We have put together a few tours that offer the visitor the best of Wales whether you are a golfer, a history buff or gastronomer!

An Introduction to Wales Tour: For the visitor who wants to see the very best of Wales. A self-drive 5 day day tour for £999 includes dinner, bed and breakfast. More information is on our brochure (PDF).

Gastronomy Tour: An opportunity to experience some of the best food in Wales with a sample of traditional markets, award winning restaurants and small producers. At the same time, enjoy our heritage and the beautiful scenery of the Black Mountains and the Wye and Monnow valleys - all in 6 days, 5 nights. Download the brochure to find out more (PDF format).

Historical Tour of Wales: Medieval and Norman castles, Victorian slate mines, gothic fantasies, to places of pilgrimage, Italianate folly, magnificent scenery and world renown gardens, to the oldest working steam railway in the world, this tour offers the visitor a diverse and fascinating travel around Wales. For more details, download the brochure (PDF format).

Welsh Gold Challenge Tour: Included in the tour is the chance to play on the Celtic Manor 2010 course designed for the 2010 Ryder Cup. 81 holes and 5 nights dinner, bed and breakfast, all transfers, this tour offers a superb golfing experience. More details are on our brochure (PDF).

We will be delighted to put together a holiday to remember for you. We will design an itinerary and provide indicative pricing for your consideration on a no obligations basis.

Every itinerary includes an orientation meeting and a memento of your holiday with us in the form of a personalized binder.

Come Home to Wales is ATOL bonded (licence pending) providing reassurance to all of our customers.

Further further details are provided on our Request form.

Apart from Heathrow and Gatwick, international travellers might look into the possibility of using Manchester which is located north and east of Wales. Mid Wales is easily accessed from Birmingham which has regular flights from Newark. However, frequency of flights to these airports may be a limitation. As another alternative, visitors might take a long haul flight to another European hub airport like Amsterdam or Paris and then take a short flight direct to Cardiff Wales Airport.

There are good rail links to South Wales from London and from there to the rest of United Kingdom. For information on getting around by car see the Getting Around panel below.

Wales is compact and all the places you will want to see will be quite close by. However, you will not be able to travel as the crow flies. We have a good system of major roads. However the M4/A40 in the South and the A55 in the North are east-west connections. When you travel away from the major roads, and in particular North-South average journey times will plummet.

If you drive into Wales over the Severn Bridge, you will have to pay a toll of £5.40 cash (no cards). It is free to leave Wales by this route.

Also, minor roads can be narrow and winding with poor visibility. Everything is passable with patience and good humor. Remember to relax, you are on vacation.

For more information about traveling in Wales and the United Kingdom can be found on the UK government website. In the UK, cars drive on the left hand side of the road, find out more at www.gouk.com

Welsh is unlike any other language. It has been at the heart of our struggle to maintain a distinctive culture and we can – occasionally – be a little precious and defensive about it. But there is no need. Unlike Scots or Irish Gaelic, the use of Welsh is growing across the country. The number of Welsh speakers is growing. Books, periodicals and music are published in Welsh. Children are educated in Welsh. All signs are bilingual and everyone is fluent in English.

If you are addressed in Welsh, then well done - you have successfully blended in. Simply reply in English. You might like to learn a few basics which will go a long, long way. Not everyone in Wales speaks Welsh but those that do will welcome an attempt to use this beautiful language. This might take the form of Welsh lessons before you travel or as part of your vacation.

Contrary to popular myth no passport is required to enter Wales from England. If you are a US citizen you do not require a visa to enter the UK, but you are best to check with your travel agent. Once you have cleared customs at Heathrow or another port of entry into the United Kingdom, you are good to go.

The currency of Wales and the rest of the UK is £ sterling.

Tipping is much appreciated but not as strong an expectation as in the USA. 10% is adequate.

Most healthcare in Wales is provided as part of the National Health Service (NHS). This service is free to UK residents but ordinarily not free to visitors from overseas. UK Government guidance website will give you more information.

Tom Jones famously sang about “the green, green grass of home”. Guess how it gets so green! But as the great Scottish comedian Billy Connolly said, “There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes”.

The weather in Wales is famously changeable and unpredictable. By all means, check out the 5 day forecast on the Met Office website before traveling, but come prepared for anything.

Across the UK, the electrical power system is a 240v. All appliances will need an a.c. adaptor. Travel adaptors can be purchased at most airports.

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The History of Wales by John Davies. The definitive single volume history of Wales is here. It is comprehensive and full of insight. Some might find it a little dry perhaps.

How Green was my Valley. A fictionalized but highly readable account of life in the valleys

Valleys of Song: Musicand Society in Wales, 1840 -1914 by Gareth Williams. Vividly written in a lucid style by an accomplished social and cultural historian, this is a celebration of the land of song in its hey-day that will appeal to a wide audience.

Aberystwyth mon Amour by Malcolm Pryce. Malcolm Pryce has written a series of novels which place the archetypal hardboiled private detective in a West Wales which has a seamy underbelly. It will give you completely the wrong idea of what Aberystwyth is really like but might make you laugh.

Wales - Epic Views, Small Country by Jan Morris. I have to admit that I haven’t read this but I have read Jan Morris on Venice and she is a first class writer – so it might be worth trying.

The Resurrection Men: Wales' Grand Slam 2008 by Paul Reece. The 2005 Grand Slam was a blessed relief and we played some excellent rugby. But the 2008 Grand Slam was superior in that it involved much less luck and built deeper foundations. This is the definitive account of our success.

If anyone would like to add any further recommendations to share with others, please drop us an email.

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Americymru is an American Welsh social network.

The official Wales Tourism body – Visit Wales – has a wealth of information to help plan your vacation.

USA has a network of Welsh Societies - some may be in a location near you!

Walesonline has all of your daily news about Wales.

Cadw is the historic environment service of the Welsh Assembly Government. 'Cadw' (pronounced cad-oo) is a Welsh word meaning "to keep". They have an extensive database of historic places to visit.

For more interesting and surprising facts about Wales, the Britannia website is definitely worth a visit!