So I am off to cycle the EV2 and will be starting my ride from Llandudno on Monday 14th June. I have had a quick look and whilst there are plenty of campsites along the way, I’ll be **** if I am paying 23 quid for a pitch for my one man msr hubba. They price is the same as if I rock up with a caravan and the family in tow. Happy to pay up to 12 quid, but failing that it’s wild camping for me.

Any tips on the wild camping and getting permission. Is it a case of getting a pint at the local and asking there?

I’m trying to find accommodation around Coed-Y-Brenin, and from what I’ve seen £12 isn’t going to happen!

Good luck with the search though

You might not be popular wild camping at the moment due to the number of idiots during the last year that have screwed it up for those genuine wild campers. You’ll probably struggle getting cheap sites due to staycations.

Not great from a planning perspective but there are plenty of pop up campsites at the moment. High demand coupled with temporarily, slightly relaxed planning rules. A hand painted sign on a farm gate is about all you will see so not very easy to plan a route and book ahead though. I suspect the places with websites and online booking will generally be more expensive.

Thanks for the heads up. I think I’ll just wing it and keep my eyes peeled for a pop up campsite whilst cycling. Booking ahead is always a pain as you never know upfront what the day entails and it’s nice to not have any agenda.

As a plan B, be prepared to wild camp discreetly and responsibly (out of sight, pitch late, break camp early, leave no trace, take a trowel for toilet stuff), but keep your eyes open for signs on farm gates or ask in pubs if anyone is letting folk stay.

but keep your eyes open for signs on farm gates or ask in pubs if anyone is letting folk stay.

That is my preference as I’m not the best at getting up and leaving at the crack of dawn.

Go on Pitchup and filter by budget/backpacker to scope out what’s available… lots in the £10-15 range. But always contact them directly to book if possible. (There are also lots of listings that don’t have prices etc, some of these will be pub or farmers campsites around the £10 mark but you’ll probably have to do some ringing round)

Wales used to be very good for £5 pitches, away from the hot spots which had coastal views. However, inflation will have happened since then (particularly in water / waste water regulations) and in current times you really need to pre-book formal campsites.

Some places in the north:
If the OP is heading straight down from Llandudno to pick up the NCN8 around Porthmadog, Hafod y Llan National Trust site is first come first served and £9 per adult.
Many years ago I have stayed at Hafod Dywyll, in winter, was very basic (just a toilet, looks like they have showers in summer) and it would be an uphill slog to get there for one night if on foot/cycling, needs booking, £6 per adult. http://www.hafoddywyllcampsite.co.uk/rates
I’ve never stayed there but Cae Adda looks lovely and £10 per head: https://www.caeadda.com/camping
Merthyr Farm above Harlech is also a slog to get up to but has great views and cyclist rate (£10): http://www.merthyrfarm.co.uk/contact.html

There are probably plenty of others but you do need to plan and contact them before hand. I would say properly wild camping (pitch late, up at dawn) in forestry areas will be ok but yeah I suspect it won’t be tolerated in farming areas given the amount of litter and bad behaviour in the last year. I recon in the more central bits (after Machynlleth but before the Brecon Beacons) you’ll struggle for the more basic campsites (the type that allow fires).

I expect discreet, solo wild camping won’t get you in to any trouble.

We stayed on one campsite whilst riding the trans Cambrian way, and stopped in this field. The farmer was clearing the hay bales when we passed, so I asked if we could stop. He said no problem, and later gave me his number in case I was ever passing again.

We helped loading bales onto the trailer at sunset, and was gone early the next day.

I’ll remember the night in a field far more fondly than the night I paid for a campsite.

@Konagirl – thanks for the suggestions. I am detouring off the EV2 and picking up the 82 and so will run past Hafod Dywyll. I dropped them an email and they said it should be fine for Monday night. I just need to see whether I make the distance though.

Otherwise, I’ll probably just keep an eye out for a local farmer and ask.

Now I am not a landowner, and dont speak for landowners, but I have never had a problem wild camping anywhere in South Wales, its a favourite summer passtime of the kids down here. Nobody tends to bat an eye when we see tents in the middle of a forest or near a remote lake, stream or whatever. Theres so much empty space around here that youre unlikely to see many people if you go more than a mile off a main road anyway
As long as you leave no trace , and arent obviously having a rave, I dont think that youd encounter any problems, well in my experience anyway.

Don’t campsites charge less if you arrive without a car.

If you follow the 42 from Hay on Wye instead of the 8 then you will pass my farm just after the Gospel Pass (which you really should be doing as it is the highest public tarmac road in Wales). I would be happy to give you a pitch and use of the shower/toilet.