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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Beaumaris
Biwmares
Give Beaumaris one full day and one night: castle, courthouse and gaol in the morning, the strait front in the afternoon. Two nights only if you want a Menai Strait boat trip.
Beaumaris is a small town of about 2,000 people on the east coast of Anglesey, on the Menai Strait. Edward I began Beaumaris Castle in 1295; it was never finished and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town itself is walkable in an afternoon, so most travellers come for a day from Bangor or Caernarfon, or sleep one night and use it as a base for the east of the island.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Local name
- Biwmares
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowds), school holidays
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £45–75 excl. bed · Mid £75–130 excl. bed · High £130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 · Police non-urgent 101 · NHS non-urgent 111
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | £2.50–4 |
| Pub main course | £10–16 |
| Pint of beer | £4–5.50 |
| Bakery snack | £2–4 |
| Castle entry, adult | £5.25–8 |
| Bus Bangor–Beaumaris | £3–5 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LPL · Liverpool John Lennon
- About 2 h by car via the A55; rail to Bangor then bus.
- MAN · Manchester
- About 2 h 30 min by car; rail to Bangor then bus 53/56/57/58.
- CWL · Cardiff
- Long rail transfer via Shrewsbury; check times.
Typical fares
- Bus Bangor → Beaumaris
- about £3–5, 30–40 min
- Taxi Beaumaris → Menai Bridge
- £12–18
- Castle entry, adult
- £5.25; family ticket £15.75 (2 adults, up to 3 children)
Get around
The town is small enough to walk end to end in about 15 minutes. Bicycle is the best way to reach the coast and the lanes outside town. Bus 50 links Llangefni; services 53, 56, 57 and 58 link Bangor over the Menai Bridge. A car helps for the rest of Anglesey.
See and do
Known for
- Beaumaris Castle (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Beaumaris Courthouse and Gaol
- St Mary's Church and the coffin of Princess Joan
- Menai Strait waterfront
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Menai Bridge | Bus 53/56/57/58 or car on the A545 | About 20–30 min |
| Llanfairpwllgwyngyll | Car or bus toward Bangor | About 20 min |
| Benllech | Car on the A5025 | About 25 min |
| South Stack | Car via Holyhead | About 50 min |
| Caernarfon | Car over the Britannia Bridge | About 30 min |
| Snowdonia | Car via Bangor | About 45 min to the foothills |
Sleep
- Castle Street and Market Square
- The centre: pubs, shops and the castle gate within a 5-minute walk.
- Church Street
- Quieter, two old inns, 5 minutes from the waterfront.
- Llanfaes and the edge of town
- Self-catering and glamping; you need a car or a 20–30 min walk.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HeloHEH-loh |
| Thank you | DiolchDEE-olch |
| Goodbye | Hwyl fawrhoo-il vower |
| Please | Os gwelwch yn ddaos GWEL-ookh un thah |
| Where is the castle? | Ble mae'r castell?bleh myr KAS-teth |
| How much is it? | Faint yw e?fynt yoo eh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- Castle opening hours change by season and close earlier in winter: check Cadw before you go.
- Some bus timetables for Anglesey have been listed as dead links: check the current operator before relying on a service.
- Summer parking near Castle Street fills early; arrive before 10:00.
- Weather changes fast on the strait: bring layers and a waterproof.
A quiet, low-crime town. The real risks are the weather, uneven castle stairs and the tide along the strait: keep back from the water's edge and wear shoes with grip.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Beaumaris yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Beaumaris Castle (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Beaumaris Courthouse and Gaol
- St Mary's Church and the coffin of Princess Joan
- Menai Strait waterfront
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Anglesey — Beaumaris: www.visitanglesey.co.uk/
- Cadw — Beaumaris Castle: cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/beaumaris-castle
- Wikivoyage: Beaumaris, revision 5299399 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5299399
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
BeaumarisBiwmares
I'r cyfeiriad hwn, os gwelwch yn dda
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Beaumaris; the nearest consulates are in Cardiff and Manchester, embassies in London.
Welsh is spoken widely; English works everywhere.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/beaumaris). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.