Holiday Cottage in North Wales

[Wafty]

Hi, I'm hoping for honest advice re. visiting North Wales in late August. I've booked a holiday cottage for bank holiday week, about 30 miles from Port Meirion. It's a rural location, looks lovely. We have always wanted to visit Port Meirion and use the Snowdon Mountain Railway. I booked it as a last minute surprise for my OH, however he is not at all keen for the following reasons:

1. The Snowdon Mountain Railway does not go to the summit this year due to covid/social distancing. Hubby has always wanted to take the train to the top - he's a railway enthusiast. This is really the main issue.
2. It appears that Port Meirion may be not fully open or restrictions may be in place.
3. When I last looked online at the local area it seems that the pub may not be open, nor any local restaurants (it's a very rural location).
4. Last but not least, hubby thinks we will not receive a particularly warm welcome due to covid (similar to what is happening in parts of Cornwall).

So, I'm keen to go albeit not alone. Hubby not keen, although apologetic and appreciates that I booked us a break, since our holiday in the Canaries was cancelled due to covid. It's also a 3 hour drive with possible bank holiday traffic, difficult to avoid it. I really don't know whether to write the whole trip off and obviously lose the money I've paid, or whether to give it a go. Anyone know if North Wales is welcoming tourists at present, honest answers please? Or would it be better not to go?

Also, I cannot change the holiday cottage booking to another date or sell it on. I have already looked at those options. Too short notice.

I live in England but was born and bred in Anglesey. My family all still live there. I've just visited for a week and it's was......weird.

The shops were open but the atmosphere was very odd, like they really don't want to you in the shop. This wasn't everywhere. The well known tourist chip shop we go to was well set up and busy, and the local chemist near my family home was fine (The one in the next village was decidedly frosty).

My niece is a waitress for a local bar and bistro however. Yesterday Wales officially opened up the restaurants and bars and she said was sooooo busy with non locals.

My DM is currently in hospital and to be honest I don't blame them for being a bit weird. There is one hospital for Gwynedd and it's full and they're allowing no visitors.

I think the vibe goes back to right at the beginning of C19 and Snowdon has the busiest day EVER when people piled into a Snowdonia the day after Boris has pleaded with people to stay home. I think it really scared the shit out of them.

Sorry for the ramble. To put it simply, I don't think you'll get the best experience. I think you may come away feeling that N Wales hates you (which is untrue although MN love bashing the Welsh). I'm considered local, speak Welsh etc and even I found out an odd atmosphere.
This is year is just plain weird. I wouldn't if I were you.

If you are mindfull that the 2m guideline is still in force in Wales and that you only park your car in a parking space you'll be fine. I live in Gwynedd and we do welcome tourists, but we've gone from a harder and longer lockdown than England straight to the busiest tourist period. You can understand that this situation is a bit of a shock for us! Our shops only opened a couple if weeks ago and food can only be served inside since yesterday. Swimming pools etc are still not open.

Find rural walks, less popular beaches and book pub meals and I'm sure you'll have a lovely holiday.

I would go, just for a break.

We have been working and schooling throughout and just getting away was a real tonic. We love the furthest inland you can get, in a built up area and it was lovely to see the sea.

My father has been on daytrips to North Wales twice snd had a lovely time on the beach and walking.

Another family member is on holiday in Anglesey and the beaches look glorious.

It could be a long winter, so I'd go while you can.

Just got back and didn’t have any issues. True that restaurants were closed (believe they are open now) but we don’t tend to use them much anyway. We were mainly outside and walking or on the beach so not much opportunity for interaction anyway.

We are going to the Lleyn for 4 nights in a few weeks. We’re not planning on using pubs or restaurants and will be either walking or spending time on one of the large but less popular beaches. I love N Wales and can’t wait to return, but appreciate that due to the health infrastructure there the locals will potentially be less welcoming than usual. We’re going to aim for a short holiday but taken in the most socially responsible way possible, and that means maxing out on activities that avoid interacting with other human beings.

Pubs and restaurants are now open starting yeaterday, social distancing applies obviously.
Dd and I were going to go to Port Merion for the day sometimes next week. Then onto Porthmadog before coming home (were near Llandudno)

We're in North Wales at the moment. It's been great. We're sticking mainly to outdoor stuff. We're doing lots of walks and have gone surfing a bit. Restaurants seem to be fully booked so if you want to go out, book well in advance. All the castles and some of the attractions are shut though. Port Mention is open, but not sure if you can access everything you normally can. There seems to be very little social distancing in busy beach towns, at least much less than in my home town. I don't know if this is due to the influx of tourists.

I have just come back from a holiday to North Wales. The beaches, mountains, woods, birds, fresh air, that special soft Welsh breeze.... all gorgeous and worth travelling for. It is pointless worrying about the "welcome"- every shop we went to took our money and we barely ate out. So if you want a nature holiday, you absolutely must go. A very rural location is perfect for a Covid19 holiday and you can always do Mt Snowdon another year.

Thanks to all for the helpful replies. We were hoping to visit attractions rather than do loads of walking, I am still undecided
Will keep an eye on the tourist info for North Wales for another week or so before deciding, I'm happy to go but OH still not very keen.

We went for a couple of nights in July, just after Wales opened, so at the point where restaurants could open, but could only have seating outside.

I was expecting a frosty reception, but we ended up not coming across a single welsh person! I normally overhear welsh being spoken when I'm there, but this time, I heard not even a single welsh accent, never mind anyone actually speaking Welsh! Everyone had a very distinct English accent, even the lady on the reception at the hotel. We didn't go to any restaurants, but we did have an Indian takeaway, and they all had Indian sub-continent type accents there. We mainly went walking, and purposely chose less well-travelled mountains and walks - we avoided Snowdon.

We're going again this weekend, and I really hope we can get some fish and chips this time, but the chip ship shut at 8pm in Porthmadog where we stayed last time - that may just be their normal closing time though, so we may just need to make sure we eat earlier. We really wanted to visit a castle as well, but all the best slots that would fit our travel plans are already booked up, so we'll have to forget that idea for this time.

We are going from South Wales in a few weeks. Portmeirion is open - I have booked to go there but they have only just opened the restaurants. The train up Snowdon is overpriced and you barely get any time at the summit when it is running, look at the Highland railway instead - I am not sure if they are running yet but it is much more flexible and much better value. We wanted to climb Snowdon this year but I think we’ll go somewhere quieter.
I think you will just have to be more organised - National Trust properties and some Cadw sites have just reopened but require booking, and we have resigned ourselves to having to either book restaurants ahead or be more flexible about where we eat.
In the south we are busier than ever, beaches where I would normally come across a few other families are full along with even the remotest car parks, I won’t lie it has been stressful going from only seeing locals to suddenly everything being full when our rates of infections in Wales were improving but I haven’t witnessed any animosity.

@astuz not all Welsh people have a Welsh accent. I don't.