Snowdonia Trip PlanHighlights

Day 1: Friday 29th MarchWe are going via Wrexham and taking break for Jumma. After arriving and checking in either we can go to Tan y Bwlch or Blaenau Ffestiniog using car. Ffestiniog Railway is not possible.

Day 2: Saturday 30th MarchTake driving route 1 and visit Caernarfon, Menai Bridge, Llanberis, Snowdon, Capel Curig

Day 3: Sunday 31st MarchTake driving route 2 and visit Blaenau Ffestiniog, Betws-Y-Coed, Llandudno

Day 4: Monday 1st AprilIn the morning visit picturesque town Portmeirion (almost on our way back). Then we head back home.

Day1 details

We meet at Oxford service centre at 9am and leave by 10am. We are going via Wrexham and taking break for Jumma. We hope to reach Caravan park by 4pm. We can’t take Ffestiniog Railway from Porthmadog as the last train leaves at 16:00. Instead we can take car to Tan y Bwlch or Blaenau Ffestiniog .

Ffestiniog Railway TimetablePorthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog Porthmadog 10.15 11.40 13.35 16.00Minffordd 10.25 11.50 13.45 16.10Penrhyn 10.30 12.00 13.50 16.20Tan y Bwlch 10.50 12.20 14.10 16.40Blaenau Ffestiniog 11.30 13.00 14.45 17.20Return journeyBlaenau Ffestiniog 11.50 13.40 15.10 17.40Tan y Bwlch 12.20 14.10 15.40 18.10Penrhyn 12.35 14.25 16.00 18.25Minffordd 12.45 14.40 16.10 18.35Porthmadog 13.00 14.55 16.20 18.50

Ticket PriceRound trip Ticket up to Tan y Bwlch £13.00 per adult (1 child per 1 adult free).Round trip Ticket up to Blaenau Ffestiniog £20.20 per adult (1 child per 1 adult free).

Note, the journey to the last stop i.e. Blaenau Ffestiniog is interesting but we will have only 20 minutes at Blaenau Ffestiniog before we can take the last train back. If someone is interested they can do that too. More information of the train service is here http://www.festrail.co.uk

Those who are not interested, may enjoy the beach near the caravan site.

Day2 details

We take driving route 1 and the route map is attached here.

Route: Caravan park -> Porthmadog -> Beddgelert -> Caernarfon -> Menai Bridge -> Llanberis -> Capel Curig -> Beddgelert -> Porthmadog -> Caravan parkTotal distance: 74 milesThe route is divided into sections. We can take multiple breaks in eah section if we find any nice place and we have time.Route sections:

Section 1: Satnav destination LL55 2AY (Caernarfon Castle car park)Caravan park to Porthmadog via A4971Porthmadog to Beddgelert via A4971 -> A487 -> A498Beddgelert to Caernarfon via A4085 (we can stop at Rhyd Ddu) and then A487 We spent 1 hour in Caernarfon Castle and surrounding areas. Castle related information can be found in Wikipedia. We can also have a short walk in the town using suggestion given herehttp://www.visitcaernarfon.com/townwalk.html

Section 2: Satnav destination LL59 5EA (Waitrose car park in Menai Bridge)Caernarfon to Menai Bridge via A487 -> A5 We spend 30 minutes in Menai bridge. See the Menai Suspension Bridge and have a short walk in the town. http://www.menaibridge.org

Section 3: Satnav destination LL55 4TT (Llanberis Snowdon Mountain Railway)Menai Bridge to Llanberis via A487 -> B4547 -> A4244 -> A4086 We take lunch there. Those who are interested to take Snowdonia Mountain train can do so from here. http://www.snowdonrailway.co.uk/times_prices.php Note that from March to Early May trains will terminate at Clogwyn, not at the top. Journey to and from Clogwyn can take up to two hours which includes a stop of approximately 30 minutes. If you have not pre-booked tickets, call 0844 493 8120 to check availability. Return fare £21 per adult and £13 per child aged 3 and above.

Section 4: Satnav destination LL24 0EN (Car park near Joe brown Store, Capel Curig) Llanberis -> Capel Curig via A4086A4086 is recommended as best scenic route in Snowdonia. There are a lot of car enthusiasts driving on this route. Beware of speed cameras hidden in horse carts. We can stop at different places along this route as we feel.

