Saturday 30th September 2023

(This tour was previously scheduled for Saturday 1st April 2023 but has been rescheduled due to strike action)

As the summer days start to shorten, but the sun still shines strongly, what could be finer than a day out to Snowdonia? With the option of a visit to spectacular Bodnant Garden or a magical journey by narrow gauge steam railway all the way from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Caernarfon via Porthmadog, taking in the full length of both the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways, this is sure to be a day not to be missed.

Our train runs via the West Coast Main Line, diverging at Crewe and passing Chester before heading along the North Wales Coast to arrive at Llandudno Junction. Here coaches will be waiting for the two off-train options.

THE FFESTINIOG AND WELSH HIGHLAND RAILWAYS

Just imagine a narrow gauge railway that runs for forty miles from the little town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, winding its way through glorious mountain scenery all the way down to Porthmadog. From here it races across farmlands before hugging the sides of the dramatic Aberglaslyn Pass. It swings around tight curves and climbs to emerge into the foothills of Snowdon itself, skirts high above peaceful lakes and finally descends past streams and woodlands to end its journey beneath the walls of an ancient castle.

Although the Ffestiniog Railway survived and prospered, tragically the much longer Welsh Highland saw its last passenger train in 1937 and fell into total dereliction and decay. Everybody was pretty sure that was the end of the story.

Well, maybe not quite everybody. The brave vision of a few and the sheer determination and guts of many more means it’s not a dream any longer. Road coaches take us to either Blaenau Ffestiniog or Caernarfon where our specially chartered narrow gauge trains of corridor stock, complete with toilets and a buffet car, will be waiting for our scenic marathon.  Regardless of where your journey begins, you will experience a journey from one end of the line to the other and a leg stretching break will take place at attractive Portmadog. Coaches will then take us from either Caernarfon or Blaenau Ffestiniog to rejoin our own train back to London.

BODNANT GARDENS (NATIONAL TRUST)

The garden at Bodnant is one of the finest in the world. It is situated above the River Conwy on ground sloping to the south-west and looks across the valley towards the Snowdonia range.

The garden is in two parts. The upper part around the house consists of the Terrace Gardens as well as informal lawns shaded by trees. The lower portion, known as ‘The Dell’, is formed by the valley of the River Hiraethlyn, a tributary of the Conwy, and contains the Pinetum and Wild Garden.

The coach journey from Llandudno Junction takes less than fifteen minutes and we will have around four hours at Bodnant. Afterwards the coaches will take us to Llandudno itself where you have an hour or so to take a seaside stroll in this beautifully preserved seaside town before returning to Llandudno Junction and rejoining the train. A discount is available to card-carrying National Trust members

FREE TIME IN LLANDUDNO JUNCTION

We are also offering a ‘train only’ option to Llandudno Junction. From here there are scheduled train and frequent local buses (not included in the fare) into Llandudno itself, some three miles distant. Other local services link the Junction to Conwy and Colwyn Bay.

 

First Class Dining includes The Great British Breakfast and a four course dinner. A buffet car is available.

Off train options include entry and coach transfers and must be pre booked.

Class	Price	Availability
Standard Adult	£119	Good
Standard Junior	£109	Good
First Class Non Dining	£179	Limited
First Class Dining	£289	Fully Booked
First Class Dining Party of Four	£1136	Fully Booked
Off Train Option -Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway	£45	Good
Off Train Option - Bodnant Garden	£25	Good
Off Train Option - Bodnant Garden (National Trust Member)	£11	Good

All timings are provisional and intended only as a guide

Station	Depart	Arrive
London Euston	06.49	22.34
Watford Junction	07.08	22.06
Milton Keynes Central	07.43	21.27
Rugby	08.15	20.53

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