Crossing stunning estuaries, speeding past World Heritage Castles or chugging up a mini-Alpine mountain, travelling Wales by train can be a wondrous experience.
I’ve travelled around Wales by train for around 40 years, and covered every inch of track in the country, some sections countless times over. These journeys have been wonderfully rewarding – and I’ll share the highlights of them in this article.
I’ll also advise you where the mainline trains run in Wales, showing you the most scenic journeys all around the network, and pointing out the best places to visit within each region.
I will also explain the limitations of travel by train in Wales, telling you trains don’t run. In some cases the gaps can be filled by local buses or the popular heritage narrow-gauge railways – there’s a section on each of these in the article.
And most importantly I will outline all the different ticket options available to you, including single- and multi-day passes. I’ll explain how the ticketing system works, and how you can get the best deal for yourself.
I hope you find it useful.
Wales By Train – What You Need To Know
Most trains in Wales are operated by Transport for Wales, which is owned by the Welsh Government.
Some Great Western Railway (GWR) (on the London to Swansea line) and private narrow-gauge services also run.
The train network in Wales is quite limited – but you can reach many of the best places to visit in Wales by train. You can reach most of the south coast of Wales by train, and the north Wales coast is covered from Chester to Bangor, with a line continuing across Anglesey to the port of Holyhead.
If you’re travelling from South Wales to North Wales – or vice versa – by train, you’ll spend half your journey travelling through the scenic Welsh Marches – across the border in England. The route leaves Wales a few miles north of Abergavenny, passing through Herefordshire and Shropshire before briefly returning to Wales at Chirk, just south of Wrexham. The train then returns to England, calling at the delightful border city of Chester before returning to Wales at Shotton, before continuing west along the North Wales coast.
The journey from South to North Wales – Cardiff to Llandudno Junction – takes around 3 hours 55 minutes if the service is direct, and about 4 hours 15 minutes if you need to change trains (usually at Chester).
The bus network around Wales supplements the train services, and fills a lot of the gaps. See the Traws Cymru buses section towards the end of the article for more information on this.
Wales By Train – Where You Can Go
South Wales By Train
The mainline London to Swansea line passes through Newport and Cardiff. Several commuter lines run north through the suburbs of Cardiff to the South Wales Valleys. Many commuters still refer to them as the Valley Lines, though the name hasn’t been used commercially for around twenty years now.
One line also runs from Newport to Ebbw Vale.
Trains to North Wales usually depart from Cardiff Central, passing through Newport, Cwmbran, Pontypool and New Inn and Abergavenny before crossing the border into England, with Hereford the next stop.
Best Places To Visit In South Wales By Train
Cardiff is the obvious place to go – it’s the hub of the South Wales rail network, and by far the best city in Wales to visit. Many of its main sights -including Cardiff Castle and the National Museum – are within a short walk of Cardiff Central or Cardiff Queen Street stations. The outstanding St Fagans National History Museum can only be reached by bus, and is emphatically worth a full day’s visit.
Caerphilly Castle is one of the best places to visit in the South Wales Valleys by train. One of the great medieval castles of Europe, it’s a ten-minute downhill stroll from Caerphilly station, a 20-minute ride from Cardiff Central.
Where To Stay In Cardiff: Parador 44 – a touch of Spain in the heart of Cardiff
See Also: One Day in Cardiff – 24 hours in the capital of Wales and Best Day Trips From Cardiff
West Wales By Train
Trains run from Swansea to Carmarthen, where trains split or you have to change. Three lines run west from here – to Pembroke Dock (via Tenby), Milford Haven and Fishguard Harbour (the latter two via Haverfordwest).
Best Places To Visit In West Wales By Train
One place overwhelmingly stands out – Tenby. It’s one of the best seaside towns in Wales, and the four Tenby beaches are just sublime. The Georgian houses in the picturesque harbour are painted in pastel shades, and the fugitive Henry Tudor – later King Henry VII of England – once avoided capture by hiding in the medieval streets and alleyways of the town.
