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Two spectacular Welsh road trips named among UK’s most popular

13 Sep 2026 4 minute read

Great Orme, Llandudno. Image: Humphrey M via Unsplash

Nation.Cymru Staff

Two Welsh road trip routes have been named among the most popular in the UK and Ireland as growing numbers of holidaymakers look closer to home for their next getaway.

Holiday provider Away Resorts revealed that 46% of people would choose a UK staycation as their ideal trip, with social media searches for road trips increasing by 200% in August.

Based on this search data, Away Resorts measured the popularity, average driving time and total distance of the most popular road trips across the UK and Ireland to find the top 9.

The rankings include two Welsh road trips, offering drivers the chance to experience some of the best of the country’s mountains, countryside and coastline.

Cambrian Way

Ogwen Valley during the blue hour Dawn, Eryri. Image: James Kelly Smith via Unsplash

Ranked fourth on the list, the Cambrian Way runs for 185 miles from Cardiff in south Wales all the way to Llandudno on the north coast.

Tracing Wales through its mountainous middle, the route runs through Bannau Brycheiniog, skirts the Elan Valley near Rhayader and continues past Dolgellau into Eryri National Park, passing through Betws-y-Coed before finishing at the seaside resort of Llandudno.

Betws-y-Coed. Image: Colin Jones via Unsplash

Cadw recommends taking five days to complete the road trip, covering around 50 miles a day of relatively easy driving thanks to the route sticking closely to the A470.

Along the Cambrian Way, potential stops include the Royal Mint and Rhondda Heritage Park in south Wales before the route heads through Bannau Brycheiniog, where visitors can take a trip on the Brecon Mountain Railway.

Further north, highlights include the reservoirs and mountain scenery of Elan and Eryri, the waterfalls and wooded gorge at Devil’s Bridge, the former home of First World War poet Hedd Wyn at Yr Ysgwrn, and the historic Gwydir Castle.

Pembrokeshire Coast

Tenby. Image: Beata Mitrega via Unsplash

Also included in the rankings is the Pembrokeshire Coast road trip. Ranking seventh, this shorter trip covers 110 miles, beginning in Amroth.

While Away Resorts recommends travelling 95 miles to St Davids, the actual Pembrokeshire Coast Path stretches slightly further north to St Dogmaels.

Spots to stop off at along the way include the popular holiday destinations of Saundersfoot and Tenby, from which you can take a boat trip to Caldey Island, where the first recorded community dates back to the 6th century.

Also along the way is the Stackpole Estate, a nature reserve renowned for the Bosherston Lily Ponds, Barafundle Bay and Broadhaven South beaches, and the quaint Stackpole Quay.

Pembrokeshire. Image: Tobias Keller via Unsplash

Travelling around the coast, you can see St Govan’s Chapel, St Anne’s Head, and take another boat trip to Skomer Island, home to the largest Atlantic Puffin colony in southern Britain.

Reaching St Davids, drivers can join The Coastal Way, another Cadw trip which stretches up to Aberdaron on the Llyn Peninsula.

On the short section between St Davids and St Dogmaels, recommended stops include the Blue Lagoon at Abereiddi, a flooded former slate quarry, the historic harbour at Porthgain and Strumble Head lighthouse.

Further north, visitors can explore the dramatic folded cliffs and sea caves around Ceibwr Bay before finishing at the ruins of St Dogmaels Abbey.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Image: Ian Cylkowski via Unsplash

The Pembrokeshire Coast was also ranked as the fourth most photographed road trip in the UK and Ireland, with 148,000 Instagram posts.

Two other Welsh routes, the Anglesey Coastal Path and Ceredigion Coast, also featured in the scenic rankings.
Kate Watts, spokesperson for Away Resorts, said: “Road trips offer something that a traditional holiday abroad can’t: the freedom to explore at your own pace and discover multiple destinations all in one trip.

“From stunning coastlines and quaint villages to countryside escapes, the UK and Ireland have an incredible variety of landscapes to explore by car.

“A road trip allows you to build a holiday around the journey, stopping at lesser-known spots along the way and seeing much more of what the UK and Ireland have to offer.”

To see the full list of the best road trips in the UK and Ireland, visit the Away Resorts site here.

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