give it a wide berth. Wales is in-
creasingly cosmopolitan, but outside the main cities the population is still overwhelmingly white, and although racists
are a small minority, there have been some unpleasant incidents.
In Wales never assume that just because it's midsummer it will be warm and dry. General wetness aside, it's even
more important to treat outdoor adventures in areas such as Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia National Parks with re-
spect. Mist can drop with startling suddenness, leaving you dangerously chilled and disoriented. Never venture onto the
heights without checking the weather forecast and without being sensibly clad and equipped with good waterproof gear,
and always make sure someone knows where you're heading. Check mountain area forecasts in advance with the
Met
Office
(
www.metoffice.gov.uk/loutdoor/mountainsafety
) website.
HOSTELS
The concept of flashpacking hasn't yet taken hold in Wales and the vast majority of hostels and bunkhouses run
the risk of triggering repressed memories of school camps and scout dens. On the upside, many of them are spec-
tacularly located and well set up for walkers, with drying rooms and places for muddy boots.
Britain's
Youth Hostel Association
(YHA;
www.yha.org.uk
) operates hostels throughout the national parks
that may come in handy for filling overnight gaps in your walking or cycling itinerary. Many of the more remote
ones close from November to Easter or are only available for groups. A dorm bed costs around £18, unless other-
wise stated in the review.
Discount Cards
There are several passes available to travellers that offer good value for people keen on castles, stately homes, ruined ab-
beys and other properties owned by Wales' two heritage trusts, Cadw (
ka
-doo; Welsh for 'to keep') and the Welsh arm
of the UK-wide National Trust (NT).
