Prestatyn Travel Guide

I'll just give a quick run down of some of the pubs in Prestatyn. There are no nightclubs (except for the residents' only ones in Pontins), theatres or cinemas, but you can find these in Rhyl, five minutes' drive west along the coast.

Cross Foxes - the longest serving and enduringly popular spot at the top of the high street. Has its ups and downs and clientele ranges from chavs to suits. Big screen for sports, DJ at weekends and stuff like quiz nights, karaoke etc sometimes on weeknights. Not exceptional, not bad. Just reliable. Standard range of drinks.

Halcyon Quest - a couple of minutes stroll from the Foxes, this is the most traditional pub in town. Still better known by its previous name 'Macauleys'. No TV or live entertainment, but a decent atmosphere and better range of beers than the Foxes. Nice beer garden open in the summer. B&B available.

Archies - the trendiest spot in town, near the top of the high street. An older crowd than the Foxes; the types who drink wine and Belgian beers rather than Breezers and Stella (but of course they are available too). Not a bad place, but the live music at weekends isn't very good and attracts a door fee.

Offa's Tavern - right next to the train station. A quiet place which presumably makes a living from its location and from selling decent pub grub. Too far away from the top of town bars to be included in a pub crawl and not enough to attract you away from them. Nothing wrong with it, just doesn't stand out.

Dress Code: Cross Foxes and Archies have a 'shoes only' policy at weekends.

Road - Unless you're travelling from somewhere else nearby (in which case, chances are you know your way around!), then take the A55 expressway from heading west or east (depending on your starting point). The A55 covers almost all of the North Wales coast. Prestatyn is clearly signposted from there. Just take the Prestatyn exit and follow the signs.

Rail - there's just one line in and out of Prestatyn, but it's a convenient one. In one direction, you can get to and from the other end of North Wales, direct to Holyhead via Rhyl, Llandudno and Bangor. In the other direction, trains go directly to and from Chester, Manchester, Birmingham and even London (once or twice a day). All other major UK destinations can be reached by taking a direct train from Prestatyn to Crewe and changing there.

Sea - you can go to and from Ireland by boat from Holyhead, which is an easy drive or train ride from Prestatyn.

Air - an hour's drive will get you to Liverpool and Manchester airports for both domestic and international flights.

Bus - not really worth bothering with unless you can;t drive and you want to go somewhere that doesn't have a train station. They're not much cheaper than trains and take ages to get anywhere. For example, a bus to Chester takes two hours, the train just 30 minutes.

Coach - National Express coaches pick up at the main bus station and go to most major UK cities either directly or with a connection.

Taxi - unless you're too drunk to drive or you've missed the last bus or train, forget it. There's a monopoly going on there - one company bought out all the others and therefore are your only option if you want a cab. As a result, they're overpriced, often overbooked and impossible to flag down. And if you want a taxi in the early hours of the morning, be sure to book in advance - despite their proclamations of a 24-hour service, between about 2 and 6am, they usually don't even answer the phone.

The 'danger area' of Prestatyn is a 200-meter radius of the town's railway station. Late at night it is a hang-out for the town's youths, and people have been attacked and badly injured at the railway station. It is not well-lit or manned at night, and can be quite an intimidating place to disembark.