The Aberglaslyn Pass
The train hugs a ledge above the river then disappears into rock-cut tunnels; the finest half hour on the whole line.
mattbuck (category) — CC BY-SA 3.0 · ARG_Flickr — CC BY 2.0 · ARG_Flickr — CC BY 2.0 · ARG_Flickr — CC BY 2.0
Forty kilometres of narrow-gauge track, hauled by steam from Caernarfon on the coast to Porthmadog Harbour, past the flank of the highest mountain in Wales: this is the longest heritage railway in Britain, and its best stretch is not at either end but dead centre, at Beddgelert station, where this pin sits. From here the train drops into the Aberglaslyn Pass, clinging to a ledge above a river running fast between boulders, then vanishes into tunnels cut through bare rock before the view opens onto tidal sands and the sea. Of all the steam lines we have ridden in Britain, this half hour is the one that justifies the journey. The trips are sold as named services rather than fares. The Aberglaslyn runs Porthmadog to Beddgelert and back (about 2 hours 40 minutes, with up to 75 minutes in the village, or a full-day option of roughly four and a half hours) for £43 per adult; the Gelert Explorer does Caernarfon to Beddgelert and back (about three hours on the train, four and a quarter with the stop) for £58.50; and the Snowdonia Star covers the whole line out and back in just over six hours for £72. Children aged 3 to 15 pay a flat £5 on all standard services, which is what turns an expensive adult ticket into a genuinely good family outing. A 6% online booking fee is added, so booking ahead costs a little more rather than less; in July and August the morning departures fill up, and the railway recommends pre-booking, though tickets can still be bought at the station subject to demand. Pullman first-class observation carriages with at-seat service cost more; our honest advice is that standard class, with its table bays and big windows, is all this scenery needs. Trains run daily from late March to the end of October and all but stop in winter apart from a few event services, so do not plan on it between November and March. The full one-way run takes about 2 hours 15 minutes, which is long for small children; families do better with the short Aberglaslyn trip, or riding one stop from Beddgelert to Nantmor and walking back through the pass on the riverside Fisherman's Path, about an hour and a half. Note that this is a narrow, rooty, slippery-in-places path rather than an easy stroll, and the old trackbed that walkers once used through the tunnels is now the working railway. Folding pushchairs go under the seats, large prams have limited space in the guard's van, wheelchair users should phone the booking office before booking, and disabled passengers with a carer get 10% off. Getting there from the heart of Snowdonia: Beddgelert is about 30 minutes by car from Betws-y-Coed on the A5, A4086 and A498, and about 25 minutes from Caernarfon on the A4085; the station sits at the north-west edge of the village, a few minutes' walk from the stone bridge. In summer the roads jam and the village car parks are full by late morning, so either arrive early or start from Porthmadog, where the railway keeps a fenced-off section of the Llyn Bach car park free for its passengers, first come first served. The village itself, with its cafes, riverside and the grave of the legendary hound Gelert, fills the wait between trains without effort.
The train hugs a ledge above the river then disappears into rock-cut tunnels; the finest half hour on the whole line.
A flat child fare (ages 3-15) on every standard service turns a pricey adult ticket into a reasonable family day.
A stopover of up to 75 minutes covers the stone bridge, the river, Gelert's grave and a cafe.
Beddgelert Station, off the A4085, Beddgelert, Gwynedd LL55 4YE
The short section, in most cases. The full line is just over six hours out and back for £72 per adult, and its northern half — the Gwyrfai valley, Llyn Cwellyn and the open ground under Snowdon at Rhyd Ddu — is handsome but gentler than what comes after Beddgelert. The Aberglaslyn trip from Porthmadog to Beddgelert and back covers the best of the line in 2 hours 40 minutes for £43. The full run is worth it mainly for steam enthusiasts with a free day and no small children.
Different jobs. The Snowdon train climbs to the summit in about an hour and a quarter, roughly two and a half hours for the round trip with half an hour at the top; an adult return is about £45-48 and it sells out weeks ahead in summer. This is a steam line through valleys, with changing scenery and a village stop. If you have one day and a clear sky, choose the summit; if the cloud is down, as it often is, the summit shows you nothing and this line gives you far more.