SUMMER WEEKDAY TRIPS by RAIL and SNOWDON SHERPA via Betws-y-Coed Transport for Wales Conwy Valley Line train   Arriva early-morning "12" connection     from  Chester Prestatyn   Rhyl Colwyn Bay   Llandudno to  Pen-y-Pass Llanberis  Beddgelert Aberglaslyn   Porthmadog       "S1" Betws-y-Coed - Llanberis    Gwynfor Sherpa       "S4" Pen-y-Pass - Caernarfon    Timings are shown below and it can all be done for just £14.10 from Llandudno/Colwyn Bay - 2 zones (£24.00 from Rhyl or Prestatyn - 3 zones     £38.00 from Chester - all zones *)  using the "North Wales Day Rover" which includes the "whole of the Sherpa Network" purchase at your first station or from the driver of your first connnecting bus (* - a discount is available for a "railcard" holder if booked at a station) LATEST.......... There are minor changes to the times of the Conwy Valley Railwy Line trains and some North Wales Coast train connections from Monday 16th May In addition,  the mid-evening return train from Betws-y-Coed at 2052 is re-instated This does NOT effect the times of any Sherpa journeys All the regular "S1" connecting Sherpa services are operated by 'Gwynfor Coaches' and run every day throughout the year # providing direct connections to ....... Caernarfon via Pen-y-Pass - (start of the main tracks up Snowdon) and Llanberis also more limited "S4" Sherpa connections at Pen-y-Pass to Beddgelert (for "S3" connections to Caernarfon) and Porthmadog # - except Christmas Day,  Boxing Day and New Year's Day

Mondays to Saturdays - 16th May 2022  until further notice except Public Holidays Late Spring Weekend Thursday 2nd June  Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday 3rd June and and Late Summer Weekend Monday 29th August
see VERY important note above
Click here for suggested Sunday and Public Holidays itineraries
"Trips round Snowdonia - without your car" from North Wales Coast Railway Stations out and return via the Conwy Valley Line and Betws-y-Coed (the "Gateway to Snowdonia")
Outward train times latest times should be confirmed from the individual timetables on the official Transport for Wales/Avanti websites
			"T for Wales"	"Avanti"	"T for Wales"			"T for Wales"		"T for Wales"
				###	M-F			Sat		Sat	M-F
	Chester Station dep   j		-	0644	0859			0924		1225	1231
	Shotton Station dep   j		-	|	(0833)			(0907)		(1204)	(1205)
	Flint Station dep   j		-	0657	0911			0937		1237	1244
	Prestatyn Station dep   j		-	0710	0924			0949		1251	1257
	Rhyl Station dep   j		0540b	0715	0930			0958		1301	1303
	Abergele Station dep   j		0558b	|	0938			1004		1307	(1236)
	Colwyn Bay Station dep   j		0621b **	0726	0944			1012		1316	1314
	Llandudno Junction arr		|	0732	0951			1018		1323	1321
	Llandudno arr		0649b	-	-			-		-	-
	The Conwy Valley Line
	Llandudno (T for Wales) dep		0708j	-	10.20			10.19		13.17	13.22
	Deganwy (T for Wales) dep   R		0712jR	-	10.24R			10.23R		13.21R	13.26R
	Llandudno Junction (T for Wales) dep		07.28	###	10.32			10.31		13.29	13.34
	Llanrwst		07.52	###	10.55			10.54		13.52	13.58
	Betws-y-Coed ("The Gateway to Snowdonia") arr		07.59	###	11.01			11.00		13.58	14.04
	### - Unfortunately the first Conwy Valley train continues to depart before the arrival of the first Avanti train from Crewe     Passengers travelling on this Avavti train should change to the Llew Jones "19" bus to Betws-y-Coed which calls at Platform 5 (station yard) at Llandudno Junction     - depart 07.58 and change to the 0904 "S1" Sherpa at Betws-y-Coed (or the 0901 TrawsCymru "T10" to Bangor via the Ogwen Valley - for Tryfan)     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     Purchase a "North Wales Day Rover" ticket to cover all trains and local buses (including the Sherpa and TrawsCymru journeys) at your first railway station
	M-F - Mondays to Fridays only     Sat - Saturdays only     x - "Journey Planner" currently shows this train NOT calling     A - operated by Avanti     j - change trains at Llandudno Junction     R - train stops on by request to the driver (to pick up)     b - There is no longer a train connection from the North Wales Coast stations into the early-morning Conwy valley Line train or the first Sherpa of the day     - an alternative Arriva "12" bus operates from Rhyl via Colwyn Bay - alight at Llandudno "Law Courts" then walk round the corner into Vaughan Street     to join the train - ("North Wales Day Rover" tickets are valid on the bus)     ** - the Arriva "12" bus calls outside the new Council Offices on Conway Road - NOT the railway station
