The friends enjoyed a coffee on a stop-off in Carmarthen

Olwen Leebrook, 81, and Margaret Lewis, 82, boarded a bus outside their homes in Bryncoch, Neath, earlier.

With just a small suitcase each, they are planning on visiting all 13 of the traditional counties of Wales.

Sticking just to the local bus network the pair said they were looking forward to the trip and making new friends.

They stopped off for lunch in Carmarthen on Friday before heading on to Haverfordwest.

Travelling clock-wise around the country further stops include Aberystwyth, Caernarfon, Rhyl, Wrexham, Welshpool, Brecon and Abergavenny.

'Attractive'

Mrs Lewis said: "It's captured all our friends' imaginations - we even had a send off in Neath this morning with about 20 of our Soroptimist and WI friends coming to see us off."

The trip was the idea of great-grand-mother of three Mrs Leebrook.

We can afford to stay in hotels as we are not paying for the bus Olwen Leebrook

She said: "I came back to live in Neath about three-and-a-half years ago and I was bragging to my friends down in Somerset that I can now travel anywhere in Wales on a bus pass.

"Then sitting down one day I thought I can go right around Wales for nothing - now that's attractive."

Mrs Leebrook added: "I told Margaret about my idea on holiday last year - to go right round all the old counties, even if it's only to step off one bus and onto another - and she said she wanted to come.

"We will be on the road for 12 days. We can afford to stay in hotels as we are not paying for the bus."

Mrs Lewis will celebrate her 83rd birthday on the road on Monday.

"It's taken a lot of planning by Olwen," she added.

"Where ever we are on the Sundays we are staying for two nights because the public transport is not as good on Sundays.