North Wales - Any ideas??

Anastasia

North Wales on a tight budget. I go there regularly. Was brought up in Colwyn Bay. We go to Eirias park in Colwyn Bay. They have an indoor swimming pool with a slide. You can have a picnic there. Pedaloes on a pond - not sure how much they are. We use the tennis centre as mine are sporty - Tel: 01492535844 for prices. They have outdoor and indoor courts and hire racquets. Also play area with swings in the park.

For almost free day out go to Llandudno West Shore - make sure it's 'West Shore'. Buy fishing nets and and buckets and spades and let them go looking for crabs and other sea life. Even my big teenagers still love doing this. Take a frisby and ball games.

Rhyl Sun Centre - indoor swimming - supposed to be very good but we haven't been there yet. My sister goes there with hers. Get there early and take lunch. Apparently well worth the cost.

If you are on a very tight budget stick to beach and walks. We have been through Conwy and up the Sychnant Pass. Smallest house is in Conwy.

Conwy Castle is worth considering as sometimes they enact life as it was in the past. Greenwood Forest is a good day out as others have mentioned and well worth it.

cherubs53

Greenwood Forest is very good and well worth the money, there are places to picnic. Criccieth is a nice place to visit, its quite old fashoned and "beachy" but you could combine a trip up to the castle, (not much castle left there but great views) with a walk on the beach, a quick look at the lifeboat if the station is open and an icecream from Cadwalladers.

full-time-mum

vikingaero wrote: »

Plenty of beaches to take them to.

If you want something to entertain the monsters all day and be good value then try Greenwood Forest Park http://www.greenwoodforestpark.co.uk/

It's £30.80 for a family of four. My two monsters aged 3 & 5 loved it even though it was geared more towards kids of your ages.

We've just been and thought it was expensive for what it was and although my 11 year old had a good time, it isn't really that suitable for the older children, especially given the cost. We did it on Tesco tokens so didn't feel too cheated. The craft activities are all extra at a couple of quid each.

I've just read some of the other posts and its interesting to see how different people judge the age range. My estimate would be that it would be best 4 - 11 year olds. The website makes the rides look a lot bigger than they really are.

• The Great Green Run was good for all ages - even I enjoyed it. Pick a time when there is a show on in the theatre otherwise you will queue for ages.
• Rollercoaster was interesting from a functional point of view but the actual ride isn't big.
• Jungle boat wasn't that exciting, and again quite short.
• Archery was better for older children but you do have to queue for quite some time and then get three shots.
• Forest Theatre - geared for younger children.
• Den building was fun and more suited to older children.
• Playgrounds were ok but not really challenging for the older children. Nothing you wouldn't find in a good country park playground for the cost of parking.
  
• Giant Jumper looked fun but only for under 12s and if 11 year old is big for age then there are height/weight restrictions too.
• Mazes were nothing.

Having said all that though, my children did spend an enjoyable day there. The 5 year old wanted to go back but the 11 year old wasn't interested.

nej

Waking up Snowdon is free (but hard work!). I'm doing with my 11yr-old (girl) in a few weeks time.

Amazing views and they get to tell their friends they climbed a mountain.

full-time-mum

We've just holidayed on Anglesey with 2 children 11 and 5.

We visited
1. Beaumaris (not that impressed) and then moved up to Benllech and scrambled around the rocks towards Red Wharf Bay. The was a cafe with a balcony overlooking the sea which was pleasant although the food wasn't anything to write home about - perfectly edible but not exactly gourmet, you are paying for the view.

2. Bangor Swimming pool - avoid like the plague, it was a dump and run by kids who were more interested in chatting than lifesaving. It was dirty and freezing in the changing rooms. Think rundown secondary school sports changing facilities and you get the idea.

3. Newborough warren beach is large - we went several times plus a walk in the evening but it will cost £3. We were staying in a van in a back garden and were given the locals season ticket to borrow. Was quite windy but we had a fishing/beach shelter and the children had wet suits. Be warned, the Llanddwyn Island looks like a headland on the map but gets cut off at High Tide (nearly got caught out at 9pm and had to wade :eek:)

4. Sea Zoo on Tesco tokens - OKish for a morning/afternoon but your children are probably a bit old.

5. South Stack Lighthouse/Ellins Tower. Tower is free and the RSPB have provided telescopes to watch the birds - we spent quite a while scanning the cliffs with help from the RSBP lady. You need to pay for the lighthouse but not mega expensive. If you drive back down the south/west coast road (through Treaddur), there are some lovely little coves/bays.