	Betws-y-Coed "S1" Sherpa dep  (platform 2 layby)     turn right outside the main entrance		08.04*	09.04	11.04*	12.04				14.04*	15.04
			for Pen-y-Pass  Llanberis or Caernarfon and return (also connections at Pen-y-Pass for Beddgelert or Porthmadog and return) alternatively trips right round Snowdon) off the morning trains
			Llyn Gwynant                     Snowdon and Twin Lakes                        Llanberis Pass
Capel Curig and Twin lakes           Nant Gwynant Pass              Aberglaslyn Pass BETWS-Y-COED <---> Pen-y-Pass <---> Beddgelert <---> Porthmadog                                                      /|\                               /|\                        /|\                                                      |                                |                        |                          Llanberis Pass   |      SNOWDON                |                                                      |                                           |                                                       \|/                                          \|/                                                Llanberis  <-------->   Caernarfon
	Suggested Sherpa itineraries latest bus times should be confirmed from the individual timetables on the official Gwynedd CC website
	Click here for a selection of trips round Snowdonia from Betws-y-Coed station (exit station and turn right to the "Platform 2" bus stop at the layby) Passengers already holding a "North Wales Day Rover" can travel free on all the Sherpa and TrawsCymru connecting buses Anyone without a combined train/bus ticket should purchase a £5.70 "1 bws" (one bus) day ticket" to cover ALL bus journeys from the driver of your first bus
Return train times latest times should be confirmed from the individual timetables on the official Transport for Wales website
see VERY important note above
	Betws-y-Coed "S1" Sherpa arr  (platform 2 layby)	14.54		15.54 or 16.54 or 17.54				18.54
	The Conwy Valley Line							Llew Jones bus 19 #
		Sat	M-F	M-F		Sat				Sat	M-F
	Betws-y-Coed (T for Wales) dep	15.23	15.24	18.02		18.05		The later 1940 bus is currently SUSPENDED		20.52	20.54
	Llanrwst (T for Wales) dep	15.29	15.30	18.08		18.11				20.58	21.00
	Llandudno Junction (T for Wales) arr	15.58	15.59	18.36		18.40				21.25	21.25
	Deganwy (T for Wales) arr R	16.08 R	16.07 R	18.43 R		18.44 R				21.35 R	21.35 R
	Llandudno (T for Wales) arr	16.15	16.14	18.50		18.51				21.43	21.44
		Sat	M-F	M-F		Sat		M-F	Sat	Sat	M-F
	Llandudno Junction (T for Wales) dep   j	1630	1623	1856		1856		2038 A	2133		2157**
	Colwyn Bay (T for Wales) arr   j	1636	1629	1902		1902		2044	2139		2203
	Abergele (T for Wales) arr   j	1642	1635	1908		1908		x	2145		2211
	Rhyl (T for Wales) arr   j	1648	1640	1914		1914		2055	2151		2218
	Prestatyn (T for Wales) arr   j	1653	1646	1920		1920		2101	2157		2224
	Flint (T for Wales) arr   j	1706	1659	1933		1933		2114	2210		2239
	Shotton (T for Wales) arr   j	x	x	1939		1939		x	2215		2246
	Chester (T for Wales) arr   j	1725	1715	1951		1951		2128	2227		2259
	09.04 - Sherpa journey
	M-F - Mondays to Fridays only     Sat - Saturdays only     j - change trains at Llandudno Junction     R - train stops on by request     A - operated by Avanti     ** - if the Conwy Vally train is "spot on time" it is sometimes possible to catch the earlier 2129 train from Llandudno Junction
	* - whilst in theory it is sometimes just possible to catch the earlier "S1" Sherpa journeys from Betws-y-Coed     - as it is less than 5 minutes before taking into acount the walking time,  these are NOT recognised as a connection by the TravelineCymru "Journey Planner"     ..........but if the train is spot on time (or the Sherpa is running slightly late AND YOU ARE VERY QUICK,  it will get you Pen-y-Pass or Llanberis or Caernarfon much earlier     Although this website does NOT advise you to risk it,  if 'on the day' you alight quickly from the train (providing it is "spot on time"),  go through the archway and turn right and     head for the "Platform two" bus stop lay-by (about a two minute walk you may just be lucky and catch the earlier Sherpa - otherwise it is an hour's "coffee break" before for the next         UNFORTUNATELY "Transport for Wales" have kept gradually re-timing their mid and late-morning Conwy Valley trains later and later and later !     