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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Holyhead
Caergybi
Give Holyhead one night if you arrive by ferry or want South Stack and the coast path; otherwise pass through in an afternoon.
Holyhead is a ferry port on Holy Island, joined to Anglesey by road and rail, with a harbour station where trains meet the Dublin boats. The town itself is small and workaday; the reasons to stop are the coast, Holyhead Mountain and South Stack, plus the breakwater country park. Most travellers use it as a gateway to Ireland or as a base for western Anglesey.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Local name
- Caergybi
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wind, rain, short days)
- 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 £45–70 excl. bed · Mid £70–120 excl. bed · High £120+ 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 or 112 · NHS non-urgent 111 · Police non-urgent 101
- 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 or tea in a café | £2.50–4 |
| Pub main course | £12–18 |
| Fish and chips | £9–14 |
| Pint of beer | £4–5.50 |
| Local bus single | £2–4 |
| Taxi, town to Trearddur Bay | £10–15 |
| Museum or lighthouse entry | £0–8 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LPL · Liverpool John Lennon
- About 2 h 30 min by road via the A55; rail connections via Chester
- MAN · Manchester
- About 2 h 45 min by road; rail via Chester or Crewe
- DUB · Dublin
- Reached by ferry from Holyhead, about 3 h 30 min
Typical fares
- Holyhead → Dublin ferry, foot passenger
- about £35–60 one way, 3 h 30 min
- Taxi, station → Trearddur Bay
- £10–15
- Train Holyhead → Bangor
- about £10–15, 30–40 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The town is walkable: station to town centre about 10 min, station to Newry Beach about 15 min. Buses run across Holy Island and Anglesey, but services are thin in the evening. A car makes South Stack, Trearddur Bay and the coast path far easier; taxis are limited, so book ahead for early ferries.
See and do
Known for
- Ferry terminal for Dublin sailings
- South Stack lighthouse and cliffs
- Holyhead Mountain and prehistoric hut circles
- Breakwater Country Park
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| South Stack | Bus or car to the RSPB reserve, then steps down to the lighthouse | About 30–40 min by car |
| Trearddur Bay | Bus or car along the coast road | About 15 min by car |
| Llanfairpwllgwyngyll | Train or A55 east | About 30–40 min |
| Beaumaris | Car via the A55 and Menai Bridge | About 45 min |
| Menai Bridge | Train to Bangor then bus, or car | About 45–60 min |
| Benllech | Car across Anglesey | About 40 min |
Sleep
- Harbour and station area
- Walk to the ferry terminal and trains; best for one night with bags.
- Newry Beach and the marina
- Waterfront pubs and hotels, 10–15 min walk from the station.
- Town centre (Market Street)
- Shops, takeaways and bus stops; cheapest rooms, some noise.
- Trearddur Bay and Holy Island west
- Beach village 2 miles out; needs a car or taxi, quieter nights.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HeloHEH-lo |
| Thank you | DiolchDEE-olch |
| Please | Os gwelwch yn ddaos GWEL-ookh un thah |
| Where is the station? | Ble mae'r orsaf?bleh mire OR-sav |
| How much is it? | Faint yw e?fynt yoo eh |
| Goodbye | Hwyl fawrhooil vower |
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
- Many restaurants close on Sundays, especially at lunch: plan a pub or supermarket meal.
- Coastal paths and the South Stack cliffs are exposed: wind, spray and loose ground near the edge.
- Ferry and rail timetables change with the season; check before booking a tight connection.
- Mobile signal is patchy on parts of Holy Island and the mountain.
A small, low-crime town; the real risks are coastal weather, cliff edges and thin evening transport. Keep to marked paths, tell someone your route, and carry a waterproof.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Holyhead yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ferry terminal for Dublin sailings
- South Stack lighthouse and cliffs
- Holyhead Mountain and prehistoric hut circles
- Breakwater Country Park
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Holyhead Town Council: www.holyheadtowncouncil.com/
- Transport for Wales: tfwrail.wales/
- Wikivoyage: Holyhead, revision 5273239 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5273239
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
HolyheadCaergybi
I'r cyfeiriad hwn, os gwelwch yn dda
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance999 or 112
- NHS non-urgent111
- Police non-urgent101
No embassies in Holyhead; the US embassy is in London and most others too. Consulates for Ireland and other countries: check Cardiff or Manchester.
Welsh is widely spoken in Anglesey; English works everywhere.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/holyhead). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.