Wales Travel Guide

Social Conventions

The monarchy, though now only symbolic politically, is a powerful and often subconscious unifying force. Members of the Royal Family are the subject of unceasing fascination, with their every move avidly followed and reported by the popular press, both in the UK and abroad.

Handshaking is customary when introduced to someone for the first time. Normal social courtesies should be observed when visiting someone's home and a small present such as flowers or chocolates is appreciated. It is polite to wait until everyone has been served before eating.

Clothing: Some nightclubs and restaurants do not allow jeans and trainers, otherwise casual wear is widely acceptable.

International Travel

Getting There By Air

Departure Tax

None.

Main Airports

Cardiff International Airport (CWL) (www.cwlfly.com) is 19km (12 miles) from Cardiff. To/from the airport: A rail link connects the airport with Cardiff Central station. A bus runs between Cardiff city center and the airport. Taxis are available outside the terminal building. Car hire is available. Facilities: Restaurants, shops, bureau de change, ATMs, children's play area and executive lounge.

Getting There By Water

Main ports: Fishguard, Holyhead (Anglesey) (www.holyheadport.com), Pembroke (www.mhpa.co.uk) and Swansea (www.abports.co.uk), all of which have ferry connections to the Republic of Ireland, with companies including Irish Ferries (tel: 0818 300 400; www.irishferries.com) and Stena Line (tel: 01776 802 165; www.stenaline.com).

Getting There By Rail

There are two mainline routes into Wales. One runs from London Paddington to Fishguard along the south Wales coast (branching at Whitland to serve Haverford West and Milford Haven), while the other links Holyhead with Chester and northwest England. In addition, the line from Cardiff to Chester (via Newport, Hereford and Shrewsbury) links the south Wales cities with Abergavenny in Gwent and Wrexham in Clwyd.

There are also two smaller cross-country lines: these run from Shrewsbury to Welshpool, Barmouth, Harlech, Porthmadog and Pwllheli; from Shrewsbury via Welshpool to Aberystwyth; and from Craven Arms (on the Shrewsbury–Ludlow line) through Llandrindod Wells and Llandovery down to Swansea. For details, contact National Rail Enquiries (tel: 0845 748 4950; www.nationalrail.co.uk).

Getting There By Road

The best road approach to Wales from southern England is via the M4 motorway, which runs from west London to Newport, Cardiff and Swansea, almost to Carmarthen. The A5 links London and the Midlands with the ferry port of Holyhead, and the A55 links Holyhead with Chester. The best cross-country road is probably the A44/A470 from Oxford to Aberystwyth.

Duty Free

Overview

The following items may be imported into the UK without incurring customs duty by travelers aged 17 years and over arriving from non-EU countries:

• 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco. These can be combined provided travelers do not exceed their total tobacco allowance.
• 4L of still wine.
• 1L of alcoholic beverages stronger than 22% or 2L of fortified or sparkling wine or other liqueurs. These can be combined provided travelers do not exceed their total alcohol allowance.
• 16L of beer.
• Other goods including souvenirs up to the value of £340.

Note: Goods obtained duty and tax paid in the EU are unlimited.

Prohibited Imports

Prohibited items include unlicensed drugs, offensive weapons, indecent and obscene material featuring children, counterfeit and pirated goods, meat, dairy and other animal products, and pornography.

Restricted items include firearms, explosives and ammunition, live animals, endangered species, certain plants and their produce and radio transmitters.

Prohibited Exports

It's illegal to take any meat, meat products, milk, and milk and dairy products abroad from animals that are susceptible to foot and mouth disease. This ban includes sandwiches, packed lunches, and food for self-catering holidays, and includes fresh, chilled, frozen, tinned, preserved and processed products.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Rail

There are a large number of local steam railways, rescued by railway enthusiasts during the Beeching era, known collectively as The Great Little Trains of Wales. The most famous of these is the one at Ffestiniog, Porthmadog in Snowdonia, which has lovingly restored locomotives and carriages from the last century.

Others include the Welshpool and Llanfair Railway (in north Powys), the Talyllyn Railway (near Barmouth in Cardigan Bay) and the Bala Lake Railway. Passport tickets are available, giving access to all the railways for the whole season. For further information, contact The Great Little Trains of Wales (www.greatlittletrainsofwales.co.uk).

Getting Around By Road

Many of the smaller roads are slow, and in upland areas may become impassable during bad weather. The latest traffic information is available from Traffic Wales (www.traffic-wales.com).

Getting Around Towns and Cities

All the main centers have local bus services. There is a good network of local train services radiating from Cardiff.