Guidebook Updates for Wales

When we learn of critical changes to the Welsh information in our Great Britain guidebook, we post them here. (Of course, it's still smart to reconfirm critical transportation and sightseeing details locally.) Armed with a Rick Steves guidebook and these late-breaking updates, you're set for a great trip!

Across Britain

  • Visitors to the UK are no longer able to get a VAT (value-added tax) refund on purchases made in UK shops, and tax-free sales at airports, Eurostar train stations, and in ports have been discontinued. In Great Britain, overseas visitors can still buy items tax-free at stores that offer this service, provided that the items are sent directly to an overseas address outside the UK. (Visitors to Northern Ireland may shop tax-free if the items are sent directly to an address outside the UK and the EU.) The UK's rules around tax-free shopping may evolve further as the UK continues to adjust to the fallout from Brexit.
  • If your passport is due to expire within six months of your ticketed date of return from Europe, you need to renew it. Allow plenty of time to renew or get a passport, especially while a backlog of applications is causing significant slowdowns — see the US Department of State's travel site for current estimated processing times.

Cardiff & South Wales

For books printed before February 2023, the following may apply:

  • Caerphilly Castle is undergoing some major renovations, likely to last through 2024 (check its site before visiting).
  • Expect disruption at Tintern Abbey while it undergoes restoration (check its site before visiting).
  • Bill O'Keefe (and Planet Wales) are no longer offering tours in Cardiff.
  • Chai Street restaurant has moved to 15 High Street.
  • Bus #6 now runs on a more limited route to Cardiff Bay. Bus #X8 has been replaced by bus #C8, which is operated by a private company (and uses different tickets from bus #6).
  • Anchorage Guest House has reopened as WiseStay.
  • Several recommended accommodations have closed: Cathedral 73, Church Guest House, and Riverside B&B.

North Wales

For books printed before March 2023, the following may apply:

  • Donna Goodman is no longer leading guided tours in Conwy.
  • Emrys Llewelyn is no longer leading guided tours in Caernarfon.
  • Surf Snowdonia is now Adventure Parc Snowdonia.
  • a free Portmeirion app offers a guided tour of the faux-Italian village; there are no more guided tours and no shuttle bus service.
  • Portmeirion no longer has a shuttle-bus service or guided tours. But a free app provides a self-guided tour of the faux-Italian village.
  • Tours of the Trefriw Woolen Mills are now only infrequently possible, and may cease entirely later in 2023, as the weaver is nearing retirement.