Where To Stay In Tenby: Imperial Hotel Tenby – an old favourite, built on the medieval town walls with incredible views over South Beach
Only a small number of trains run to Fishguard each day, and the onward bus services are not brilliant (with the exception of the nearby Strumble Shuttle). But the coastline of North Pembrokeshire is magnificent, with great hikes nearby towards Dinas Head and Newport (Trefdraeth) in one direction, and the epic walk around Strumble Head in the other.
Mid Wales By Train
The Heart of Wales Line between Swansea and Shrewsbury is a slow, gentle trundle through gorgeous countryside.
The Cambrian Coast line runs through Welshpool to Machynlleth. Some trains head from there to Aberystwyth. Others head north up the coast to Pwllheli via Barmouth, Harlech and Porthmadog.
Best Places To Visit In Mid Wales By Train
Aberystwyth is one of the best places to visit anywhere on the Welsh coast. It’s the cultural capital of Mid Wales, and has always had an international feel. This is partly because it’s a university town, and it’s enhanced by the flags of minority nations across Europe along the promenade.
Where To Stay In Aberystwyth – Gwesty Cymru – excellent hotel, restaurant of similar standard, on Aber seafront
Aberdovey is much smaller and quieter, with a vast beach on the northern corner of the Dyfi estuary, and a hidden section of the Wales Coast Path which runs high into the hills behind the town, rewarding you with astonishing coastal and mountain views.
Where To Stay In Aberdovey – Penhelig Arms – outstanding hotel and restaurant, also very close to Penhelig station (the stop before Aberdovey if travelling from Machynlleth)
Our favourite place to visit on the Mid Wales coast and Cambrian Line is Barmouth (Abermaw). It’s a classic British seaside resort in summer, with fairground rides, fish and chips, candy floss and ‘kiss me quick’ hats. But step away from the beach and admire the view up the Mawddach estuary, to the peak of Cadair Idris a few miles away. It’s one of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe.
Where To Stay In Barmouth – The Tilman – Barmouth’s sole 5-star hotel, close to the beach, train station and estuary
North Wales By Train
Mainline services run from Shrewsbury through Wrexham and Chester, continuing to Bangor and the ferry port at Holyhead.
Change at Llandudno Junction for the Conwy Valley Line, which runs from the seaside resort of Llandudno to Blaenau Ffestiniog via Betws-y-Coed.
Best Places In North Wales To Visit By Train
Conwy is one of the finest historic towns in Wales. Conwy Castle is one of the greatest castles in Europe, and it’s also surrounded by a superb set of 13th-century town walls, and is home to Plas Mawr, one of the best-preserved late 16th-century townhouses in Britain. It’s also very close to Llandudno, one of the best seaside resorts in Wales with beaches that complement the Castle – a wonderful North Wales double-act.
Where To Stay In Conwy – Y Capel Guest House – beautifully restored centuries-old house close to the Castle and Station
Harlech, like Conwy, is part of Wales’ first UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Castles and Walled Towns of Edward I in Gwynedd. Harlech’s Castle is smaller but no less impressive, occupying the summit of what was once a sea cliff, and is now just a cliff one mile inland from the sea. The Castle’s setting is one of the most dramatic in Wales, with the peaks of Eryri (Snowdonia) looming a few miles to the north. And Harlech Beach is stupendous, a golden 4-mile sweep of sand leading the eye north to the mountains.
Where To Stay In Harlech – Castle Cottage Inn – excellent guesthouse attached to long-established restaurant, one of the best in North Wales
A few miles beyond Porthmadog, on the south coast of the Llŷn Peninsula, the run into Criccieth is one of the highlights of any trip to Wales. The approach to the town teases you with a view of Criccieth East beach and the Castle atop a rocky headland, before disappearing behind some houses and pulling up at the station.
