Fishguard without a car

tommygirl

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Without much thought I booked a 3 day trip to Fishguard over Easter for 2 adults and 2 children (Stenalines €2 deal). It turns out that there are no hire car companies open on the weekend and can only hire a car on our last full day. I have found accommodation in Fishguard but I am wondering is it manageable without a car? There is a coastal bus service but it does not run on the days that we are there. I cannot see any buses that run on Sundays or Public Holidays. We are not looking for an action-packed holiday but am concerned that being confined to one area for two or three days might be too much? In particular if the weather closes in. Better off losing the €16 rather than spending a small fortune on accommodation, taxis etc.
Has anyone spent any time in Fishguard and can advise?
Thanks
Tommygirl
 
Have you considered a taxi to nearby Newport (Pembrokeshire), 7 miles away, and staying there? Haven't been but looks more appealing.
 
I've spent a lot of time waiting on ferries in Fishguard and would struggle to pass a couple of hours, never mind 2-3 days. Not a lot (anything) to see or do once you have had a stroll and a coffee in a cafe and quite a long hilly walk from the ferry terminal to the town itself but of course a lot depends on where yours accommodation is.

2-3 days with a car would be good fun with kids (depending on ages) as plenty of options within driving distance, Folly Farm, Oakwood, Tenby and other attractions.
 
That was my idea VoiceofReason. The kids would get a bit of excitement out of the ferry trip and we could have a nice few days wandering around different beaches, towns etc. I should have done some more research before pressing that button. If it seems to be too good to be true it probably is.
Newport (the small one) does seem to have a little bit more to it alright thanks llgon. I might wait and see the weather forecast and look for accommodation closer to the time as a little beach might be enough for the kids if the weather is fine (9 and 4 so not too hard to please yet)!
 
I too would find more than a couple of hours a struggle to spend in Fishguard. However, it does have a train station, with services to pretty much anywhere along the coast in South Wales. Surely there must be some service and destination that could be found?
 
Is there a car hire place open in any nearby town that's on the train line? That was you can give the kids a ferry crossing and train trip on the same day.

We managed to keep ourselves occupied for a couple of hours in Fishguard at ocean lab aquarium, but that's about all that's there.
 
Fishguard is a dump. Asda on the way out of town is about the highlight. St Davids is nice and you could perhaps look at getting a taxi, I'd be concerned that if the weather was bad the kids would be bored. If you do find a car then Tenby is gorgeous with great beaches but parking is an issue. Folly Farm between Tenby and Carmarthern is a great day out with the kids
 
Hi Tommy girl,
I second all the opinions on Fishguard. It is a dumpy port town. There is absolutely nothing in it except 2 average supermarkets and they are the most exciting part of it, everything else is grey and grim. When you get there you will agree and will want to leave it at full speed.

Could you see if a taxi service would be available when you arrive? There is a decent-sized market town called Haverfordwest about 25 minutes away. I see that they have car hire options open during the Easter weekend.
If you manage to hire a car you are in business. The coastal area of Pembrokeshire is beautiful. Tenby is a fine town, beautiful Regency-type houses, it gets crowded with tourists but has lots of facilities. Its a real bucket and spade coastal town. If you get good weather the town's two fabulous sheltered sandy beaches would be nice for the kids. There may even be a festival or two on.
Bluestone Resort in Narberth is not far away. It is a self-contained holiday resort with a lot of space. It has high quality self-catering accomodation (lodges) and is especially suited to families with children under 10. There are plenty of activities for the under 10s and a largeish Aquapark, and then you have the option of paying (handsomely) for others activities if you like the sound of them. It is a Welsh version of Center Parcs if you are familiar with the concept. You would have to book from the Friday to the Monday.
They have a touchy feely website with all the details. On perusal this evening it would seem that the 1 or 2 bedroomed lodges -accommodation are booked out. And they are horrendously expensive online. However, my tip would be to ring them up directly. They often have cancellations and their over the phone rates are half of their online rates if they want to make the sale. At least that is what it was with us.
Hope this helps.
 
Welsh port town on edge of UK best seen through rear view mirror or from deck of ferry leaving port.
At least with Holyhead you can get train link to Chester to Llandudno
 
We have decided not to go to Fishguard. I was speaking to Stenaline to see about getting it transferred to a day trip but there was no availability. The rep did not see any reason why the names could not be changed so if anyone would like a free trip to the 'beautiful' Fishguard from Easter Sunday until Wednesday (leave Rosslare at 9am Sunday 16/4 arrive 12:30 and back Wed 19/4 at 14:30) let me know and I will try to change the tickets for them. Some people might be more adventurous than me (especially if unencumbered by smallies). Don't all rush at once but first come first served!
Tommygirl
 
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