Ffestiniog Round Robin advice, please!

[Belperpete]

OK, I'll look at times starting at Llandudno Junction, heading anti-clockwise. I've emailed the Ffestiniog folks asking if I may reserve four upgraded seats for the ride from Porthmadog. Fingers crossed!

Absolutely, we will probably spend our first day in the area exploring Conwy (where my group has been before) and Llandudno (which will be new to us.)

With all of your help, a fantastic day out is coming together!

A day to do both Conwy AND Llandudno - I could easily spend a day or more in each.

No visit to Conwy is complete without a visit to the castle, a walk around the town walls, a walk across the historic suspension bridge, a visit to the smallest house, a stroll around the harbour and along the riverside Marine Walk path with the views over the estuary to Deganwy Vardre and its castle. Bodlondeb gardens, a look around the visitor centre, a stroll up the high street to the market place and the station,......

To do Llandudno justice, a trip up the Orme on the cable car is a must, a walk along the pier, a stroll along the North Shore promenade and back along Mostyn street, including a visit to the victorian Claire's department store, the Happy Valley gardens, and a visit to the copper mines. I like to walk around the Orme along Marine Drive to see if I can see the famous goats, but I doubt you will have time for that. Likewise the West Shore beach, with its links to Lewis Carroll and Alice in Wonderland, which has a very different vibe to the North Shore beach.

My recommendation would be to spend the day in Llandudno, and then head to Llandudno Junction to walk across the Cob to Conwy for the evening, with a fish and chips supper and ice cream on the harbour, and a stroll up Marine Walk and around the town.

 

[jmhilde]

Oh my gosh, that's fantastic, Belperpete! I have copy/pasted your suggestions into my trip notes. Cheers!

Now that our Ffestiniog day is finely tuned, may I ask if anyone has suggestions for the Heart of Wales Line circular?

 

[Belperpete]

Apologies, I meant up the Orme by the tramway. There is both tramway and cable car up the Orme, so you could go up by tramway and down by cable car.

 

[Jan Mayen]

A day to do both Conwy AND Llandudno - I could easily spend a day or more in each.

No visit to Conwy is complete without a visit to the castle, a walk around the town walls, a walk across the historic suspension bridge, a visit to the smallest house, a stroll around the harbour and along the riverside Marine Walk path with the views over the estuary to Deganwy Vardre and its castle. Bodlondeb gardens, a look around the visitor centre, a stroll up the high street to the market place and the station,......

To do Llandudno justice, a trip up the Orme on the cable car is a must, a walk along the pier, a stroll along the North Shore promenade and back along Mostyn street, including a visit to the victorian Claire's department store, the Happy Valley gardens, and a visit to the copper mines. I like to walk around the Orme along Marine Drive to see if I can see the famous goats, but I doubt you will have time for that. Likewise the West Shore beach, with its links to Lewis Carroll and Alice in Wonderland, which has a very different vibe to the North Shore beach.

My recommendation would be to spend the day in Llandudno, and then head to Llandudno Junction to walk across the Cob to Conwy for the evening, with a fish and chips supper and ice cream on the harbour, and a stroll up Marine Walk and around the town.

Reminds me of a family visit back in 1977, when I was allowed to go to the cinema on my own and watch the newly released James Bond film 'The Spy Who Loved Me'. The cinema had an organ which rose up out of the pit during the interval.
However, regarding the last paragraph, do you mean 'walk across the suspension bridge?'' I beleive The Cob is Porthmadoc. Happy to be corrected.

 

[gazthomas]

Reminds me of a family visit back in 1977, when I was allowed to go to the cinema on my own and watch the newly released James Bond film 'The Spy Who Loved Me'. The cinema had an organ which rose up out of the pit during the interval.
However, regarding the last paragraph, do you mean 'walk across the suspension bridge?'' I beleive The Cob is Porthmadoc. Happy to be corrected.

We also call the causeway from Llandudno Junction to the bridges in Conwy "the Cob". It's basically the same as the one in Porthmadog albeit shorter

 

[Jan Mayen]

We also call the causeway from Llandudno Junction to the bridges in Conwy "the Cob". It's basically the same as the one in Porthmadog albeit shorter

Many thanks. I didn't know that.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Now that our Ffestiniog day is finely tuned, may I ask if anyone has suggestions for the Heart of Wales Line circular?

