I have fond memories of spending over a month with a friend in Swansea way back in 2014. It was summertime, and she lived a 10-minute walk from the beach. The small harbor we walked by every day was charming, and life in Wales is the perfect pace–not hurried at all but not terribly slow. So when my friend and her husband invited us to spend a weekend with them in Wales during our recent UK trip, we were excited.
How to get to Wales from London
There are several ways to get to Wales from London.
We flew (thanks to last-minute rail closures) to meet our friends in Manchester and then drove together to Llandudno, a small town in Conwy. We drove back to Manchester on Sunday morning and took the train from there to London on Monday morning. It was a three-hour journey that flew by.
Taking the train to Manchester and then driving to Wales is also a great option. You could also just fly from London if you’re going to a bigger city like Cardiff and there are trains from London to Llandudno.
Where we stayed in Llandudno
Our Airbnb was a cute two-bedroom flat in Penrhyn Bay. It looks even better in person and has a lovely backyard perfect for hanging out. The kitchen was insanely well-equipped, and I could have happily spent an entire month there. I highly recommend it. The host was super helpful and reasonable and had a whole guidebook of itinerary suggestions to keep us busy.
What to do in Llandudno, Wales
Our main goal for this trip was to hang out with our friends and then see a little bit of Llandudno. Thankfully, we had great weather for most of the trip–especially in early April. Here’s what we did (that I recommend):
Visit Colwyn Bay Beach
There is no shortage of beaches in Wales and even in Llandudno, but Colwyn Bay is undoubtedly the prettiest stretch of sandy beach in the town. We took a long walk on the beach, walked the lovely Colwyn Bay Pier, and took lots of pictures. There’s a sauna on the beach and a spot where you can sign up for watersports like surfing and parasailing.
Many kids were building sandcastles, and there was just something so relaxing about being on that beach. After our stroll, we stopped for some delicious whippy (or soft serve) ice cream, and honestly, that made my day.
We ended that day with some fish and chips from a cute little shop called Frydays. The staff was so friendly, but the fish and chips were not the best.
Grab a bite at Nikki Ips
Nikki Ips is a small Chinese restaurant in Conwy with delightful staff and tasty food. It’s a great stop after walking around Conwy Castle. We ordered a lot of starters and mains, doing a mix of a la carte and set menu selections (set menus are cheaper). My favorites were the spare ribs in barbecue sauce and the steamed king prawns.
See the Conwy Castle
This is a huge attraction in the area, and we paid £23.80 per couple to enjoy the self-guided tour. You can pay at the office when you arrive.
There are plenty of steps and lots of walking but if you’re wondering whether it’s worth visiting Conwy Castle, I’d say the views are so worth it.
It’s really well preserved, and it’s easy to see why it was a major fortification way back when. There’s also a nice gift shop with high-quality wool items and cute souvenirs.
Drive Around Llandudno
Finally, like many small beach towns, Llandudno lends itself well to slow living, free exploration, and relaxation. On our last evening, we took a drive around and popped into the neighborhood Co-op to pick up some dinner items. I love grocery shopping wherever I go, and it was cute to see Welsh butter on the shelves (it’s fantastic, too).
Llandudno weekend itinerary
I suggest spending at least two full days in Lladudno to fully enjoy it. Here’s a slow, relaxing 2-day itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive and head straight to Conwy Castle. Eat lunch at Nikki Ips and drive around the town before heading to your accommodation.
Day 2: Start the day at Colwyn Bay Beach. Hit up the on-the-beach sauna or try some activities if you’re into water sports. Get some ice cream and go hunt for some good fish and chips (there are several spots in town). Relax and pack up for your trip home.
Have you visited Wales? Which Welsh towns do you love? I definitely plan to visit Cardiff in the near future. If you’re planning a trip to Llandudno, I’m happy to answer your questions.
Bukky says
Just finished reading this to someone and they said “she’s a good writer!”. And I absolutely agree!!!
Afoma says
Aww thank you! 🙂