Getting toFfestiniog & Welsh Highland Railwaycar-free

1 At a glance

  • There’s a choice of scenic rail routes to get here – see Step-by-step
  • The journey planner at the bottom of this page is set to Porthmadog (terminus of both Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway). To travel to Blaenau Ffestiniog or Caernarfon use the journey planner on the homepage

2 Step-by-step

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*

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

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

  • Live bus times:
    Station Road, Bangor (Stop H)

It's a 10-15 min walk from the bus stop to the Welsh Highland Railway - see 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

3 Plan your car-free journey

Reverse Route

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
  • Nearest town: Porthmadog
  • 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

NCN Route 8 passes through Porthmadog and Caernarfon. It’s a 10-mile cycle from Bangor rail 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

Look out for the Good Journey Mark – where car-free visitors are welcome and enjoy a discount