Take a good book or some podcasts. It's not an ugly or boring line, but it's not spectacular in the way the Conwy Valley or the S&C is. It's pleasant enough to have a glance up every now and again at a quaint rural halt or some rolling green hills, but if I didn't have some sort of other stuff of interest I'd get a bit bored over the 4 and a half hours. Maybe comparable to the Far North Line in that regard, that is worth doing but not spectacular throughout?

 

[Belperpete]

However, regarding the last paragraph, do you mean 'walk across the suspension bridge?"

Admittedly Telford's suspension bridge isn't as old as the castle, but I still feel justified in calling it "historic". I find it amazing that such a small bridge carried all the traffic on the main trunk road to Bangor, Holyhead and Ireland almost until the 1960s.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Feb 2026 ==

However, regarding the last paragraph, do you mean 'walk across the suspension bridge?"

Admittedly Telford's suspension bridge isn't as old as the castle, but I still feel justified in calling it "historic".

Take a good book or some podcasts. It's not an ugly or boring line, but it's not spectacular in the way the Conwy Valley or the S&C is. It's pleasant enough to have a glance up every now and again at a quaint rural halt or some rolling green hills, but if I didn't have some sort of other stuff of interest I'd get a bit bored

Agreed. The last time I did the HoW line, long sections were like being in a green tunnel, with vegetation scraping both sides of the train. Worth doing once, but I wouldn't bother repeating. It isn't in the same kind of league as the Conwy or Cambrian.

 

[LittleRedTrain]

Apologies, I meant up the Orme by the tramway. There is both tramway and cable car up the Orme, so you could go up by tramway and down by cable car.

Just beware there is a wind-speed limit (35km/h) above which the cable car cannot operate.
in my experience, this is often exceeded at the summit and I've never actually seen the cable car operating on all my recent visits, so be prepared to use the tram both ways.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Just beware there is a wind-speed limit (35km/h) above which the cable car cannot operate.
in my experience, this is often exceeded at the summit and I've never actually seen the cable car operating on all my recent visits, so be prepared to use the tram both ways.

I don't think I've ever seen it operating either! Or at least not since I was a kid when health and safety was a bit weaker!

The tram is pretty reliable but at busy times the queues can be quite long.

 

[gazthomas]

I don't think I've ever seen it operating either! Or at least not since I was a kid when health and safety was a bit weaker!

The tram is pretty reliable but at busy times the queues can be quite long.

I live locally and the owner of the cable car is made of the same stuff as David Smith of WCRC. Old school, cash only operation. The tram is much more reliable and for a rail fan more interesting.

 

[1955LR]

Agreed. The last time I did the HoW line, long sections were like being in a green tunnel, with vegetation scraping both sides of the train. Worth doing once, but I wouldn't bother repeating. It isn't in the same kind of league as the Conwy or Cambrian.

I find its better to travel on a fine day in the Spring or Autumn, less foliage on the trees

 

[Djgr]

I don't think I've ever seen it operating either! Or at least not since I was a kid when health and safety was a bit weaker!

The tram is pretty reliable but at busy times the queues can be quite long.

Neither have I.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the single fare for the tram is not much less than the return. So if in any doubt I would buy a return.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Neither have I.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the single fare for the tram is not much less than the return. So if in any doubt I would buy a return.

Definitely, particularly as I think they sometimes don't sell single tickets down if the service is busy so they don't end up stranding anyone who has a return, similar to Snowdon.

It's not an unpleasant walk down though, through parkland and the likes and on good paths or roads throughout, and with spectacular views of the town for a good chunk of it.

 

[peterblue]

I've only saw the cable car running once in maybe a dozen visits to Llandudno - I wouldn't rely on it.

 

[Djgr]

Definitely, particularly as I think they sometimes don't sell single tickets down if the service is busy so they don't end up stranding anyone who has a return, similar to Snowdon.

It's not an unpleasant walk down though, through parkland and the likes and on good paths or roads throughout, and with spectacular views of the town for a good chunk of it.

Indeed, although signage could be better. Making sure that you are going downhill is a good strategy.

 

[Llandudno]

or catch Arriva bus route 26 every hour on Mondays to Saturdays from opposite Wetherspoons to/from Great Orme Summit only runs from memory April - October.
The fare was/is surprisingly cheap about £1.50 and Llandudno PlusBus tickets should be accepted!

 

[Jan Mayen]

Can you get Plus Bus tickets with Rangers/Rovers?

 

[MrJeeves]

Can you get Plus Bus tickets with Rangers/Rovers?

