A few years back I was waiting to catch my bus to work and got talking to some visitors at the bus stop. They were staying in Caernarfon and were going to do the Snowdonia Circular… taking the bus to Bangor from Caernarfon and then find their way back to Caernarfon via train. Ever since that conversation I’ve been meaning to do the trip. I’m hoping that this Summer I’ll finally achieve it. (Interestingly it wasn’t on my 2022 Railway Bucket List but hey ho!)
Now I’ve deliberated long and hard about which way to take this route and I think I’ve decided on the anti clockwise route. Mainly because I love to hear my Ffestiniog engines chuffing… and there’s a better chuff uphill. Actually the route through Tanygrisiau looks better on the way up in my opinion. It is possible to the journey in the opposite direction as well. More on that later but for now let’s get started! I’m starting the journey at Llandudno Junction seeing as that’s the way to North Wales on the National Network.
Llandudno Junction to Bangor – North Wales Coast Line
The North Wales Coast Line is part of the National network and takes you from Llandudno Junction through to Holyhead. However we only need to go a few miles (approx 15 miles) along the route to Bangor. The journey offers coastal views of the Great Orme and Anglesey and crosses the modern day Cegin Viaduct before arriving at Bangor via a tunnel. In fact I find Bangor Station to be an odd one as you enter the station via a tunnel and exit the station via a tunnel.
[Journey time approx 15 – 20 mins]
Bangor to Caernarfon – Bus Route TrawsCymru T2
This is the only section which cannot be done by rail. But never fear, there’s a a TfW TrawsCymru T2 bus which can be taken to complete the circuit. The T2 bus links Bangor to Aberystwyth and if I remember correctly, the journey is in two legs – one from Aberystwyth to Dolgellau where you change for the second leg from Dolgellau to Bangor. As it happens you only need to do a small proportion of the T2 journey – the 10 or so miles from Bangor Station to Caernarfon.
The alternative is to hop on an Arriva Buses 5C service which is a more regular service than the T2 service.
[Journey time approx 25-30 mins]
Caernarfon to Porthmadog – Welsh Highland Railway
After a little walk from the bus station, finally we get some steam trains! This is one half of the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways being the Welsh Highland line between Caernarfon and Porthmadog. This stretch of the line takes in the views of Yr Wyddfa / Snowdon (highest mountain in Wales) and Aberglaslyn Pass, passes through the villages of Rhyd Ddu and Beddgelert on it’s way to Porthmadog.
Majority of the services are hauled by the mighty Garratts. Originally servicing the South African Railways there are now three NG16s in service along the line. They are quirky things to look at but they’re powerful machines which can haul those carriages all the way to Porthmadog.
[Journey time approx 75 mins]
Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog – Ffestiniog Railway
In my (completely biased) opinion this is the best part of this journey – my beloved Ffestiniog Railway! Now officially a UNESCO World Heritage Site! As far as I’m concerned, this is my railway! I grew up with this going through my garden and LOVED watching the trains as a child. I drifted away from the railway in my teenage years but thankfully as fate would have it, I found my way back in 2019. Anyway I digress…
Originally opened to serve the slate quarries of the Ffestiniog area, this beautifully restored narrow garage railway runs the 13.5 miles from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog. Today the trains are simply to carry tourists although you’ll find people like me also travel simply for the pure joy it brings.
Various locomotives pull the passenger trains although usually the ones on the Blaenau train are my beautiful Double Fairlies (as pictured above)
(Current service to Blaenau Ffestiniog is the Mountain Spirit service – check the FestRail website for full details of this service – how good is the video though? *cough*I might’ve filmed bits*cough*)
[Journey time approx 75 mins]
Blaenau Ffestiniog to Llandudno Junction – Conwy Valley Line
The final leg of the Snowdonia Circular is along the standard gauge branch line of the Conwy Valley Line. The whole line runs from the major slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog (also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site) through to the coastal town of Llandudno. For the purposes of the Snowdonia Circular you actually don’t go to Llandudno itself but stop at Llandudno Junction which was your initial starting point. However I would highly recommend a trip into Llandudno to see a fine seaside town with it’s Victorian era wonders. (Check out this post of things to do on the Great Orme).
Highlights of this line is of course the slate landscape of Blaenau Ffestiniog, the castle at Dolwyddelen, the viaduct of Bont Gethin (although best seen from the road rather than from the train), the picturesque village of Betws Y Coed (including the Conwy Valley Railway Museum), the epic Aberconwy view and of course Conwy Castle. It is actually quite a spectacular branch line – potentially one of the finest on the National Network (hey I’m biased and don’t care!).
[Journey time approx 60mins]
Planning Resources
As yet I don’t have a plan about whether this is achievable all in one day. To be honest, I’m not the best at reading timetables so please never let me be in charge of planning your journey! If I wasn’t a local I would do it over a course of a week and enjoy some fabulous sights and sounds of Snowdonia on my way. If you’re thinking of doing this then I would highly recommend taking a peek at Wales on Rails website which has lots of fabulous resources for you to plan your journey. Here are some handy websites to plan your journey:
- TfW – plan your rail journey along the North Wales Coast and Conwy Valley Line
- Traveline Cymru – plan your Bangor/Caernarfon bus journey
- Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways – plan your Caernarfon/Porthmadog/Blaenau Ffestiniog journey
- Wales on Rails – top sights to see along the route which may tickle your fancy
- Trainline – another method to book tickets for the mainlines
If you do this journey please let me know how you get on! I’d love to hear your views.
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