Today, 7th October 2026, I decided to put Transport for Wales’ Tap & Go system to the test for myself, travelling across North Wales using Tap & Go as much as possible throughout my journey. The scheme was recently expanded on 29th September 2026, building on the original service which was introduced on 18th May 2026 between Bidston and Wrexham General on the Borderlands Line. With the expansion opening up Tap & Go to more stations and routes across the North Wales region, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to experience the system in a real-world journey rather than simply explaining how it works.

Throughout the day, I travelled across several different routes and stations, using Tap & Go to see how straightforward it is from a passenger’s perspective. I’ll be sharing my own thoughts and opinions on the system, including how easy I found it to use, how the tapping process compares with my experiences elsewhere, and whether I think it could make travelling around North Wales easier. I’ll also be comparing Transport for Wales’ offering with Merseyrail’s own Tap & Go system, which I’ve used extensively, to see how the two systems differ and what I think each does well.

I officially started my day at Bidston station, where trains currently run towards both Wrexham and West Kirby. Bidston has quite an interesting history, as it was once a much more significant junction, with services running towards New Brighton, Seacombe and even Woodside in Birkenhead. After arriving at the station, I tapped in using my contactless card on the Tap & Go reader before boarding my first train of the day towards Shotton. Rather than ending my journey at Shotton, I stayed within the system and changed trains there for a service towards Rhyl. I didn’t tap out at Shotton, as I was continuing my journey, and instead completed this first part of my journey when I eventually arrived at Rhyl and tapped out there.

After boarding the train, I had originally planned to film my journey using Transport for Wales’ Tap & Go system, much like I have done with my previous transport videos. However, I decided against filming this particular journey because I have unfortunately experienced people repeatedly following my content online, including repeatedly disliking and subscribing to my YouTube channel. This is one of the reasons why I’ve found myself coming back to my blog, as it gives me a space to share my journeys and experiences in my own way without feeling the same pressure. I’d really like to continue writing posts like this, so if you enjoy following my adventures, please do leave me a comment and let me know. I’d also love to hear from you if you’ve tried Tap & Go for yourself, whether that’s on Merseyrail or here on Transport for Wales (TfW), and what your experience of using it has been like.

From Shotton, I took my next train along the North Wales Coast Line, travelling mostly alongside the River Dee before heading further along the coast towards the Irish Sea. The train stopped at Flint and Prestatyn before I eventually alighted at Rhyl, where I spent some time grabbing food and checking out the bus station for a future post here on my blog. I also tapped out using the same contactless card I had tapped in with at Bidston earlier that morning, officially completing my first Tap & Go journey of the day. Overall, I really enjoyed travelling with Transport for Wales, visiting places I hadn’t been to for quite some time and simply enjoying the freedom of travelling without needing to buy a traditional ticket.

Contactless travel itself isn’t exactly new, with London introducing the Oyster card back in 2003 and contactless bank-card payments following on the capital’s transport network in 2012. What is interesting for me is seeing similar technology now being introduced much closer to home, with Merseyrail and Transport for Wales bringing Pay As You Go systems to their networks. TfW introduced its North Wales scheme in May 2026 before expanding it further in September, meaning passengers can now use a simple tap of their bank card or device across more of the region. It’s something I’m enjoying seeing develop, particularly as these systems are finally becoming available in places like Merseyside and North Wales.

I spent some time at Rhyl Bus Station, which I’ll be writing about in a separate post shortly after this one goes live, as there’s plenty more I want to share from my visit. I also want to give you an update on the costs involved with my journey, including travelling from Bidston through to Rhyl, then from Rhyl to Chester and finally Chester to Frodsham, to give you a better idea of what these journeys cost using Tap & Go. My original plan for the day was actually quite different, as I had intended to continue on towards Chirk before making my way up to Runcorn East, but as the day went on, my plans changed and I decided to take some time to do other things instead. Sometimes these unexpected changes make the journey more enjoyable, and it gave me the chance to slow down and enjoy the day rather than simply sticking rigidly to my original plan.

I arrived back at Chester on time, although unfortunately my train was terminated there, meaning passengers had to make their way over to Platform 2 for the connecting Cardiff service. I’ve noticed this seems to happen fairly often with Transport for Wales, particularly since the Class 197s entered service, where services can sometimes terminate at Chester rather than continuing as passengers might expect. It can be a little frustrating when you’re trying to keep to a plan, especially when you suddenly have to rush across the station to catch another train, but thankfully I had enough time to make the connection.

My original plan from Chester was to catch the 14:50 service towards Runcorn East, but when I realised there was a Liverpool-bound train arriving around ten minutes earlier, I decided to change my plans once again. I boarded that service and travelled through to Frodsham, where I decided to finish the main part of my day rather than continuing on to Runcorn East. From there, I could make my way home using Merseyrail, bringing what had been a rather enjoyable day of exploring North Wales and trying out Tap & Go to an end.

Finally arriving at my last station of the day, I can honestly say I had a really enjoyable trip travelling around North Wales, heading through to Chester and getting the chance to revisit places I haven’t seen for quite some time, including Rhyl and Prestatyn. It was nice to simply get out and enjoy the journey, while also trying out Transport for Wales’ Tap & Go system for myself and seeing how it worked across the different parts of my trip. If you’ve used Tap & Go yourself, whether that’s locally on Merseyrail, across North Wales with Transport for Wales, or even in London, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the system. Do you find it easy to use, and does it work out cheaper or more convenient for your journeys? If you’ve got your own experiences or opinions, please let me know in the comments below, as I’d really like to hear what you think!