Section 5: Satnav destination LL55 4YD (There is a car park on the right few yeards after this post code)Capel Curig to Beddgelert via A4086 -> A498We can stop here if we have time.

Section 6: Satnav destination LL49 9YGBeddgelert to Porthmadog via A498 -> A487 -> A4971Porthmadog to Caravan park via A4971

Day3 details

We take driving route 2 and the route map is attached here.

Route: Caravan park -> Minffordd -> Blaenau Ffestiniog -> Betws-Y-Coed -> Conwy -> Llandudno -> Marine Drive -> Great Orme -> Betws-Y-Coed -> Minffordd -> Caravan parkTotal distance: 100 milesThe route is divided into sections. We can take multiple breaks in eah section if we find any nice place and we have time.

Route sections:

Section 1: Satnav destination LL24 0BB (Car park at Betws-Y-Coed is close to this location)Caravan park to Minffordd via A4971Minffordd to Blaenau Ffestiniog via A487 -> A496Blaenau Ffestiniog to Betws-Y-Coed via A470 -> A5

Section 2: Satnav destination LL30 2XF (The Summit Complex at Llandudno)Betws-Y-Coed to Conwy via B5106Conwy to Llandudno via A547 -> A546

Section 3: Satnav destination unknownLlandudno to Marine Drive -> Great Orme -> The Parade B5115

In this section we can spend time in Llandudno. http://www.visitllandudno.org.uk/ We can first meet at The Summit Complex, Great Orme Country Park, Great Ormes Head, Llandudno, Conwy LL30 2XFwww.thesummitcomplex.co.ukThere we can take cable car to go down and come up.Then we drive along the Marine drive (address of starting point LL30 2RP). This drive is a 5-mile long circular route around the peninsula and costs £2.50 per car. We can stop at Great Orme, Old Lighthouse on this Marin drive. There is a car park there.After the Marine drive we go to the road beside the beach called "The Parade"

Little kids might enjoy getting close to cows etc in Bodafon Farm Park on this road. http://bodafonfarmpark.com/

Section 4: Satnav destination LL49 9YG (Our caravan site)Llandudno to Betws-Y-Coed via B5115 -> A547 -> A55 -> A470Betws-Y-Coed to Blaenau Ffestiniog via A470Blaenau Ffestiniog to Minffordd via A496 -> A487Minffordd to Caravan park via A4971

Day4 details

We visit a tourist village of Portmeirion famous for being used as some film set for its weird and wonderful brightly coloured buildings. Satnav post code for this is LL48 6ER.http://www.portmeirion-village.com/ Note that Portmeirion is a private peninsula - so entrance is allowed for a fee (£10/£6 per adult/child, online price £8.50/£5, group discounts available). Suggestions for other places are welcome, if this sounds too expensive. Or we could head home.

Useful Addresses and SATNAV destinations

Address SATNAVGreenacres Holiday Park Black Rock Sands, Morfa

Bychan, Porthmadog, Gwynedd LL49 9YF

LL49 9YG

Tesco Porthmadog (Closed on Easter Sunday, open till midnight on other days)

HIGH STREET,PORTHMADOG,GWYNEDD

LL49 9NU

Caernarfon Castle Castle Ditch Caernarfon Gwynedd

LL55 2AY

Menai Bridge LL59 5EA (Waitrose)The Summit Complex Great Orme Country Park,

Great Ormes Head, Llandudno, Conwy

LL30 2XF

Marine drive LL30 2RP (starting point)Wrexham Islamic Cultural Centre

6 Grosvenor Road, Wrexham, LL11 1BU, 01978 363379, http://wrexhammosque.org.uk

LL11 1BU

Ffestiniog Railway Harbour Station

Harbour Station,Porthmadog,Gwynedd, LL49 9NF

LL49 9NF

References

http://blog.novacarhire.com/2009/01/08/top-5-scenic-drives-in-the-uk/

To tour the region by car, start at Betws y Coed. Here you can stop off at the amazing Pont-y-Pair Falls before you head along the A4086 towards the Snowdon summit. Continue on the A4086, this takes you through the Pass of Llanberis on a 1,169 feet ascent into the mountains and then on to Beddgelert, right in the heart of Snowdonia.

