Wales is one of my favourite trips, you'll have a great time. I do it from Derby so it's a trek for me too, but...
If you possibly can I'd suggest doing a few more miles and heading up to North wales.
Here's a suggested route:
From Oxford pickup the M4 and head to South Wales via the Severn Bridge - gotta be worth a few extra miles to tick that off, if like me you had never done it before. And free for bikes!
Then head up to Brecon in the heart of the Brecon beacons (south/mid wales) for lunch - nice area.
That's around 140 miles / three hours so far.
The best place to stay in North Wales is probably Betws-y-Coed. Great little tourist town with a bit of life and pubs, restaurants etc. Very pretty.
To reach that you would head up through mid wales via the A470 which is one of the best roads I've ever ridden, especially through Snowdonia.
That would bring you to a total of 255 miles / 6 hours.
It's a long day's ride but perfectly do-able, allow 10 minutes stop to stretch legs every hour or so plus an hour for lunch.
Or if it feels too ambitious then stop the night in south or mid wales, and continue on to North Wales the next day.
Betws-y-Coed to Oxford direct (not the scenic route through wales) is about 180 miles so that would be your return leg most likely.
I do my touring on a budget so I tend to stay in Youth Hostels - around £15 per night.
There's one in Brecon which I've used and was fine, and another in Betws-y-Coed which is very popular but I haven't used myself.
I have used the one 10 miles up the road in a nearby village which is probably my favourite Youth Hostel anywhere, but is a bit far from the pub.
If you're not familiar with hostels they're clean and friendly but not posh - you're renting a bunk bed for the night, not an e-suite room with gentleman servant.
If you don't fancy a hostel then there are many good hotels in Betws-y-Coed.
I wasn't very impressed with Brecon in the evening - bit of a young clubbing type vibe for me, but just personal taste.
Just some suggestions - look at the towns I've suggested on the web and Google the road and see what you think.
It's the road is the reason you should heat North - A470 through Snowdon is Amazing (and the A5 too!) So may good roads...
Andy
If you possibly can I'd suggest doing a few more miles and heading up to North wales.
Here's a suggested route:
From Oxford pickup the M4 and head to South Wales via the Severn Bridge - gotta be worth a few extra miles to tick that off, if like me you had never done it before. And free for bikes!
Then head up to Brecon in the heart of the Brecon beacons (south/mid wales) for lunch - nice area.
That's around 140 miles / three hours so far.
The best place to stay in North Wales is probably Betws-y-Coed. Great little tourist town with a bit of life and pubs, restaurants etc. Very pretty.
To reach that you would head up through mid wales via the A470 which is one of the best roads I've ever ridden, especially through Snowdonia.
That would bring you to a total of 255 miles / 6 hours.
It's a long day's ride but perfectly do-able, allow 10 minutes stop to stretch legs every hour or so plus an hour for lunch.
Or if it feels too ambitious then stop the night in south or mid wales, and continue on to North Wales the next day.
Betws-y-Coed to Oxford direct (not the scenic route through wales) is about 180 miles so that would be your return leg most likely.
I do my touring on a budget so I tend to stay in Youth Hostels - around £15 per night.
There's one in Brecon which I've used and was fine, and another in Betws-y-Coed which is very popular but I haven't used myself.
I have used the one 10 miles up the road in a nearby village which is probably my favourite Youth Hostel anywhere, but is a bit far from the pub.
If you're not familiar with hostels they're clean and friendly but not posh - you're renting a bunk bed for the night, not an e-suite room with gentleman servant.
If you don't fancy a hostel then there are many good hotels in Betws-y-Coed.
I wasn't very impressed with Brecon in the evening - bit of a young clubbing type vibe for me, but just personal taste.
Just some suggestions - look at the towns I've suggested on the web and Google the road and see what you think.
It's the road is the reason you should heat North - A470 through Snowdon is Amazing (and the A5 too!) So may good roads...
Andy