The Magnificent Wales Road Trip
From £2,950 per person (based on two people sharing)
A nine-day road trip from the English Midlands into the mountains of Wales, along quiet reservoir roads and down the beautiful west coast. Stay in carefully chosen mountain, lakeside and seafront hotels, enjoy two nights at a coastal spa retreat and finish with superb driving through the Welsh borderlands and the Cotswolds. We plan the route, accommodation and transfers, and your Miata is ready for you on arrival - you simply show up and drive.
What to Expect
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This nine-day Miata road trip brings together some of the most exhilarating driving roads in Wales, dramatic scenery, and hand-picked places to stay, finishing with a spectacular run through the Cotswolds.
Your journey begins in the English Midlands, where a private airport transfer takes you to a boutique hotel for your first night. After breakfast the following morning, your Miata will be ready and waiting.
As you cross into Wales, the roads immediately begin to rise and twist into the mountains. Forested climbs, fast-flowing valley sections and high passes lead you deeper into the landscape, with small Welsh villages and lakes appearing between bursts of open road. Your first mountain retreat sets the tone for what follows.
Over the next days, you take on some of Wales’s most iconic driving. You reach the summit of Wales’s highest mountain, carve through historic castle country, and attack reservoir roads that sweep around vast stretches of water with constant changes in elevation and direction. The coastline then takes over, with bold, open sections of road running above cliffs and beaches, delivering constant variety and rhythm behind the wheel.
The route continues south along the west coast, with stays overlooking the sea, before reaching the UK’s smallest city, a place of real spectacle, where a cathedral rises dramatically from a farmer’s field, completely surrounded by open countryside. From here, you continue to a coastal spa hotel for two nights, giving you time to explore South-West Wales at your own pace, from coastal roads and harbour towns to historic streets and beaches.
The return leg brings another shift in character. You cross one of Wales’s most engaging driving regions, where flowing rural roads and sharper technical sections keep the drive constantly alive. You then stop in a historic town famous for its bookshops before heading into the Cotswolds. Your final day is spent exploring its villages, classic driving roads and historic attractions before returning your Miata and enjoying one last evening.
Every part of the route has been carefully designed around the driving experience, the scenery, and the places you stay. You get the freedom of a self-drive adventure, without the time and complexity of planning it yourself.
Nine days and eight nights
Private Birmingham Airport transfers
Your Miata ready for you after breakfast
Some of the UK’s most exciting mountain, valley, coastal and rural driving roads
Carefully selected boutique, lakeside and seafront hotels
Castles, historic towns and Welsh heritage
The summit of Wales’s highest mountain
The UK’s smallest city and its cathedral-in-a-field spectacle
Two nights at a coastal spa hotel
Time to explore South-West Wales and its coastal roads
A final drive through the Welsh borderlands and the Cotswolds
A detailed route and travel book based on first-hand experience
Suggested highlights with complete freedom to choose what you want to see
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Created from years of first-hand travel experience and detailed local knowledge, your beautifully crafted hardback travel book contains the complete driving route, the best roads, recommended stops and information about the attractions worth seeing each day.
It also helps you manage your time effectively, making the most of each day while retaining the freedom to travel at your own pace.
We take all the stress of planning away. Hit the road, and don’t look back!
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Mountain passes, fast-flowing valley roads, sweeping reservoir routes and open coastal sections make Wales a superb place to drive a Miata. We have carefully linked the best roads together, giving each day its own character and avoiding the hours of research required to plan the route yourself.
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The landscape changes constantly as you travel through Wales. Forested mountains give way to vast lakes and reservoirs, before the route reaches the cliffs, beaches and colourful harbour towns of the west coast. The journey finishes among the rolling countryside and historic villages of the Cotswolds.
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Your accommodation has been chosen to complement each stage of the road trip. Stay in a mountain retreat, wake to views across a peaceful lake, spend the night overlooking the sea and enjoy two nights in a classic English country house hotel in the Cotswolds, full of period charm and traditional character.
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Wales is filled with history and character. Along the way, you can explore imposing castles, ancient walled towns, Victorian seafronts, a remarkable cathedral city and traditional harbour towns, with carefully selected suggestions included in your travel book.
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We organise your Miata, accommodation and airport transfers, and deliver a driver-focused road trip built for adventure and discovery. Your detailed travel book includes routes, local knowledge and suggested highlights, giving you the freedom to stop where you choose and explore each day at your own pace.
