United Kingdom, Snowdonia, Wales
A former mountain pass road with fast sweepers overlooking slate valleys.
Length
13 km
In miles
8.1 mi
Driving time
20 min
Atlas rating
8.6 / 10
The run
Blaenau Ffestiniog to Betws-y-Coed, following the A470. Drive it in either direction, though the views usually favour the climb.
Season
Ice forms readily on the exposed summit
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Every road in the library carries a driving and scenery score set by the same method. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 12 May 2026
Nearby
10 km away
Evo Triangle, A5
The connecting stretch of the Evo Triangle beloved for its rhythmic fast corners.
12 km away
Llanberis Pass
A dramatic pass beneath Snowdon's crags linking two of Wales's most storied villages.
25 km away
Evo Triangle, A543
One leg of the legendary Evo Triangle, a flowing high speed moorland test road.
47 km away
Horseshoe Pass
A famous horseshoe bend switchback climbing out of the Vale of Llangollen.
88 km away
Elan Valley Road
A serene reservoir road threading dams and pine forest deep in mid Wales.
97 km away
Cardigan Coast Road
A rolling coastal A road with sweeping bends and constant glimpses of Cardigan Bay.
Plan around it
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Bealach na Bà and Applecross
Britain's most alpine road, then a coast road that most people never bother to finish.
A to B journeys
4 days
London to Lake Garda
The classic run south from England to the Italian lakes, taken the long way through the Alps rather than straight down the autoroute.
4 days
London to The Dolomites
The best pass driving in Europe sits at the end of this one, reached through Germany and Austria rather than Switzerland.
3 days
London to Monaco
Straight down France and into the Alpes Maritimes, with the Route Napoléon and Col de Turini as the finale.
Longer journeys