Public Transport Travels: Bristol to the Brecon Beacons
Travelling without a car needn’t be difficult! I know with all the strikes, public transport in the UK doesn’t exactly have a good name for itself… however, if you’re craving the outdoors and some mountainous views, a trip to the Brecon Beacons is a must.
You can easily do the commute from Bristol to the Brecons in a day via public transport, albeit a long one, if you plan carefully; and of course, with a car, travel is a whole lot easier!
Whichever way you’re getting to the Brecons, my outlined trip might provide some travel tips and suggestions to make your trip-planning a little easier.
• Journey 1:
Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff
Duration – 1 hour
• Journey 2:
Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil
Duration – 1 hour
We bought ‘advanced’ single train tickets, and the entire return journey cost £16 without a railcard.
We stayed in Merthyr Tydfil for 2 nights at The Tiger Inn, everyone was super friendly and welcoming, and although I went with friends, I would have felt completely comfortable doing it on my own. The Tiger Inn offers Breakfast and generic daytime food which was the perfect place to try Welsh Rarebit and Bara Brith - the Welsh teacakes were also incredible from here!
Day 1:
Exploring the town was the initial plan, but trust me, it won’t take longer than 20 minutes. Merthyr Tydfil is pretty much 1 straight high street, and keep in mind, a LOT of places are cash only. There aren’t many cash machines, so this caught us out!
We hiked from the town to Llwyn-onn Reservoir which I’d recommend – perhaps not trespassing through farmers’ fields like we did, as we were well and truly lost.
On the way back we did in-fact find the ‘proper’ route which was A LOT easier so perhaps do a little research before going. A great app to download would be AllTrails (we weren’t this prepared!).
En-route you pass many fields, forests and, rolling hills which was very peaceful. The reservoir itself has beautiful scenery, and if you have time, you could easily spend an hour or 2 here walking around.
We ended up walking around 15 miles that day.
Day 2:
This is the day we prepared for, and the reason for the trip… Pen y Fan!
We caught the T4 bus from Merthyr Tydfil, a day return cost £9.50 so a little steep compared to most travel, although walking would’ve taken 5+ hours to the top so I’d happily pay this again. Even on the bus, we met so many friendly people, and were part of a little Iranian rave at the back of the bus.
Get off the bus at Storey Arms which is the car park at the base of the mountain.
From here it’s simple, follow the crowd.
We took the path on the opposite side to where the bus drops you off which is the base of Pen Y Fan itself. The ridges around here pretty much link so you could take any path.
Hiking to the top of Pen Y Fan is supposed to take around 2 hours, although we did this quicker (don’t ask how, I’m equally shocked!), and compared to hiking Snowdon, this was heaps easier.
Keep in mind, when you think you’re at the top, you’re probably still not quite there! It’s a steeper up-hill climb to the plaque which states ‘Pen Y Fan’.
If you have time, I’d recommend continue hiking across the ridge in the direction of Cribyn. If you continue walking in this direction, you’ll come across Fan y Big, another peak within this mountain range.
In total, we hiked for around 5 hours which was amble time to take in the views, have a few picnic breaks and take lots of photos!
Day 3:
Being a bank holiday and a Monday, not too much was open. Oh, and let’s not forget the blisters and leg ache from the day’s prior!
Before our train home we took a leisurely stroll to Cyfarthfa Park and Castle. It’s roughly a 15–20 minute walk from Merthyr Tydfil town centre depending on how much your legs ache!
It’s a great spot when sunny, here’s a lake full of wildlife, and we sat here a while playing uno which was quite the summer vibe!
Keep in mind the café here is cash only and there’s no cash machine around.
Overall, it was a fab trip! Everyone was so lovely and the transport to and from Pen Y Fan was easy. Based on this, I would say 1, you could easily do a day trip purely to hike Pen Y Fan; 2, this itinerary would also be perfectly suitable for a solo travel adventure.
If you’re feeling intrigued about the Brecons, there’s multiple ways you can access the national park.
Here’s some useful links and info:
https://www.breconbeacons.org/discover/getting-here
https://www.visitwales.com/inspire-me/short-breaks/brecon-beacons-bus
Written by Tamara Lawrence