On foot

Caernarfon`s town center is very easy to explore on foot. The town center is very small, appoximately 85 acres, or 1/8th of a square mile in size. As it is located where the Menai Strait meets the River Seiont, much of Caernarfon is flat and the inclines there are in town are low to moderate. The longest amount of time you will spend walking to get from one destination to the next in the city center should be no more than 15 minutes.

By bus (including The Snowdon Sherpa)

Caernarfon is served by buses, as is Gwynedd and the entire Snowdonia region, by the private company Gwynfor Coaches (www.gwynforcoaches.co.uk). The area`s bus service connects the many towns and cities of northwestern Wales, and while it does make stops in Caernarfon`s city center, buses run from the main bus station to Victoria Dock only once an hour. It`s faster to simply walk. A taxi is also a good option. Here are some of the lines that will be of most use to tourists:

-The Snowdon Sherpa: An experience that can be customized into a hop-on, hop-off tour of Snowdonia. Buy the day pass (£5 return/£2.50 one way) and you can pick and choose where to get off. The bus picks up in Llanberis and takes people to Nant Peris, Pen-y-Pass, Pen-y-Gwryd, Capel Curig, Rhaeadr Ewynnol/Swallow Falls, Betws-y-Coed, and Llanrwst.

-Route 88: This route connects three different stops in Caernarfon (bus station, Morrisons, and Campbell Road/Bethel Road) with Llanberis, allowing you to connect with the Snowdon Sherpa as one of the three stops in Llanberis is the Interchange where you need to meet the Sherpa. Tickets start at £2 one-way. Eight buses Monday-Saturday and four buses on Sunday.

-Route 5/X5: This route connects Caernarfon with Bangor, Conwy, and Llandudno. Over 30 buses Monday-Saturday and over 20 buses on Sunday. (8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily except to 8 p.m. on Sunday).

By taxi

There is one taxi rank in Caernarfon, in Castle Square. Taxis in Caernarfon, unlike other Welsh cities, tend to be all different colors, including black, white, blue, and red. They are easily hailed from any street if the light is on, signifying a vacancy. A taxi company that has been operating in the community for 30 years and has been recommended is Ivan`s Taxis (www.ivanstaxis.com, 01286 881590). Flagfall in Caernarfon is £3 and £1.55 is added with every 0.6 miles. An extra £1.50 is added to the flagfall if the taxi is taken between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

By car

Having a car in Caernarfon is ideal, not to explore Caernarfon itself but further afield, in beautiful places nearby such as Snowdonia National Park, the towns of Bangor and Menai Bridge, and the southern coast of the Isle of Anglesey, including the verbosely-named Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. There are three public multi-story car parks in Caernarfon: the Penllyn park at Pool Hill adjacent to Castle Square, and two (Balaclava and Shell Site) next to Victoria Dock. Parking is available for up to 12 hours at the Victoria Dock sites starting at £4 (open 24 hours), and the Penllyn park allows for 3 hours of parking starting at £3 (open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily). You will most likely be picking up your rental car before arriving in Caernarfon, but for whatever reason if you wanted to rent a car while you are in the area, there is a Europcar franchise located at Gwalia Garage, about a mile outside of town, past Glan Gwna Holiday Park.

By bicycle

Riding a bicycle is great not just to see Caernarfon but also to explore the trails of Snowdonia National Park. Beics Antur Bikes (typically located at Porth yr Aur near Caernarfon Castle and temporarily operating out of Warws Werdd at Cibyn Industrial Estate just outside town, +44 1286 674155, www.anturwaunfawr.org/en/beics-antur/antur-bikes) rents bicycles for a full day (9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) starting at £18 for a mountain bike and £33 for a tandem bike. You will need to give the shop a piece of identifying information (such as your driver's license or passport) as collateral; it will be returned to you once you return the bike.