May · Prime time
The best driving months here. Long evenings, dry surfaces and the Black Mountain Pass at its glorious best.
Verdict
Prime time
Where to base
Betws y Coed, Brecon or Machynlleth
Roads in the Atlas
9
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. Seasonal notes are reviewed against published closure dates and reopened each spring. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 6 March 2026
Context
The best value driving in Britain, with mountain passes in the north, moorland sweepers in the middle and empty coast roads all the way round.
Roads
Brecon Beacons, Wales
A ribbon of hairpins climbing a bare Welsh moorland made famous by Top Gear.
11.8 mi · Rating 9.4 / 10
Frequently closed by snow, one of Wales's first roads to shut
Snowdonia, Wales
A dramatic pass beneath Snowdon's crags linking two of Wales's most storied villages.
9.9 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Can ice near the summit in cold snaps
Denbigh Moors, Wales
One leg of the legendary Evo Triangle, a flowing high speed moorland test road.
14.9 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10
Exposed moorland stretch can ice in winter
Black Mountains, Wales
Wales's highest surfaced road climbs open sheepwalks above the Wye valley.
6.8 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10
The highest road pass in Wales, closes in heavy snow
Snowdonia, Wales
The connecting stretch of the Evo Triangle beloved for its rhythmic fast corners.
6.2 mi · Rating 8.8 / 10
Denbighshire, Wales
A famous horseshoe bend switchback climbing out of the Vale of Llangollen.
11.2 mi · Rating 8.8 / 10
Snow gates close the summit in severe winter weather
Mid Wales
A serene reservoir road threading dams and pine forest deep in mid Wales.
6.2 mi · Rating 8.7 / 10
Snowdonia, Wales
A former mountain pass road with fast sweepers overlooking slate valleys.
8.1 mi · Rating 8.6 / 10
Ice forms readily on the exposed summit
Ceredigion, Wales
A rolling coastal A road with sweeping bends and constant glimpses of Cardigan Bay.
24.2 mi · Rating 8.5 / 10