Problem
How do you see Wales on a budget?
Answer
Camping, hiking and youth hostels.
Paddington, London
See supermarkets, Boots, and fast food outlets on Stations.
Food
Splurge: On the Arriva train, watch out for filling but pricey Welsh cakes - £1.50 for two tiny ones on the Arriva train.
Bargain: Tesco (at Fishguard in Wales and in London before catching the train): I bought Chocolate brownie flavour milk for £1. Sandwich for £1. (Often just ham on white bread. You have to add your own vegetables. Cucumber whole, or half, under £1.) Look for reduced price section.
Fruit: In July/August cherries five bananas for under £1. Pineapple £1. (You'll need a Swiss Army knife to cut it.) Cherries were down to 99p in Tesco, hard and not much flavour, but good if you want to avoid calorific chocolate snacks.
Carry a cool bag. Many hotels (such as Fishguard Bay Hotel) don't have fridges in the rooms. You would be more likely to find a fridge in a self-catering apartment. Rooms can get very hot in summer, with windows closed to keep out sea gulls, or in winter with the central heating on. You might want to keep food, drinks and medication cool.
Cheap Ferry to Ireland
One day a week prices drop. Check their website. Normal prices are £12.50 return. You arrive at Rosslare. As far as I can see nothing much there except a beach, but you can add Ireland to places you've visited.
Cheapest Way to Get To Ireland?
If you want to stay overnight and see Ireland, you can take a train to the capital Dublin or spend a week touring by car. Prices vary wildly depending on your starting point, route and time of day and year or travel, booking in advance and so on.
One family I spoke to found, after extensive checking, that it was cheaper for them to fly from London, England, to Ireland and hire a car, than to drive to Wales and take their own car across on the ferry from Fishguard to Rosslare, which they had done regularly in previous years.
Tapestry Visit, Fishguard
The Last Invasion tapestry and the film about how they made it over two years, is beside the library upstairs, above the Tourist information office in the town hall, painted bright green on the main square in Fishguard.
Cardiff
In Cardiff the main museum is free. (You pay to go into the exotic, colourful, Castle Coch just outside town.)
In Caerleon look for the courtyard with shops and a cafe or two the wooden sculptures.
Seen From The Train?
Swansea's Liberty Stadium. Tours cost £10, but £5 for senior citizens. Other discounts for groups of 20 or more.
Tips
Ferries
http://www.directferries.co.uk/ferry_to_rosslare (Wales to Ireland and England to Ireland)
Hostels
https://www.booking.com/region/gb/wales.
Camping UK, Europe and Americas
https://www.pitchup.com/campsites/Wales/
Hotel comparison
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/News
Destinations
St Davids
https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/St_Davids
http://www.visitwales.com
http://www.visitwales.com/holidays-breaks/family-holidays/free-family-attractions
http://www.newport.gov.uk/en/Leisure-Tourism/Attractions/Public-Art.aspx