Where To Stay In Criccieth – Caerwylan Hotel – superb seafront hotel with views of Castle and Beach, also close to the train station
Most Scenic Train Rides – Mainline
Mainline trains travel through some glorious scenery around Wales, including some of the most beautiful railway journeys in Europe. These are the best of them:
Heart of Wales Line
This 4-hour route through the rural countryside of Mid Wales is an absolute joy to ride. It runs from Swansea to Shrewsbury, crossing the Loughor estuary to Llanelli, then trundling up through hilly rural Carmarthenshire. You can then see the 19th-century origins of the line in the route it takes through Powys through the Mid Wales spa towns (Llanwrtyd Wells, Llangammarch Wells, Builth Wells and Llandrindod Wells).
It then runs through remote Radnorshire to the border with England, crossing the Knucklas Viaduct and passing through the hiking base of Knighton (Offa’s Dyke and Glyndwr’s Way National Trails converge there) before the final run through the Shropshire Hills to Shrewsbury.
Highlights: Llandeilo, Llandovery, Cynghordy Viaduct, Llandrindod Wells
Cambrian Coast Line
The Cambrian Coast Line is my personal favourite train route in Wales. It begins over the border in Shrewsbury, running across the hills and farmland of Mid Wales to Machynlleth. The 4-carriage train then splits into two. One part takes the comparatively short route south via Borth to Aberystwyth, while the other runs for three hours along the glorious Cambrian Coast.
As well as being such a wonderful route for your eyes and spirit, the railway makes this part of rural Wales one of the few that’s relatively accessible by public transport. Bus services from Barmouth to Dolgellau, and onto Bala, Llangollen and Wrexham, make it much easier to get around this part of the country than many others.
The best part of the journey is across Barmouth Bridge, which links Fairbourne and Barmouth across the breathtaking Mawddach estuary. It also passes directly below World Heritage Harlech Castle.
Highlights: Aberdovey, Tywyn to Barmouth, Harlech, crossing the Dwyryd estuary, crossing the Cob with the view of Snowdonia, passing Criccieth Castle and Beach.
See Also: 16 Best Things To Do On The Llyn Peninsula
Swansea to Carmarthen
Once you’re through the last of the Swansea suburbs and Llanelli, the train hugs the coastline for a long, lingering view of the Cefn Bryn ridge on the Gower Peninsula. It then crosses the Gwendraeth Fawr river at Kidwelly (which has one of the best castles in South Wales) before continuing just above the shoreline to the Tywi estuary, with wonderful views over the river to Llansteffan Castle. The run through the verdant countryside into Carmarthen station is also most pleasant.
Highlights: the section west of Llanelli, and the Tywi estuary between Kidwelly and Ferryside – the winter Llansteffan Castle sunset is one of the best sunsets in Wales.
Llandudno Junction to Llanfair PG
Llandudno Junction is a busier station than Llandudno town station two miles to the north, which is a little isolated at the end of its branch line. Trains from London pass through Junction, and cross the River Conwy a minute or so later, entering the best of North Wales, the area around Eryri, the Snowdonia National Park.
The train passes mighty Conwy Castle before tunnelling beneath Conwy Mountain to the shores of Conwy Bay. The route follows the coastline, with the mountains on the other side of the train carriage. As you pass the small seaside towns of Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan, Anglesey and Puffin Island come into view. After passing through Bangor, keep your eyes peeled right for the view of the Menai Bridge from the Britannia Bridge, one of the most sublime sights in Wales.
Conwy Valley Line
The most flood-prone line in Wales is also one of its most beautiful. It takes little more than an hour to climb from the Victorian seaside resort of Llandudno, up the Conwy and Lledr valleys to the World Heritage-listed slate quarrying town of Blaenau Ffestiniog.
You begin the journey with a magnificent view across the river to Conwy Castle, then pass through gentle green hills which soon become the steep foothills of the Carneddau range of Eryri. You then pass the market town of Llanrwst and the popular tourist village of Betws-y-Coed, before entering the remote world of the Lledr Valley. This is one of the hidden gems of Snowdonia, the single-tower Dolwyddelan Castle rising on a high rock with mighty Moel Siabod looming behind. It’s one of the remotest, least-explored parts of Wales, and one of the most wondrous.
