Driving Roads and Touring in North Wales

North Wales has some of the finest driving roads in Britain. Mountain passes that climb between 3,000-foot peaks, open moorland straights across the Denbigh Moors, tight valley roads following rivers through ancient forest, and a coastline that connects medieval walled towns with Victorian seaside resorts. It is no accident that car magazines, motorcycle journalists, and automotive film crews return here repeatedly — the combination of surface quality, scenery, variety, and relatively light traffic is hard to match anywhere in England and Wales.

Betws-y-Coed sits at the junction of the A5 and A470, at the eastern gateway to Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park. Every significant driving road in the region is within easy reach, and most of the best routes can be combined into loops that start and finish at the village. Whether you are touring by car, motorcycle, classic, or EV, this is a natural base.

The Mountain Passes

Llanberis Pass — A4086

The most dramatic road in Eryri. The A4086 climbs from Nant Peris through a narrow glacial valley between the Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) massif to the south and the Glyderau to the north. Giant slate boulders line the road, the peaks rise steeply on both sides, and the surface twists through a series of tight bends as it ascends to Pen-y-Pass at the top.

It is an exceptional piece of road — but it comes with a caveat. The Llanberis Pass is also the main approach to the Pen-y-Pass car park, the starting point for the Pyg Track and Miners’ Track up Yr Wyddfa. During peak season (particularly summer weekends and bank holidays), traffic can be heavy, slow, and frustrating. Get a clear run — early morning, midweek, or out of season — and the pass is unforgettable. Get it wrong and you will spend most of it behind a queue.

Best direction: West to east (climbing from Llanberis towards Pen-y-Pass) for the most dramatic reveal of the valley.
From Bryn Bella: 25 minutes to the base of the pass via Capel Curig.

Nant Gwynant — A498

If the Llanberis Pass is dramatic and enclosed, Nant Gwynant is its more photogenic neighbour. The A498 drops from Pen-y-Gwryd (the junction at the top of the Llanberis Pass) south-west through one of the most photographed valleys in Wales, passing the shores of Llyn Gwynant and Llyn Dinas — two glacial lakes set beneath the southern slopes of Yr Wyddfa. The road is wider and more flowing than the Llanberis Pass, with long views down the valley, and it continues through to Beddgelert, one of the prettiest villages in North Wales.

This is the road that appears in almost every North Wales road-trip feature. It has been used as a filming location for multiple productions, and on a clear day the combination of lakes, mountains, and well-surfaced tarmac is as good as anything in the Alps.

Best direction: North-east to south-west (descending from Pen-y-Gwryd towards Beddgelert) for the views opening up as you drop into the valley.
From Bryn Bella: 20 minutes to the Pen-y-Gwryd junction.

The Ogwen Valley — A5

The stretch of the A5 between Capel Curig and Bethesda is Thomas Telford’s engineering at its finest — a wide, fast, sweeping road that cuts between the Carneddau to the north and the Glyderau to the south. Tryfan’s distinctive triangular profile dominates the view ahead as you drive west, and the road passes Llyn Ogwen before dropping through Nant Ffrancon towards the coast. The surface is excellent, the sightlines are long, and the scenery is relentless.

This is also a road where low-flying military jets regularly pass through the valley — the Mach Loop training area is nearby, and fast jets threading between the mountains at eye level or below is a spectacle unique to this part of Wales.

Best direction: East to west (from Capel Curig towards Bethesda) for Tryfan head-on.
From Bryn Bella: 10 minutes to Capel Curig, then straight onto the A5 westbound.

The Crimea Pass — A470

The A470 between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Dolwyddelan crosses the Crimea Pass — a high, open road with long views across the slate landscape and the Moelwynion mountains. Less well-known than the Llanberis Pass but a fine road in its own right, with a very different character: exposed moorland, wide carriageway, and a sense of remote elevation. Named after the Crimean War, during which it was built to serve the slate quarries.

