Holiday-planning question

[fivemack]

I've just watched a rather impressive programme about Caernafon castle, and am pondering doing something castle-based on a bike over one of the Bank Holidays (late May probably - might well want to go to Spain and avunc for the other one) this year.

It looks as if you can leave Cambridge Friday afternoon and get to Conwy (London, walk across to Euston, Chester, Conwy) late Friday evening; the three castles Conwy .. Beaumarais .. Caernafon seems possible on the Saturday unless they're sufficiently awesome that you can't fit three castles and 60k flattish cycling into a day. Caernafon to Harlech over Beddgelert looks good (if knee-eating) fun on the Sunday morning ... what's the next stop after that? To Machynlleth in the evening, see the Centre for Alternative Technology Monday morning and then afternoon train through to Cambridge, or is there another castle practically available?

Am I missing something critical which would make this either unexpectedly more awesome than it looks, or completely miserable?

Comments

[vicarage.livejournal.com]

I'd not attempt those 3 in one day even driving between them. Why not do Carnarfon on Sunday morning, catch the newly reopened Welsh Highland railway to Porthmadoc and cycle to Harlech from there?

[ewx.livejournal.com]

CAT is worth a visit. I don’t know about the biking aspect; is it really possible to cycle 60km in that part of Wales and stay on the flattish?

[atreic.livejournal.com]

My (slightly hazy) memory of those three castles is that they are a little samey. Maybe you like that (in the same way doing three brewery tours can be very interesting in a compare and contrast way)

I like Criccieth castle a lot, and if it's still there, it has, as the rough guide says, 'a wonderful animated cartoon about twelfth-century Wales. [Well, it's kind of naff, and kind of lovely]. Criccieth also has some really nice restaurants and a good beach.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

Beaumaris is like a Platonic idea of a Welsh castle. It wasn't quite finished before it became unnecessary and it doesn't have any damage. I really like it.

While on Anglesey try to take in some awesome megalithic sites.

Cycling to Machynlleth would be very tiring as there are significant hills.