Cardiff - Llandudno

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Got to drive from Cardiff to Llandudno, a trip I've never done. Most sat navs and web route finders are showing the route to take as A49/A5.

Heading further east towards the motorways would be further distance, but any quicker?

Advice please.

Thanks

Stuart
 Welsh Kate 13 Mar 2017
In reply to Stuart (aka brt):

It doesn't make much difference which way you go, it's usually about 4 hours coast to coast!
 JoshOvki 13 Mar 2017
In reply to Stuart (aka brt):
Drive an extra 10 minutes and go to the Lake District instead?

I have done both A470 straight up and A49/A5/A483/A55, if I had to it again, I do would do the latter. Only takes getting stuck behind one vehicle to ruin the journey, and as you get more tired and get up north the roads try to kill you more.
Post edited at 09:56
 Rob Exile Ward 13 Mar 2017
In reply to Stuart (aka brt):

Welcome to a world of pain! Wales is two countries separated by a big (but beautiful) blob of nothingness. There's no easy way from South to North, you might prefer to go the Lake District which doesn't take much longer...

But if you HAVE to go to Llandudno I would say ignore your sat nav - the A470 is the route of choice. The M6 is quite a bit further and you still have to trek across Cheshire before you get to the coast road.

Take a flask and warm blankets.
Thanks all.

Locations are fixed unfortunately, but thanks for the heads up.

Noo Noo 13 Mar 2017
In reply to Stuart (aka brt):

A470 for me. Motorways round Birmingham now are a disaster zone. The other route, A49 is, from memory similar to the A470 but without the views.

I much prefer the views, the rest stops / cafe's are nicer.
In reply to Stuart (aka brt):
Depends when youre going and whether you want to have views/stops on the way.

A470 is nice, with plenty of scenic stopoff points - if you've never done it before and you're not in a rush go that way - but it can be tiring as it's mainly single carriageway winding roads so overtaking is difficult. Not too bad if you're travelling at midweek quiet times (late evening, early morning) but a pain if youre driving midday on a sunny sunday.

A49 is usually easier - wider, straighter and often dual carriageway roads, less tourist traffic.
I used to use the motorways if I wanted an easier drive but nowadays the A49 route is much improved and the motorways can be awful around B'ham I would definitely use A49. Wouldn't use A5 to ByC though. I'd go up towards Wrexham and hit the A483 & A55, or via Llangollen and Ruthin.
Post edited at 14:21
 Rob Exile Ward 13 Mar 2017
In reply to Ron Rees Davies:

The A470 is being improved though, particularly after Builth - definitely not as bad as it was. Perhaps we ought to organise a Cardiff to Llandudno Mille Miglia - via the A470,the A49 and the M6...
 JimmAwelon 13 Mar 2017
In reply to Stuart (aka brt):
I do that trip once a week, its rough. There are 4 main routes - the M50/M5/M6; the A470; the A470/A487; and the A49/A5 with rat-run/short-cut/country-lane variations on each. A fast accelerating vehicle that can make use of the long-straight overtaking spots feels great but once you get to the next set of traffic lights you will see the dozen slower moving vehicles that you have battled past in the last hour roll up behind you. I used to favour the motorways but that is hideous at the moment with a few sections of 50mph roadworks enforced by average speed cameras due to smart motorway network infrastructure going in. On the A roads all the councils are doing their end of financial year spend with roadworks and traffic lights round every corner. Hereford is always awful but can be bypassed to the SE; work on Newtowns bypass has just started so that is only going to get worse. Expect it to take 4hrs - Late at night or early morning can knock an hour off it but probably not if you don't know the roads or the route. My intelligent sat nav took me through Clun, Knighton and Kington last week, and much fun that was. I'm doing it again tomorrow and really cant decide what way to go. Not much help, all the best.
Post edited at 22:20
In reply to JimmAwelon:

At least it's confirmed that I haven't missed anything obvious (apart from it's going to be a pain).

Thanks

Stuart

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