Best direction: South to north (climbing from Blaenau towards Dolwyddelan).
From Bryn Bella: 20 minutes to Dolwyddelan via the A5/A470.

The Evo Triangle

The most famous named driving route in North Wales — and one of the most talked-about circuits in the UK. The Evo Triangle takes its name from Evo Magazine, whose road testers have used this approximately 20-mile loop as a benchmark for car reviews for years. The route is formed by three roads: the A5, the A543, and the B4501, meeting on the Denbigh Moors east of Betws-y-Coed.

The A5 section (Cerrigydrudion to Pentrefoelas) is wide and smooth with gentle curves — a fast, flowing warm-up. At Pentrefoelas, you turn north onto the A543 (also known as the Sportsman’s Pass), which climbs onto the open moorland with tighter, more technical bends and long straights across a vast, empty landscape. The Sportsman’s Arms pub sits at the junction with the B4501 — reputedly one of the highest pubs in Wales. From there, the B4501 takes you south past Llyn Brenig reservoir, through rolling hills and sweeping curves back to the A5 at Cerrigydrudion, completing the triangle.

The whole circuit takes around 30 minutes without stops, but can easily fill a morning if you stop for views, repeat a favourite section, or extend the route.

A word of caution: the Evo Triangle’s popularity has attracted attention. Average speed cameras have been installed on sections of the route. Drive within the limits — the roads are enjoyable at legal speeds, and the cameras are there because too many people demonstrated otherwise.

From Bryn Bella: 15 minutes east on the A5 to Cerrigydrudion, the natural starting point.

Extended Routes and Loops

The Snowdon Circuit

A full loop around the Yr Wyddfa massif: Betws-y-Coed → Capel Curig (A5) → Pen-y-Gwryd → Llanberis Pass (A4086) → Llanberis → Caernarfon → Beddgelert (A4085) → Nant Gwynant (A498) → Pen-y-Gwryd → Capel Curig → Betws-y-Coed. Approximately 65 miles, 2–3 hours without stops. Takes in three mountain passes, two lakeside roads, and the walled town of Caernarfon. Best driven anti-clockwise for the views.

The B5106 — Conwy Valley Road

A quieter alternative to the A5, running along the western bank of the Afon Conwy between Betws-y-Coed and Conwy. Narrower and more technical than the main roads — tight bends through woodland, river views, and the kind of road that rewards precision rather than speed. Passes Gwydir Castle and the Trefriw Woollen Mills before reaching Conwy, where you can park by the castle walls and walk the town.

The Horseshoe Pass — A542

South-east of the region near Llangollen, the Horseshoe Pass climbs to 417m with a series of sweeping bends and panoramic views across the Vale of Clwyd. A popular detour for riders and drivers entering North Wales from the English Midlands via the A5. Combine it with the Evo Triangle for a full-day east-side route.

The B4391 — Bala to Ffestiniog

A remote moorland road across the Migneint — one of the largest areas of upland bog in Wales. Wide, fast, and empty, with very little traffic. Not a technical road, but the sense of isolation and the vast, open landscape make it memorable. A useful link between the Bala area and the western side of the park.

Anglesey Coastal Circuit

Cross Thomas Telford’s Menai Suspension Bridge (or the Britannia Bridge for speed) and follow the A4080/A5025 around the coastline of Anglesey. Approximately 75 miles of coastal driving — sandy beaches, cliff-top sections, fishing harbours, and some of the best views back across the Menai Strait to the Eryri mountains. A good contrast day after mountain passes.

Motorcyclists

North Wales is one of the premier motorcycle touring destinations in the UK. The combination of mountain passes, open moorland, quiet valley roads, and a compact geography that packs huge variety into short distances makes it ideal for bikes. Most of the roads described above are as good on two wheels as four — and some (the Llanberis Pass, the B5106, the B4501) are arguably better, given the ability to make progress through slower traffic.

Betws-y-Coed and the surrounding area are well-established biker territory. You will see touring bikes, sportsbikes, and adventure bikes throughout the season, and the village cafes and pubs are used to leather-clad visitors.

