The Snowdonia Train is a great way to enjoy a trip up Mount Snowdon, particularly if you don’t have much time, or perhaps aren’t quite fit enough for the hike up. We took a trip on the Snowdon Mountain Railway in August 2022, and this page should tell you all you need to know.
Some information has been taken from various sources online, such as the Snowdon Railway website, but most of it has come from our visit.
This trip up and down, cost us, a family of 3 over £100 if you include the parking.
Read on for all the information, plus I will give you my thoughts as to whether or not it was worth it.
Main Information
Address
Snowdon Mountain Railway
Llanberis, Gwynedd
LL55 4TT
Parking
Can be expensive, see separate section below
Price & Opening Times
Prices Vary
We paid £35 Adult and £25 for a child in Aug 2022
Helpful Locations Using What3Words
- Ticket Office: https://w3w.co/narrow.relies.cones
- Station: https://w3w.co/nothing.rescuer.hazelnuts
- Car Park: https://w3w.co/rotations.drawn.blitz
- Additional (expensive) Parking*: https://w3w.co/evening.poorly.mimics
- *This Parking is not owned or operated by the Snowdon Mountain Railway
Additional Information
Here are a few things you may find useful when you are visiting
Parking
Choose where you park carefully. The Snowdonia Train / Snowdon Mountain Railway does have its own car park. It offers 30 minutes of free parking and after that, it is priced as follows:
- £4 for 4 hours
- £8 for 8 hours
- £12 for 12 hours
However, the car park is not very big, and we could not get in. There is additional parking across the road, but it is not owned by the Snowdon Railway. The prices are extortionate.
£11 for a whole day. That’s it. There is no option to pay for a few hours.
You want 1 hour, you pay £11.
You want 5 hours, you pay £11.
Take the time to look for other parking, that may be a bit further away, but a lot cheaper.
Dogs
Dogs are not allowed on the train unless they are assistance dogs.
Timings
The whole journey takes about 2 hours. A 45-minute journey up the mountain. 30 minutes when you arrive, and 45 minutes back down again.
You must return on the train you went up on, to be guaranteed a train journey back again.
Limited Journey for 2022
During our visit, and it appears for most of 2022, the Snowdon Mountain Railway service was only going three-quarters of the way up. It stopped at Clogwyn Station, which is at an altitude of 779m/2556ft.
Getting There
Here is a map of Llanberis, the town where the Snowdonia Train station is.
We found it quite easy to get to, and the roads in are easy to drive.
Video all about the Snowdonia Train and The Snowdon Mountain Railway
About Our Visit on the Snowdonia Train
We booked on the 11.30 am train and arrived at about 11am to collect our tickets from the Snowdonia Railway ticket office.
The pick-up was simple enough, and before long, we were allowed through to the gate and ushered to an area that corresponded to the carriage we were to be seated in, in our case Carriage H.
The carriages are old, and as a result, under the August blue skies, the temperature inside them was hot.
The Ascent
The views up the mountain were a taster of what is to come when you reach the top.
The engine driver at the back that is pushing the train up Mount Snowdon has to keep a line of sight to the conductor at the front and as a result, we are asked to not stand.
This means any views have to be enjoyed from your seat, meaning the window seats are prime ones. The downside is you have reflections to deal with.
Here is a photo showing a particularly obtrusive reflection.
45 minutes later, as planned, the train arrives, and you are informed you have 30 minutes at the top, or you miss your train and you have to walk down.
At the Top
Although in 2022, the Snowdonia Train does not go all the way to the summit, you can walk the final part. I think they asked us to let them know if we were planning on doing this, so they know you will not be on the return journey.
The views from the top are amazing, and if you are blessed with relatively clear skies as we were, there will be plenty of photo opportunities.
Personally, I wish you had a bit longer than 30 minutes at the top. It would give you a bit more time to have a wander, enjoy the views, and get better photographs.
The Snowdonia Train – Worth the Money?
So, over £100 for a two-hour trip for the three of us. Was it worth the money? Well, I think it was, but let me explain why.
We like outdoors activities. We like seeing the best of what this country has to offer. I like making videos. I like taking photos. And we quite like going for mountain rides on trains!
In light of all the above, then yes, it is worth the money. If you are fit, you can walk it without paying, but be prepared.
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Whatever you decide, thanks for checking out this post, and I look forward to seeing you here again soon.