Wales’ most stunning train journeys
I don’t know about you, but I love traveling by train. Here in North America, where I’m based, I regularly enjoy the ten-hour journey from New York to Montreal, heading north for winter snowboarding and summer festivals, traveling alongside the Hudson River and then Lake Champlain between New York State and Vermont.
In Wales there are, of course, stunning scenic heritage steam railways, including the Snowdon Mountain Railway (pictured left) which winds to the summit of Snowdon, the highest mountain in England and Wales. But my personal favorites of all the heritage railways are the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways which together provide a 40-mile route from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Caernarfon through the Snowdonia National Park. The new section of track which runs through the Aberglaslyn Pass is spectacular.
As well as the heritage railways, there are also picturesque train lines which stop by harbor towns and sweep through the valleys and mountains, such as the Cambrian Coast Line, Conwy Valley Line, West Wales Line and the Heart of Wales Line.
The views along the Cambrian Coast Line (pictured right) are amazing as the train track hugs the coast. My favorite places to stop are Barmouth, where the town literally clings to the hillside, and Harlech, to walk up to the castle. The Cambrian Railways Partnership just launched a really fun-sounding idea: “Cambrian ALEways” by suggesting pubs serving great local beers located close to railway stations along the route. Download the Cambrian ALEways leaflet here.
If you’re on vacation and want to travel by train, planning ahead of time is important as some of those lines have just four trains a day. I find the website – www.traveline-cymru.info – really useful for planning routes and itineraries.
Arriva Trains Wales, the company which runs most of the train and bus services throughout Wales, offers a “Freedom of Wales Flexi Pass.” For example, buy the “4 in 8 Day All Wales Pass,” costing £74 (around $122), for four days of unlimited travel on buses and trains within an eight-day period; plus you can travel for free on the fantastic Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways and get discounts on riding other heritage railways and on entry to attractions. www.walesflexipass.co.uk
There are cheaper options if you’re just traveling on certain lines, such as the “Cambrian Coaster Day Ranger,” so look out for those too. There are also useful websites and downloadable flyers and pod-casts about the routes, such as these ones on the Cambrian Coast Line:
www.thecambrianline.co.uk/Cambrian_line_guide.htm
As well as the leisurely-paced local lines throughout Wales, there are fast trains into the country from London - - direct from London Paddington where the connection to the Heathrow Express is almost too convenient. Seriously you can hop on a train at Heathrow and be in the center of Cardiff two hours and 51 minutes later. Or from Manchester, take the train into North Wales to Llandudno, Bangor or Holyhead.
Until recently, it’s always been a drag getting the train from North Wales to South Wales. Now it’s a little quicker and a whole lot more comfortable with Arriva’s premier “North to South” service. With an early start to hop aboard at Llandudno Junction at 6.21am (the train starts in Holyhead at 5.32am), you’ll arrive in Cardiff at 9.58am just three-and-a-half hours later. I would suggest enjoying the Welsh countryside as you speed along the journey, but much of the route is actually just across the border through England. Still, the first class travel experience includes full breakfast in the morning and an evening meal on the return journey from Cardiff to North Wales. That service was recently ranked top in a review of all rail dining experiences in Britain.
Here’s a tip: snag a first class BritRail pass if you’re traveling to Britain from overseas and planning on making a few long train journeys during your visit. With that pass, you don’t need to book ahead, so you simply head for the first class carriage on services such as the “North to South” route and enjoy a little luxury. www.britrail.com
So there's just a taste of train travel in Wales - - a neat way to explore much of the country with just a little advanced planning.
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