How to get to the Brecon Beacons
Train
Major rail stations:
Abergavenny (East end of National Park), Merthyr Tydfil (South centre of National Park) and Llandovery (North West of National Park).
Arriva Trains Wales operates services from the north (Shrewsbury, Crewe, Manchester) and south (Newport) to Abergavenny, and from Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil
Heart of Wales Line trains run from the north (Shrewsbury) and south (Swansea) and stop at Llandovery
New! You can now book combined rail and bus tickets to your end destination in one transaction using Cymru Connect:
www.traveline-cymru.info/cymru-connect
Local rail stations
The Brecon Mountain Railway operates from Pant Station near Merthyr Tydfil, for a scenic steam train ride to Pontsticill Reservoir.
Bus
For coach or bus travel to Cardiff:
More bus services in and around Powys
www.powys.gov.uk/summer_2011_timetable
Local buses
The National Park's Beacons Bus operates on summer Sundays and Bank Holidays to Brecon from
- Cardiff via Caerphilly and Merthyr (bike trailer available)
- Newport
- Hereford
- Carmarthen
- Swansea via Neath
- Bridgend
- Porthcawl via Pontypridd and Aberdare
Once in the park you can use Beacons Bus services to get to places including
- National Park Visitor Centre
- Llangorse Lake
- Blaenavon World Heritage Centre and Big Pit
- Villages along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal
- Garwnant Forest
- The Geopark (within the National Park)
- Hay-on-Wye and the Llanthony Valley
- Brecon Mountain Railway
See: www.travelbreconbeacons.info/beacons-bus
You can also use this journey-planner:
Cycle
- National Cycle routes 8 and 42 - Sustrans
- Routes2ride.org.uk/wales
- The Taff Trail - 55 mile long route from Brecon to Cardiff
- www.cyclebreconbeacons.com - routes, information and bike hire
- www.mtbbreconbeacons.co.uk - mountain biking routes, guides and hire
Bike hire
- www.bipedcycles.co.uk - Biped Cycles, Brecon
- www.bikesandhikes.co.uk - Bikes and Hikes, near Brecon
- www.droverholidays.co.uk/bike-hire - Drover Holidays, Hay-on-Wye
- www.goshawk-activities.co.uk - Pedal Power Llandovery
- www.rideandhike.com - Ride and Hike (drop off/pick up service for cyclists and walkers), Brecon
Walking
The Beacons Way is a 101-mile walk which takes around eight days to complete.
Offa's Dyke Path, the 177-mile national trail which runs from north to south Wales, skirts the eastern edge of the Park. The Taff Trail from Brecon to Cardiff offers great scenery (choose from two routes from Brecon to Merthyr Tydfil) and the 48-mile Usk Valley Way from Caerleon to Brecon takes in the beautiful Vale of Usk.
- www.breconbeacons.org/beacons-way
- www.offasdyke.demon.co.uk
- www.tourism.powys.gov.uk/walks
- www.uskvalleywalk.org.uk
Boat
You can sail, row, canoe or windsurf on Llangorse lake, the largest natural lake in South Wales
You can canoe or kayak on the rivers Usk and Wye
On the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal you can canoe, hire a narrowboat or go on a day cruise
- www.beaconparkboats.com
- www.countrycraftnarrowboats.co.uk
- www.cambriancruisers.co.uk
- www.castlenarrowboats.co.uk
- www.dragonfly-cruises.co.uk
- www.mon-brec-canal-trust.org.uk
- www.backwatershire.co.uk/canoehire
For more boating ideas and places to visit see
Information centres
Open all year
- National Park Visitor Centre and Tea Rooms (Mountain Centre), Libanus, south of Brecon
01874 623366 - Abergavenny Tourist Information & National Park Centre
01873 853254 - Llandovery Tourist Information & Heritage Centre
01550 720693
Open weekends only in winter
- Waterfalls Centre, Pontneddfechan, nr Glynneath
01639 721795. Email. Open:
Other information centres (opening times vary)
- Blaenavon World Heritage Centre
01495 742333 - Brecon
01874 622485 - Crickhowell
01873 812105 - Hay-on-Wye - The Craft Centre
01497 820144 - Talgarth - The Tower Shop
01874 712226
More information
Dial-a-ride offers a service for people with disabilities or anyone over 60, in Brecon and surrounding area
01874 624060 (mornings)