Sample Itinerary
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Arrive at Birmingham Airport, where your private transfer will be waiting to take you to a beautiful English market town. Settle into your boutique hotel in the centre of this tiny market town and enjoy a relaxed first evening, giving you time to rest after your flight before your Miata road trip begins the following morning.
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Begin the day with a mountain railway journey to the summit of Wales’s highest peak, where far-reaching views stretch across the surrounding mountains and valleys. After returning to ground level, stop for lunch in an ancient walled town and explore one of Wales’s most impressive castles. The afternoon brings another wonderful drive before arriving at your lakeside hotel, with magnificent views across the water from your room.
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The NC500 turns south along Scotland’s wFollow the Welsh coastline south, with open roads, sea views and plenty of opportunities to stop along the way. Visit the UK’s smallest city, where a magnificent cathedral appears unexpectedly among the surrounding farmland. From here, continue through South-West Wales to your coastal spa hotel overlooking the bay, where you will settle in for a relaxing two-night stay.est coast, where the landscape becomes increasingly dramatic. Mountains, lochs and Atlantic coastline combine with winding Highland roads to make this one of the standout driving days of the trip.
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Spend your final driving day exploring the villages, country lanes and historic landmarks of the Cotswolds, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty known for its rolling hills, honey-coloured stone villages and quintessential English countryside. Visit a famous farm shop, discover the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill or simply follow the route through this picturesque region of central England. Later, return to the starting location, hand back your Miata and enjoy one final evening before your airport transfer the following morning.
Trip Of A Lifetime
The ROAD
The North Coast 500 is one of the world’s great driving routes. Sweeping Highland roads, mountain passes and dramatic coastal stretches make the NC500 feel made for a Miata with the roof down.
The LANDSCAPE
Scotland’s far north feels genuinely remote. Mountains, lochs, white-sand beaches, ancient castles and rugged Atlantic coastline create a constantly changing backdrop throughout your Scottish Highlands road trip.
The MIATA
This is what makes your trip different. A lightweight, two-seat roadster, the roof down and some of Scotland’s finest driving roads ahead. The Miata turns the North Coast 500 from a sightseeing route into a driving experience you’ll never forget!
Still have questions? Take a look at the FAQs page, or if you’d like to talk with us about any of our trips, get in touch…
Your Questions, Answered
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Nine-day, eight-night road trip
A Miata ready for your journey
Eight nights in carefully selected hotels
Private Birmingham Airport transfers
A beautifully crafted hardback travel book
Carefully researched driving routes
First-hand local knowledge
Suggested attractions, experiences and places to visit
Complete freedom to explore at your own pace
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If you are under 30 or over 74, please contact us before booking so we can confirm the correct insurance and your eligibility. If you are unsure about any aspect of your suitability to drive, you must get in touch with us prior to booking.
Drivers must have held a full driving licence for at least 12 months. There must be no reason preventing you from renting a vehicle, including health conditions or penalty points that would affect eligibility.
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The route includes mountain roads, winding coastal sections and some narrower rural roads. You do not need specialist driving experience, but you should be a confident driver and comfortable driving on the left. Your travel book provides clear route guidance and practical advice for driving in Wales.
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Space in a Miata is limited, so we strongly recommend soft-sided luggage rather than large rigid suitcases. The road trip is not too long and has been designed with Miata luggage space in mind. There are laundry services available along the route, so you can refresh your clothing during your journey. Our advice is to pack light. We will also provide practical luggage guidance before you travel, helping you make the best use of the available boot space.
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A private airport transfer will collect you from Birmingham Airport and take you to your first boutique hotel in a lovely market town 40 minutes away. After breakfast the following morning, your Miata will be ready and waiting for you to begin the road trip.
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Wales is known as God’s back garden for good reason. Its mountains, valleys and countryside are covered in lush green landscapes, helped by a climate similar to England’s but with weather that can change quickly, particularly in the mountains and along the coast.
July and August can be very warm, but they also coincide with the UK school summer holidays, when the roads, attractions and coastal towns are at their busiest. We recommend avoiding these peak weeks where possible and travelling in March, April, May, June, September or October when the roads are generally quieter and the temperatures are often more comfortable for driving.
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We provide a suggested itinerary to give you structure, but you are free to set your own pace entirely. We simply provide the route, arrange your hotels and suggest optional highlights along the way, with no fixed schedule to follow and complete independence throughout.
You are in control.
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The attractions and experiences in your travel book are recommendations and are not included in the road trip price. You decide which ones you would like to visit and pay any admission charges directly. Some attractions may require advance booking.