Let it be known that north Wales is a transport fan’s delight! With both of us having grown up with families who loved (and worked on) the railways we are keen to take Millie on as many trains as possible. and this extended to trams, canal boats and miniature railways during this holiday!
The Ffestiniog Railway
This is a favourite childhood memory of mine and one where the experience still matches the expectation! The Ffestiniog railway is a heritage steam railway between Blaenau Ffestiniog (an old slate mining town) and Porthmadog (a quaint harbour town). It’s 13 1/2 miles of stunning views from the slate mines to the salt marshes where you travel in comfortable restored rolling stock. A return journey sets you back £18.50, so it’s best to pick a good weather day to make sure you get those views.
The Great Orme Tramway
It’s the only cable hauled tramway in the UK and goes up the side of the Great Orme in Llandudno to its summit of 679ft. It’s great fun and reminded me of going on the trams in San Francisco on our honeymoon and the views from the top are amazing. You can do some pretty serious walking around the top of the Orme but come prepared for the weather – we walked out to the edge of it (about 30 mins away from the visitor centre) and got caught in an incredible rainstorm which came out of nowhere. Literally one minute it was bright blue sky, the next it was hailstones! The tram runs every 20 mins and is £5.60 for a return trip.
Horse Drawn Canal Boats
In Llangollen you can still have a ride on a canal boat the traditional 18th century way – pulled along by horses! The beautiful scenery is part of a world heritage site and it’s very calming travelling at such a sedate pace. The ride lasts about 45 mins and costs £6.
Betwys-y-coed Miniature Railway
This miniature railway is a must for any train enthusiasts. It’s a mile long (usually miniature steam train) ride and runs alongside the mainline track. To be fair I think Tom and I enjoyed it more than Millie, she looked distinctly puzzled by the whole thing but it was a well spent £1.50 for us!
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