6. Aber Falls - very popular, good gravel path if you don't have walking boots. If you walk a bit further around (over the style), it is much quieter and there are some smaller falls and good spots for a more private picnic.

7. Several beaches slightly further around the coast from Newborough are nice. Porth Trecatstell, the beaches at Rhosneigr.

8. We got some nice fish and chips from Menai Bridge and then drove back up to the bridge viewing point to eat them; There were a couple of footpaths going down to the shore but we didn't try them as it was getting a bit late and our 2 were absolutely shattered.

It is also worth bearing in mind that if the mainland/mountains are under cloud and wet, then Anglesey is quite possibly still sunny and dry. It seems to have a climate all of its own.

If you are the outdoor walking type then invest in a good OS map and there are plenty of tracks to follow in the mountains. In previous years, we've done the Llanberis track up snowdon which is probably the gentlest but longest and part of the miners track - flatish to start with but with hefty lifts at the end. My brother walked up most of the Llanberis path aged 3. We were told that you need to get there early to get a parking spot or there is some sort of park and ride system of sherpa buses. If you use the buses, I think, but please check, you can go up one path and down another and get the bus back to the car park. Train is mega bucks and doesn't go to the top this year as they are rebuilding the cafe/visitors centre.

Hope you have a good time.

full-time-mum

oramgepekoe wrote: »

Walk to the spectacular Aber Falls, about one hour easy walking each way. The first link says parking £2 but I was able to park for free in the village.

There is not a lot of parking and the meter was vandalised when we went of Friday.

full-time-mum

OddjobKIA wrote: »

Angelsy has a good model village thats very cheap, Carnarfon is very pretty

We didn't visit this but were told by 2 separate people that it didn't amount to much.

We were staying right by BirdWorld and, although we didn't actually visit, it didn't look very big or inspiring.

ScorpioLady_2

Many thanks to Full Time Mum for her very detailed posts and all the other kind people who took the time to reply.

Deals_2

overall brilliant and though they said on tv that the weather was not goign to be great we had glorious weather - dont trust those weather people really! we went through Rhyl and were extremely disappointed tacky looking (needs a major facelift) but maybe the indoor swim centre is ok. i would not want to spend time there myself from what i have seen so far.
Snowdonia scenery was the highlight. as mentioned hereunder also by someone the llanberis pass is beautiful and so different. depends if you are into walkign and the weather there can be different from the coast.
we went to portmadog which looked interesting from outside - though not sure what age group would interest. we only saw this from outside. i am told it is supposed to be a bit pricey but it is lovely scenery in the area anyway.we went to town just before portmadog (forgot name) from where they have a few steam trains - one called the Welsh highland train for children. we thought this was extremely overpriced (locals told us it was overpriced in the town too !) and we found this very boring. thsi was an hour trip (though only goes 1 mile or so up on the tracks!!). the other one in town which lasts 3 hours i think looks better.
we went further down where we drove through Harlech - town which looks ok but nothing that interesting but maybe it was worth going in to see the castle but we didnt as didnt like the look of the town. we went further down from there to barmouth which was ok. looks like brilliant crabbing and nice estuary and beach but i thought the town was really run down again. hope i dont offend anyone on this!
We went to the beach just after Harlech and that was nice. we spent a lovely few hours relaxing there but you must take some shoes to be in the sea walking as apparently they have fish that can sting that hide in the sand all aroudn that coast from what i gather.
overall i would say maybe a castle such as Conwy castle - but locals would have better knowledge - a beach somewhere, the outdoor forest thing park mentioned above (but you really need to check if the ages woudl be adequate for your teenagers so not too boring) and the mountain range would be the highlight if you are into walking more so.

ScorpioLady wrote: »

Two children aged 11 and 13. Any ideas for days out in North Wales, please. On a VERY tight budget!!