All it needs is for this train to start from Llandudno at 1010, Llandudno Junction arrive 1019, depart 1021 on both weekdays and Sundays and run correspondingly EARLIER along the Conwy Valley so the Sherpa connections would become reliable - as they were in the former British Rail days     Doing so would also re-instate the "broken" onward connections to Llyn Ogwen (for Tryfan) at Betws-y-Coed and to Dolgellau at Blaenau Ffestiniog ..........unfortunately as this IS NOW THE ONLY REASONABLE OUTWARD "FULL DAY" CONNECTING JOURNEY     OF THE DAY TO VISIT SNOWDONIA - it is PROBABLY THE WORST EXAMPLE of FAILED 'RAIL-BUS'     INTEGRATED TIMETABLE PLANNING IN SNOWDONIA      - if this causes you inconvenience or additional costs,  write/phone/email the operator (Transport for Wales) and     the Chief Executive of Conwy CC PERSONALLY and ask them to retime the train to start at 1010    If enough of you keep pestering them,  perhaps something will actually be done !!!     ## - as this is less than five minutes,   it is not an official "rail-rail" connection,  but if you are quick and do make it,  you will reach the North Wales Coast stations much earlier
latest times should always be confirmed from the individual timetables on the official Gwynedd CC or Conwy CC websites  and any subsequent amendments thereto

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	Click here for the next period of this page Bangor - Snowdonia  (via Llanberis) Barmouth - Snowdonia  (via Porthmadog) Bethesda - Capel Curig - Betws-y-Coed Bethesda - Capel Curig - Llanberis Betws-y-Coed - Capel Curig - Bethesda Betws-y-Coed - Pen-y-Pass - Llanberis - Caernarfon Betws-y-Coed - Llandudno  (connections) Betws-y-Coed - Pen-y-Pass - Porthmadog Caernarfon - Llanberis - Pen-y-Pass - Betws-y-Coed Caernarfon/Porthmadog - Beddgelert - Llanberis Caernarfon - Beddgelert - Porthmadog Llanberis Pass --- Park and Ride Llanberis - Capel Curig - Bethesda Llanberis - Pen-y-Pass - Betws-y-Coed Llanberis - Beddgelert - Caernarfon/Porthmadog Llandudno/Colwyn Bay - Betws-y-Coed  (connections) Llandudno - Snowdonia  (via Betws-y-Coed) Porthmadog - Beddgelert - Caernarfon Porthmadog/Caernarfon - Beddgelert - Llanberis Porthmadog - Pen-y-Pass - Betws-y-Coed Pwllheli - Snowdonia  (via Porthmadog) Snowdonia - Bangor  (via Llanberis)  Snowdonia - Barmouth  (via Porthmadog)  Snowdonia - Llandudno  (via Betws-y-Coed or Caernarfon)  Snowdonia - Pwllheli  (via Porthmadog)	Climb Snowdon - with the Sherpas   (summary) Ride Round Snowdon - with the Sherpas   (summary) Suggested weekday trips from Barmouth Suggested weekday trips from Beddgelert Suggested weekday trips from Bethesda Suggested weekday trips from Betws-y-Coed Suggested weekday trips from Caernarfon Suggested weekday trips from Conwy Suggested weekday trips from Llanberis Suggested weekday trips from Llandudno Suggested weekday trips from Llanrwst Suggested weekday trips from Porthmadog Suggested Sunday trips from Barmouth Suggested Sunday trips from Beddgelert Suggested Sunday trips from Bethesda Suggested Sunday trips from Betws-y-Coed Suggested Sunday trips from Caernarfon Suggested Sunday trips from Conwy Suggested Sunday trips from Llanberis Suggested Sunday trips from Llandudno Suggested Sunday trips from Llanrwst Suggested Sunday trips from Porthmadog Suggested weekday trips from Suggested Sunday trips from North Wales Coast Railway stations (via Betws-y-Coed)
	Later non-Sherpa weekday journeys from...... Beddgelert area to Llandudno/Conwy Valley Pen-y-Pass area to Llandudno/Conwy Valley Porthmadog area to Llandudno/Conwy Valley Beddgelert area to Llanberis Betws-y-Coed area to Llanberis Porthmadog area to Llanberis Llanberis area to Porthmadog area	Later non-Sherpa Sunday journeys from...... Beddgelert area to Llandudno/Conwy Valley Pen-y-Pass area to Llandudno/Conwy Valley Porthmadog area to Llandudno/Conwy Valley Beddgelert area to Llanberis Betws-y-Coed area to Llanberis Porthmadog area to Llanberis Llanberis area to Porthmadog area
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This page last   on 2nd May 2022   e-mail webmaster   (c)2022