The train finally heads down into another very different world, the post-industrial mini-universe that is Blaenau Ffestiniog, a town unlike any other you’re ever likely to see.
Highlights: the view of Conwy Castle, most of the Conwy Valley and the view of Dolwyddelan Castle and Moel Siabod just after Dolwyddelan station.
Leominster to Shrewsbury
There isn’t a dull moment on the North-South Wales line through the Welsh Marches in Herefordshire. But the scenery improves as you head north beyond Leominster into Shropshire. Here the hills get higher, and you pass through lovely Ludlow before running through the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, passing through Craven Arms and Church Stretton along the way to Shrewsbury.
Highlights: Ludlow and Stokesay Castle, just south of Craven Arms
See Also: Best Places To Visit In The Welsh Borders
Travelling By Train In Wales – Narrow Gauge Railways
The Great Little Trains of Wales are twelve narrow-gauge heritage steam railways which draw visitors from all over the world. Several of them have their roots in the North Wales slate industry – the trains were developed to carry slate from the quarries to the ports, as was the case with the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways.
These two railways are the most useful in terms of getting around Wales. The Ffestiniog Railway runs from Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog, so you can catch this service to connect between the Cambrian Coast and Conwy Valley lines. The Welsh Highland Railway runs from Porthmadog to Caernarfon, which doesn’t have a mainline station. You can travel from Caernarfon to Blaenau Ffestiniog and back in a day by steam train, a toe-dip into slow travel with stunning scenery every step of the way.
The other narrow-gauge trains in Wales tend to offer ‘there and back’ services not connected to the main national rail network.
The Snowdon Mountain Railway is the best-known of these, running from the village of Llanberis to the summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). The Llanberis Lake Railway runs along the shore of Llyn Padarn, a short walk from the village.
I also strongly recommend the Talyllyn Railway, the world’s oldest preserved steam railway, which used to carry slate from Abergynolwyn to the port at Tywyn. Author Reverend W Awdry – of Thomas The Tank Engine fame – used to volunteer on this line in the 1950s.
My other favourite Great Little Train in Wales is the Vale of Rheidol Railway, which takes you from Aberystwyth to Devils Bridge, high in the Cambrian Mountains.
All of the other narrow-gauge railways are well worth visiting if you’re near them. They include the Bala Lake Railway, the Brecon Mountain Railway, the Fairbourne Light Railway, the Welshpool & Llanfair and the Corris Railway.
Tips For Useful Train Stations in Wales
Some stations around the country might not be the most intriguing destinations, but are useful jumping-off points for other places nearby. Here are a few:
Minffordd – for Portmeirion (a 20-minute walk) or a change to the Ffestiniog Railway
Llandudno Junction – it’s often easier to alight at Llandudno Junction and walk the ¾ mile across the bridge to Conwy and its Castle, as some trains don’t call at Conwy station
Flint – The immediate surroundings of Flint station are not enticing, but a 5-minute walk beyond the housing estate next to it takes you to the lonely, evocative site of Flint Castle, the first component of English King Edward I’s Iron Ring of Castles in North Wales.
Haverfordwest – this station on the Milford Haven branch line is where you need to alight if you’re planning to explore the far west of Wales, the stunning St David’s Peninsula, a land of Celtic saints, the most impressive church in Wales and some of the best beaches and coastal hikes anywhere in Europe. The T11 bus to St David’s leaves from outside Haverfordwest station.
See Also: Things To Do In St David’s
Merthyr Tydfil – not somewhere I usually recommend, but the former industrial town makes a good jumping-off point for the Bannau Brycheiniog, more widely known as the Brecon Beacons National Park, to the immediate north of the town. Bus services there are limited, but some services do get you to Pont ar Daf and Storey Arms, from where you can climb the highest of the Brecon Beacons mountains, Pen y Fan.
Wrexham – there are a few things to do in Wrexham, whose Hollywood actors-owned football club have attracted a following of new fans from around thew world thanks to the Netflix series Welcome to Wrexham. But Wrexham is also useful as the alighting point for Llangollen, the most beautiful town in North East Wales.
