Neath, United Kingdom + Add a trip

Automobiles

The M4 can speed you into South Wales, all the way to Swansea; be prepared for the Severn Bridge toll. From Swansea, you can reach the Brecon Beacons on the A483. From the Midlands, the A40 is the best route.

Planes

Cardiff Airport (www.cwlfly.co.uk) is the closest regional and international hub; it has good transport links to the city and the rest of South Wales.

Trains

First Great Western trains from London Paddington to Swansea take around three hours; see www.trainline.co.uk for details. From Swansea, catch the Heart of Wales line to the Brecon Beacons National Park border at Llandovery; what the service lacks in speed and frequency it makes up for in scenery (www.heart-of-wales.co.uk).

Dialing

Country code for the UK: +44. Llandovery: 01550; Brecon: 01874; Abergavenny: 01873.

Reads

Katherine John's espionage thriller By Any Name; 14th-century tale The Mabinogion, which includes the legend of the Physicians of Myddfai; Lloyd Jones' extraordinary Mr Vogel, blending fictional travelogue with historical fact.

Do go / Don't Go

The centre of the National Park can get fairly crowded in summer, especially along the route to the highest peak, Pen y Fan; the west of the park is much quieter all year round.

Cuisine

Taxis

You'll need to ring ahead and book a taxi; try 1-4-U Taxis in Llandovery on +44 (0)1550 720217.

Tipping

About 10-15 per cent is appreciated in restaurants; some include a discretionary 12.5 per cent service charge on the bill, so be careful not to overdo it.

Currency

Pound sterling.

Packing

The Welsh are fiercely proud of their language - a dictionary, while not essential, will get visitors a long way. It might even help you to pronounce place names correctly, although we can't promise that.

Arts

Hay-on-Wye is the region's undisputed culture capital. The Hay Festival in May (www.hayfestival.com) is one of the world's greatest literary gatherings, where Nobel Laureates rub shoulders with political supremos and wandering poets. But the town's ideal for literary browsing any time; more than 30 second-hand book shops cover 2,000 specialist subjects here, so there's something for everybody. Richard Booth's is where the book-town boom all started: it stocks more than 400,000 tomes, great and small (+44 (0)1497 820322).

And...

The green, green hills are that deep, rich colour for one simple reason - rain - but the mixture of sunshine and showers adds immeasurably to the drama of the landscape.

Shopping

Fill up your hamper at Abergavenny's farmers' market on the fourth Thursday of the month (www.abergavennyfarmersmarket.co.uk); Brecon's is on the second Saturday (+44 (0)1874 636169). Crowd your mantelpiece after a visit to the Towy Antiques Fair, held four times a year in Carmarthen (www.towy-fairs.co.uk). Toast, purveyor of luxe, laid-back leisurewear, is based in Llandeilo, so get a dressing down at their King Street store (www.toast.co.uk).

Viewpoint

Brecon Beacons National Park offers one amazing vista after another, but, even beyond the park boundaries, glorious views abound; we love those down the Tywi valley from the dam and hills surrounding the Llyn Brianne reservoir.

Something

Check out remote and beautiful Llyn y Fan Fach, supposedly a bottomless lake inhabited by fairies. Legends tell of a lady who emerged from the waters and married a local farmer in exchange for some bread - so keep an eye on your picnic.

May For book lovers, the Hay Festival, in Hay-on-Wye, is pretty much mandatory (www.hayfestival.com). For more details, see our European events guide Smith 52, or buy the book get the full lowdown. August The newly established Green Man festival is an already much-loved folk music jamboree that has played host to Joanna Newsom and a reinvented Robert Plant (www.thegreenmanfestival.co.uk). August bank holiday Brecon Jazz Festival is a star-studded affair, with Andy Sheppard and Lulu among the recent roster of performers (www.breconjazz.co.uk). If it's muddiness you crave, the World Bog-snorkelling Championships in Llanwrtyd Wells over the bank holiday are downright odd but immense fun (www.green-events.co.uk). September Abergavenny Food Festival is a showcase of wild-and-woolly Welsh gastronomy (www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com). November The Mid-Wales Beer Festival sees dinky Llanwrtyd Wells become the centre of even more barminess (+44 (0)1591 610666; www.llanwrtyd-wells.powys.org.uk).