At Bryn Bella, motorcycles can be parked securely on-site. We have drying facilities for leathers and kit, and Mark — who knows these roads well — can advise on routes, conditions, and timing to get the best from the day.

Classic Cars and Enthusiast Vehicles

North Wales has a long association with classic car touring. The roads suit it perfectly — the surfaces are generally well-maintained, the gradients are manageable, and the scenery provides the kind of backdrop that makes the effort of keeping an older car on the road worthwhile. Classic rallies and tours regularly pass through the area.

Bryn Bella offers off-road parking for every guest and a private parking garage by prior arrangement — relevant if you are travelling in something valuable and do not want to leave it exposed overnight. Let us know what you are bringing when you book and we will make sure there is space.

Electric Vehicle Touring

Touring North Wales in an EV is entirely viable — and increasingly popular — but it does require a degree of planning that combustion-engine drivers can ignore. Public charging infrastructure in Eryri is still limited, particularly away from the A55 corridor and the main villages. A day in the mountain passes will use more energy than a day on flat motorway, and the remote moorland routes (B4391, the Evo Triangle) have no charging en route.

Bryn Bella has an on-site Type 2 7kW charger and a 3-pin 3kW connector, both part of the ZeroNet network. Charging is free for guests who book direct. The practical advantage is simple: explore all day, plug in when you return, and start the next morning fully charged. Reserve the charger bay when you book to guarantee availability.

Fuel

If you are driving a combustion engine — particularly something that requires super unleaded — plan your fuel stops. There is a petrol station in Betws-y-Coed (Shell, on the A5) but fuel availability in the wider park is patchy. The nearest reliable super unleaded stations are in Llanrwst (10 minutes north), Llanberis, and Caernarfon. The Evo Triangle and the moorland routes have no fuel for their entire length. Top up before heading out.

Practical Information

Speed limits: Many roads in Eryri pass through villages with 20mph or 30mph limits. Wales adopted a national default 20mph limit in built-up areas in September 2023. Respect it — enforcement is active, and the villages are small communities, not chicanes.

Road conditions: Mountain pass surfaces are generally good but can be affected by gravel wash after heavy rain, ice in winter, and standing water. Single-track sections on some B-roads require passing-place etiquette. Farm vehicles and sheep on the road are part of the landscape — expect them.

Weather: Conditions change quickly in the mountains. A clear valley does not guarantee clear passes. Allow for rain, low cloud, and reduced visibility at elevation, even in summer.

Stay at Bryn Bella

Bryn Bella Guest House sits on the edge of Betws-y-Coed at the junction of the A5 and A470 — the natural starting point for every route described on this page. We are a small, independently run guest house with an AA 4-Star Gold rating and the AA Breakfast Award, run by Joan and Mark Edwards for over two decades.

Parking: Free on-site parking with one allocated space per room. Private garage available by prior arrangement for classic, high-value, or vulnerable vehicles — contact us when you book.

EV Charging: On-site Type 2 7kW and 3-pin 3kW chargers (ZeroNet). Free for direct bookings. Reserve in advance.

Motorcycle Parking: Secure on-site parking for bikes. Drying facilities for leathers and gear.

Breakfast: Cooked to order from 08:00, using eggs from our own free-range hens and local ingredients. A proper fuel stop before a day on the road. Full details on the breakfast page.

Local Knowledge: Mark knows these roads well and can advise on routes, conditions, timing, fuel stops, and alternatives based on weather and traffic. This is the kind of advice you will not get from a hotel chain.

Five ensuite rooms — double and king-size — with views over the Conwy Valley or the garden and Gwydir Forest. Prices from £85 per room per night including breakfast.

Check availability and book direct →

Questions? See our frequently asked questions or get in touch.

More about the area: Accommodation in Betws-y-Coed | B&B near Eryri (Snowdonia) | Eco-Friendly | Local Area Guide