How to get to Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway car-free

1 At a glance

The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway are closed until further notice owing to COVID-19. For further information and news of future reopening please see their website.

How to get to Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway car-free:

There’s choice of scenic rail routes to get here – see below.
The journey planner below shows times to Porthmadog. For times to Blaenau Ffestiniog or Caernarfon use the planner on our homepage.

2 Step-by-step

How to get to Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway car-free:

From Birmingham and Mid Wales

Take the train to direct Porthmadog on the epic Cambrian Coast Line. You can also join the Ffestiniog Railway at Minffordd**

Train times and prices

From Porthmadog station it's a 15-minute stroll through the town to the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways - see map.

Open map

From Manchester and the North West

For the Ffestiniog Railway: take the train to Blaenau Ffestiniog on the scenic Conwy Valley Line, where the two trains connect.

For the Welsh Highland Railway: take the train to Bangor for the bus to Caernarfon.

Train times and prices

Bus 5C leaves from Stop H on Station Road, Bangor. Buses leave every 15 minutes and the journey takes half an hour.

Bus times from:
Station Road, Bangor (Stop H)

5C timetable

It's a 10 or 15-minute walk from the bus stop to the Welsh Highland Railway - see map.

Open map

About Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway

The historic Ffestiniog Railway climbs from sea level to over 700ft on its journey through the mountainous Snowdonia National Park and round the UK’s only railway spiral to the 'slate capital' of Blaenau Ffestiniog.

The recently reopened Welsh Highland Railway is the UK's longest narrow gauge railway - an epic 25 mile mountain adventure through the alpine scenery of the Aberglaslyn Pass to the historic castle town of Caernarfon.

County: Gwynedd
Address: Harbour Station, Porthmadog Gwynedd LL49 9NF
Refreshments: Spooner's Grill, Café & Bar at Porthmadog Harbour station and on-train refreshments
* Car-free offer: 10% off when you show a bus or train ticket valid for that day***

Visit website

Reverse Route

About Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway

County: Gwynedd
Address: Harbour Station, Porthmadog Gwynedd LL49 9NF
Refreshments: Spooner's Grill, Café & Bar at Porthmadog Harbour station and on-train refreshments
* Car-free offer: 10% off when you show a bus or train ticket valid for that day***

Visit website

Bike routes

National Route 8 passes through Porthmadog and Caernarfon. It’s a 10-mile cycle from Bangor train station to the Welsh Highland Railway in Caernarfon – here’s the route. If you’d like to take your bike on the steam train, it’s best to book: 01766 516024

Handy Tips

** If changing at Minffordd, check connection times carefully as there are no refreshments or waiting rooms.

*** discounts of up to 50% for holders of some rail rovers/passes – phone for details: 01766 516024