http://www.focusowners.com/social/top-10-uk-scenic-drives/The Snowdonia National Park affords visitors views of Mount Snowdon and has many picture postcard Welsh villages for you to drive through. What better place to start than at Conwy Castle on the North Wales Coast and making your way along the various A and B roads (starting on the B5106) through to Betws-y-Coed and Snowdonia (perhaps stopping to travel on the Welsh Mountain Railway to reach the summit of Mount Snowdon) and ending at the tourist village of Portmeirion (famous for being used as the filmset of the Prisoner with its weird and wonderful brightly coloured buildings.

http://www.greatestdrivingroads.com/great_roads/A4086.htmlSitting at the top of Wales is the A4086, a road that takes you from the small village of Capel Curig, to the Royal Town of Caernarfon, but not before sneaking past the Glyderau and one of Britain's busiest mountains; Snowdon. Setting off from Capel Curig your journey starts and, after a few wiggles, so does the show. Leaving evidence of man behind, you enter a more natural world. Green trees lie to the left, crystal lakes of Llynnau Mymbyr sit in the foreground, and in the distance there are mountains that stand watch with superior elegance; complete with a thin layer of cloud around their shoulders for that extra bit of theatre. The road cruises along the waterside for a mile and a half before bidding it farewell, then it's straight into the open arms of 3 tasty miles of fluid tarmac. Lazy turns and subtle gradient changes are rapidly eaten up and, before you know it, it's time to turn right (to stay on the A4086) and up onto the Llanberis Pass. As you climb, the road quickly tightens and is soon framed by angular climbs and ever-growing drops. Just as you'd expect, the higher you ascend the more impressive the view is to behold but leave that to the birds as I'm sure you'll find that the stone walls either side will not offer much resistance in your bid to become at one with nature. If you find yourself roof down and in the passenger seat then this road is already looking good, and for the driver it's even better. You reach the summit of your journey all too quickly and you're soon on the descent to Llanberis. Heading downhill the road remains busy. Swift turns, walls that obstruct your view and the occasional wing-mirror-swiping boulder keep you alert. Heading down along the stream the road becomes more direct as it slices through hillsides scattered with rocks and boulders that have slowly broken loose over the centuries. Soon you reach civilisation again in the form of Nant Peris, this signals a calming in the route and 2 miles on you reach Llanberis. The road continues on to Caernarfon but burns itself out by the time you reach Clanrug.

http://www.smittenbybritain.com/top-5-scenic-drives-in-the-u-k/

Conwy to PortmeirionDistance: 38.5 milesRoads: B5106, A5, A4068, A498

Useful postcodes for your satnav: LL48 6ER (Portmeirion) LL55 4TY (Llanberis Lake Railway) LL32 8LD (Conwy Castle)

Beginning at Conwy, home of the famous Conwy Castle, this drive takes you over the winding roads of Snowdonia National Park, giving the opportunity to take in some spectacular views en-route to the summit of Snowdon (if you’re feeling fit!) and typical welsh slate clad villages along the way.

Betws-y-Coed is a principal village located within Snowdonia, and offers an excellent starting point for your drive through the mountains, as well as being within easy reach of attractions such as Conwy Castle (15 miles) and the bizarre township of Portmeirion (22 miles) – the filming location of the cult TV show The Prisoner.

Discover Llanberis, located 17 miles from Betws-y-Coed and take a trip to the top of Mount Snowdon by steam train in just one hour.

The train takes you on a journey of 4.7 miles up from Llanberis village to the summit of Mt Snowdon – the highest mountain in Wales and England – where you can relax and take in the views in the Hafod Eryri visitor centre. Return tickets cost from £25 for adults and £18 for children* There are also opportunities to purchase single tickets to the summit if you choose to walk down the trails ofSnowdon on the way back to your car.

If you’re feeling energetic and would rather walk up the trails of Snowdon en- route to the summit, there are a number of trails leading to the summit, which can take approximately 5 hours on foot if you follow the path that accompanies the railway trail.