{"id":385256,"date":"2025-08-30T14:25:24","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T14:25:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/385256\/"},"modified":"2025-08-30T14:25:24","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T14:25:24","slug":"holidaymakers-swap-italy-for-hidden-gem-welsh-town-but-theres-one-issue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/385256\/","title":{"rendered":"Holidaymakers swap Italy for hidden gem Welsh town but there&#8217;s one issue"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With the summer drawing to a close, many of us are looking to extend our time in the sun with a mini-break to a sunny European destination &#8211; but there are budget-friendly options closer to home<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0_View-of-Portmeirion-Village-through-trees.jpg\" alt=\"Portmeirion\" loading=\"eager\"  \/>Would you visit this stunning destination? (stock image)(Image: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Tourists are <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/whats-on\/travel\/uk-tourists-say-never-visit-32379757\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"swapping out holidaysLink opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">swapping out holidays<\/a> for <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/news\/wales-news\/changes-proposed-holiday-home-tax-32380028\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"staycations in stunning UK destinationsLink opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">staycations in stunning UK destinations<\/a> &#8211; and one Welsh town is the perfect choice if you want an Italian vibe without having to set foot on a plane. A travel influencer, who posts to TikTok as The Travel Mum, shared that she had spent time in a stunning region of North Wales which could be mistaken for Capri or the Amalfi Coast.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Described as &#8220;a little bit of Italy, much closer to home,&#8221; Portmeirion is a popular destination among Brits, and for good reason. &#8220;North Wales has some really beautiful places to visit. Portmeirion is a tourist village where you can explore, have a meal or even stay the night!&#8221; the mum said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">In an accompanying clip, she shared shots of a sunny harbour, colourful buildings and even palm trees.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0_Portmeirion-Wales-UK.jpg\" alt=\"Portmeirion\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>The town looks like a place in the Mediterranean, but is actually in North Wales (file)(Image: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Commenting on the clip, one person wrote: &#8220;This is wales???&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Another added: &#8220;No way is this wales???&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;It&#8217;s stunning there,&#8221; replied a third.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">There is a catch, however &#8211; Portmeirion is a resort, and you have to pay to access it. An adult ticket costs \u00a320, with a concessions discount that brings the total price down to \u00a317.50.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Children between the ages of five and 15 can enter for \u00a313 and kids under five go free. Family tickets and annual passes are also available \u2013 see the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/portmeirion.wales\/visit\/plan-your-visit\/tickets\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Portmeirion visitorsLink opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Portmeirion visitors<\/a>&#8216; website for details.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Portmeirion boasts a selection of shops and restaurants, plus hotels in case you want to stay a little longer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">You can even book your <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/portmeirion.wales\/weddings\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"weddingLink opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">wedding<\/a> there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Please note that dogs are not allowed in Portmeirion, but there is a nearby doggy daycare available. Guide dogs and assistant animals are allowed but need a valid ID.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The nearest station to Portmeirion is Minffordd, which is 1.5 miles away. If you are staying at the resort, you can contact the tourist board who will arrange a courtesy car to meet you at the station.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">There is also a footpath from Minffordd if you would prefer to walk.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Alternatively, daily bus services provide access to Portmeirion. Please see www.traveline.cymru for details.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The easiest way to get to Portmeirion is by car. If you&#8217;re eager to travel in style, you can even charter Portmeirion&#8217;s private helicopter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With the summer drawing to a close, many of us are looking to extend our time in the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":385257,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5010],"tags":[748,4884,2199,449,16,15,1764],"class_list":{"0":"post-385256","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wales","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-great-britain","10":"tag-italy","11":"tag-tiktok","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom","14":"tag-wales"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115118179931269018","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=385256"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385256\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/385257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=385256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=385256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=385256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}