Technically not by the letter of the public-facing rules, but internal guidance says yes and I've never had any issue with requesting this for any station within the rover/ranger ticket's area.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I've only saw the cable car running once in maybe a dozen visits to Llandudno - I wouldn't rely on it.

I've only been Llandudno once and we used the cable car up and the tram down (with a break of journey at the mine).

 

[Russel]

Evening,

Rather than start a new thread, I'll piggy back on this one...

Is a break of journey permitted on a Ffestiniog Round Robin ticket?

I've had a look around but haven't seen anything to say yes or no.

I'd like to do it anti-clockwise and maybe have a couple of hours in Barmouth on the way back to the Midlands.

Thanks.

 

[MrJeeves]

Is a break of journey permitted on a Ffestiniog Round Robin ticket?

There's nothing says it is not permitted, so you can assume it is.

 

[Russel]

There's nothing says it is not permitted, so you can assume it is.

Thanks.

I've looked on the TFW and Rail Rovers sites and couldn't see anything, hopefully I've not over looked it!

 

[Djgr]

Evening,

Rather than start a new thread, I'll piggy back on this one...

Is a break of journey permitted on a Ffestiniog Round Robin ticket?

I've had a look around but haven't seen anything to say yes or no.

I'd like to do it anti-clockwise and maybe have a couple of hours in Barmouth on the way back to the Midlands.

Thanks.

As you correctly state there is nothing prohibiting break of journey. In addition I have always found TfW staff to be more amenable than their English colleagues.

The real challenge is developing a reliable travel plan for the day, given the very limited service the Ffestiniog now provides in support of this.

 

[Russel]

As you correctly state there is nothing prohibiting break of journey. In addition I have always found TfW staff to be more amenable than their English colleagues.

The real challenge is developing a reliable travel plan for the day, given the very limited service the Ffestiniog now provides in support of this.

I did a trip to Wales a couple of weeks ago and what stood out to me was having a ticket check on almost every train and revenue protection actually being taken seriously, it was nice to see.

 

[TrainTraveler]

As long as you stick to one direction (clockwise or anticlockwise) I don’t believe there is any requirement to stay on any train for as long as possible.

Timetabling (particularly the Conwy valley line to Ffestiniog connection) is the tricky bit.

Once you have a viable plan from your start point that works with your chosen connection the rest falls into place.

Starting from the Midlands it’s going to be a very long day.

Take refreshments and enjoy it!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Is a break of journey permitted on a Ffestiniog Round Robin ticket?

Obviously not overnight, with it being a ticket valid for one day.

 

[E759]

Many thanks. I'd forgotten about that. I suspect I'll be using that one at some point, rather than try and do a one day trip from Sussex.

I did one-day trips from Sussex for the Round Robin and Snowdonia Single back in 2019. Character building day trips which I'd recommend!

Round Robin July 2019

Horsham 05:15, Victoria 06:12, Victoria Line, Euston 07:07, Crewe 08:41, 08:47, Llandudno Junction 10:15, 10:28, Blaenau Ffestiniog 11:30, 11:35 (FR), Porthmadog Harbour 12:45, Porthmadog 14:02, Birmingham New Street 18:30, 18:50, Euston 20:15, Victoria Line, Victoria 20:55, Clapham Junction 21:01, 21:13, Horsham 21:58.


Snowdonia Single September 2019

Horsham 05:15, Victoria 06:12, Victoria Line, Euston 07:30, Warrington Bank Key 09:14, 09:27, Bangor 10:53, 11:26 (5C), Caernarfon 11:55, 13:00 (WHR), Porthmadog Harbour 15:15, 15:50 (FR), Blaenau Ffestiniog 17:00, 17:36, Llandudno Junction 18:34, 18:39, Chester 19:30, 19:35, Milton Keynes 21:03, 21:12, Clapham Junction 22:31, 22:43, Horsham 23:27.

 

[TrainTraveler]

Both very impressive!

 

[Belperpete]

I did a similar trip several times back in the 1970s from Croydon. Up to London for the first train out of Euston to Birmingham, up the Cambrian to Minffordd, change to the FR. I seem to recall there was no time to change at Porthmadog. And in those days, the FR only ran to Tanygrisiau, so it was then on the connecting Crosville bus to Blaenau, and back via the North Wales Coast to Euston, and Croydon. I seem to recall I left sometime before 6am and got back sometime after 11pm.