Tourism
Whether you prefer a beach holiday, some gentle sightseeing or more strenuous activities in your leisure time, North West Wales fits the bill. Our selection of websites will help you find out where to stay and what to do. There is also a huge amount of tourist information on the county council websites.
Go North Wales
http://www.gonorthwales.co.uk/
This is the official website for the North Wales Tourism organisation and you can use it to find accommodation, request brochures and plan your whole visit to the region.
Wales on the Web
http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk
This site offers a selection of websites where you will find tourist information about North Wales, including travel advice, Welsh maps, holiday accommodation from hotels to camping-sites and tourist attractions.
Welcome to Wales
http://www.croeso.com
Welcome to Wales lists several towns in North West Wales and their attractions and facilities with links to other places of interest in and around the area.
Warm Welsh Welcome
http://www.croeso-cynnes-wales.co.uk/index.html
A site for North Wales that majors on helpful accommodation information, but also has sections on things to do and travel details. There is also a section introducing the Welsh language, which includes useful phrases and audio to help you pronounce them.
Visit Wales
http://www.visitwales.com
The official site of the Wales Tourist Board with a wealth of information in a range of categories. Whether you're interested in history, scenery, crafts, shopping, beaches or touring, you'll find some helpful hints along with background information on Welsh history, culture and taste. You can also look for accommodation online via a very detailed search facility.
The National Trust
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk
The National Trust website gives all the details you need before visiting one of their many properties in North West Wales, including Plas Newydd, Plas yn Rhiw and Penrhyn Castle. The Trust also owns large swathes of Snowdonia and the coastline, and the site also has plenty about activities for all and material for kids.
National Museums and Galleries of Wales
http://www.nmgw.ac.uk/
Of specific interest to North West Wales are the sections on the Welsh Slate Museum in Llanberis and the Roman Fort and Museum at Segontium, Caernarfon, both easy to access from clear links on the home page. All the practical details you need for a visit, a good description of what to expect and information about educational facilities too.
CADW
http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/
Design has triumphed over function on the Welsh historic monuments organisation's website. There is information there on historic buildings (including castles) and sites all over the North West, as well as the rest of Wales, but the almost impenetrable navigation makes it challenging to find. Perhaps best treated as a computer game!
Great Little Trains of Wales
http://www.greatlittletrainsofwales.co.uk
North West Wales is a railway buff's heaven and this site is a gateway to all those narrow gauge lines and other small independent operators like the Welsh Highland Railway. There are pictures, ticket details, travel details and links to the railways' own websites.
Seaside Awards
http://www.seasideawards.org.uk
This site has extensive details of standards and facilities, safety and surroundings for more than 40 beaches in North West Wales. There are also details of the criteria for Seaside Awards and Blue Flag status, and you can nominate your favourite beach. The only thing that's missing is photographs of the beaches.
Good Beach Guide
http://www.goodbeachguide.co.uk/
This Marine Conservation Society website gives technical information on water quality at beaches, but also provides a good guide to recommended North Wales beaches, with photographs, clear details of facilities and Ordnance Survey maps. Navigation around the site can be a bit awkward - using your back and forward keys is essential.
Naturist Beaches
http://www.combes.swinternet.co.uk/naturist
Four naturist beaches in North West Wales are listed on this site, but there are only full details for two of them - one in Anglesey, the other between Barmouth and Harlech. Sorry, no pictures!
The Conwy Valley
http://www.conwy-valley.org/
Almost everything you need to know to enjoy a holiday in the beautiful Conwy Valley, with details of places to visit, activities, accommodation and restaurants.
Llandudno and Colwyn Bay
http://www.llandudno-tourism.co.uk/
This is the official tourist website for the coastal stretch of Conwy county, from Kinmel Bay to Llanfairfechan, including the major resorts of Llandudno and Colwyn Bay. There's plenty of useful information there but, irritatingly, you have to scroll the text through a small viewing window.
Northwales.co.uk
http://www.northwales.co.uk
This new site includes reviews of pubs, restaurants and family days out previously published in the Daily Post. There are also town guides, events and accommodation ideas, plus maps and many other features.
Suggested by Dan Owen
Snowdon Mountain Railway
http://www.snowdonrailway.co.uk
This attractive site in eight languages has all the information you need about the train which takes passengers to the top of the highest peak in England and Wales. There are prices, times, technical information, picture downloads and an interactive map of the route.
Suggested by Allan Leech from London.
Snowdonia Wales
http://www.snowdonia-wales.net
A very cleanly designed and comprehensive guide to staying and shopping in Snowdonia, with additional sections on activities, suggested reading and events. It is not clear which parts of the site are paid-for advertising.
Llyn Peninsula
http://www.llyn-peninsula.co.uk
A useful guide to the Llyn Peninsula, this site gives you a range of information, including the area's most popular beaches and estimated journey times to other destinations. Also, it provides many links to other local sites for web cams, surf reports and travel information.
Suggested by Martyn Croydon
Visit Llyn
http://www.visitllyn.com
Welsh and English language variants of the same site are available by simply selecting the language in the bottom right-hand side of the home page. You can register for an email newsletter, read about coastline walks and check out the different moving camera clips featured on each topic's page. The map is a little bit too small for you to make out the place names, but you get the idea.
Suggested by Caroline Williams of Pwllheli
North Wales Caravan Exhibition
http://www.northwalescaravanexhibition.co.uk
Towyn is the venue for this four-day event over the May Day bank holiday weekend. It's a chance to find out about caravans, caravan parks and associated services.
Suggested by Andrew Walker, Gwespyr.
More tourism websites.
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