Photo of Ffestiniog Railway in Wales1 / 3
Trains & Railways

Ffestiniog Railway

๐Ÿ“ Porthmadog, Wales

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โ˜…4.7(6,410 Google reviews)

Best for families happy to sit back for a scenic steam ride through the mountains, with little ones on the shorter runs and on-board catering to keep everyone fed.

โœ“ Scenic steam train journeysโœ“ Friendly, knowledgeable staffโœ“ Clean comfortable carriagesโœ“ On-board cateringโœ“ Mostly dog friendly

๐Ÿ† Funzaroo Verdict

The draw is a view of North Wales only a narrow-gauge steam train winding through the mountains can give, with spotless carriages and staff who care about the heritage. Weigh the cost first: it adds up for a family and the booking fee stings. Several routes exist, so match the journey to how long children will happily sit.

โ„น๏ธ What to Know Before You Go

๐Ÿ’กBook ahead, as seats fill and advance booking is strongly recommended
โฐChoose a quieter day for free seats and room for bags and coats
๐ŸŽŸ๏ธFor the best views, sit on the side facing the bay
๐Ÿš—Arrive early to browse the gift shop and grab takeaway drinks and cake for the journey

๐Ÿ’ฌ What Families Are Saying

View all reviews โ†’
4.7
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6,410 Google reviews

5โ˜…
5,156
4โ˜…
954
3โ˜…
188
2โ˜…
52
1โ˜…
60

G Reviews from Google

C

Catlover66

2 months ago

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โ€œWhen we arrived, we were lucky enough to get a disabled parking space, which is ideal for anyone with limited walking as it is right outside the railway. We arrived early, so we had something to eat, visited the gift shop and picked up some takeaway drinks and cake to enjoy on the train. I had surprised my partner with first-class tickets for our anniversary, and Iโ€™m so glad I did. There was much more room, with really comfortable seats, and the windows are larger, giving you better views. First class also includes six seats at the front of the carriage, known as the observation seating, which would be lovely for taking in the scenery. There is also table service, which was an added bonus, and we found the prices very reasonable. The journey itself was very enjoyable. I would definitely recommend sitting on the side by the bay, as I felt the views were better from there. We stopped at Blaenau Ffestiniog for around 40 minutes, but due to my mobility we decided it was too far to walk into the town. Instead, we stayed at the station and enjoyed an ice cream from the small shop. We also enjoyed watching the steam engine being prepared for our return journey. This was not a cheap day out by any means but I totally understand trying to keep such a heritage going wouldn't be. I did think the booking fee was too much though and booking is highly recommended. All the staff we encountered, both on the train and at the station, were very friendly and helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and would definitely recommend trying one of the many journeys on offer. ๐Ÿš‚โค๏ธโ€

A

Andy Reynolds

2 months ago

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โ€œA brilliantly run railway which provides two different routes through the scenery of Snowdonia. The engines are all immaculately maintained and look wonderful. The carriages are all spotless and comfortable. Both lines run through beautiful scenery with lots of interesting stops en route. Staff and volunteers were all very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. We had a lovely afternoon riding between Portmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog with a pint in the spooners pub at the station to finish.โ€

T

Teri Thornton

5 months ago

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โ€œVisited Blaenau Ffestiniog over 40yrs ago, whilst this was still a working railway, so decided it was high time I came back. Booked The Quarryman as it followed the route the slate would have taken. The scenery was outstanding and the carriages were clean and comfortable. Mostly dog friendly though some weren't so plenty of choice. Reasonably priced too considering how long you got to spend on the train and visiting Porthmadog. Staff were friendly and informative also. Highly recommendโ€

๐Ÿ“Š Commonly mentioned in Google reviews

Based on Google review tags

Scenery

524 reviews

Friendly staff

493 reviews

Carriages

189 reviews

Mountain views

160 reviews

Narrow gauge railway

88 reviews

Overview

A proper sit-back-and-watch-the-mountains journey, where the carriages chug along the narrow gauge and the catering trolley keeps the hungry fed without anyone leaving their seat. The Pullman carriages are comfortable enough for the longer runs, and the car park sits right by the railway, so there is no long trek with tired legs before you even board.

๐Ÿ• Opening Hours

Monday09:00-17:00
Tuesday09:00-17:00
Wednesday09:00-17:00
Thursday09:00-17:00
Friday09:00-17:00
Saturday09:00-17:00
Sunday09:00-17:00

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