Travelling Wales By Train – How To Buy Tickets
If you intend to explore Wales by train, Transport for Wales has several one-day and multi-day rover and ranger tickets. The Explore Wales pass covers the whole TfW network, which includes the Welsh Marches line through England.
You can buy these tickets online, at stations or on board trains.
I’ve included the prices for each ticket below. If you have a railcard (including Senior, Student, Disabled and various age-group railcards below the age of 30) you are entitled to a one-third discount.
I wrote an article for the Western Mail about the Explore Wales Pass some years ago, and will add it to this article at some point. I’ve bought the ticket many times and it’s excellent value.
Multi-Day Wales Train Passes
Explore Wales – 4 days in 8 all over the country, also includes Traws Cymru long distance buses – £149 for adults, £74.50 for children
Explore North & Mid Wales 4 days in 8, £119 adults, £59.50 children
Explore South Wales – 4 days in 8, includes West Wales – £119 adults, £59.50 children
Heart of Wales Circular Two-Day Ranger– £69 / £34.50 – single day tickets also available at £48 / £24.
Single Day Wales Train Passes
North Wales Rover – all-zone day ticket costs £45 per adult, £22.50 for children; 2 zone tickets are £16.50 / £8.25, and 3-zone tickets £28.10 or £14.05
Explore Cambrian Coast – day ticket covering anywhere between Aberystwyth, Machynlleth and Pwllheli – £19 adults, £9.50 children
Explore West Wales – a day ticket covering everywhere west of Carmarthen, just £12.50 for adults, and £6.25 for children
Where You Can’t Travel By Train In Wales
The one drawback of travelling by train in Wales is that the network’s coverage is limited.
The areas where the train network doesn’t reach (due to the Beeching service cuts of the 1960s) include the Brecon Beacons, much of the Cambrian Mountains of Mid Wales, the north coast of the Llyn Peninsula (from Bangor westwards) and eastern and northern Anglesey.
There is also no mainline train coverage in the mountainous heart of Eryri (Snowdonia National Park) and the moors to the east of there into Denbighshire.
Travelling Wales By Bus
Where the trains don’t go, some buses do. The seven cities in Wales are well served by buses, particularly Cardiff, Swansea and Newport. The services from Swansea are particularly useful if you intend visiting some of the extraordinary Gower beaches west of the city – the network on the Gower Peninsula enables you to reach most corners of it eventually.
Eryri – Snowdonia – also has several useful services, including the Snowdon Sherpa that runs between Betws-y-Coed and Llanberis via Pen-y-Pass, one of the main starting points for climbing Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon). This bus is especially useful as it spares you the problem of having to find a parking space on the narrow Llanberis Pass road along with hundreds of other cars.
Traws Cymru Buses
In addition, the Traws Cymru bus services fill a lot of gaps, and turn what could be epic rail voyages to a couple of easy hours on a bus.
So the journey between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth on the T1 takes a very reasonable 2 hours and 22 minutes. If you were to make the same journey by train, you’d have to change at Llanelli, catch the Heart of Wales train to Shrewsbury, then get the train from there to Aberystwyth. This would take you 8 to 9 hours – a very pleasant journey, wonderful scenery – and highly time-consuming!
More useful Traws Cymru services include:
T2 – Bangor to Aberystwyth
T3 – Wrexham to Barmouth
T4 – Merthyr Tydfil to Newtown
T5 – Haverfordwest to Aberystwyth – covers the Cardigan Bay coast, including New Quay and Aberaeron
T10 – Bangor to Corwen – runs along the scenic A5, including through Betws-y-Coed
Travelling Wales By Train – Final Thoughts
I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide to travelling around Wales by train. I’ve enjoyed a great many days – or more likely weeks, even months – exploring the rail network, and it’s a pleasure to pass on this knowledge so that it helps others enjoy it too.
I was Art Director at Visit Wales for many years, an experience which gained me enormous ground knowledge of Wales, and I’ve written extensively about it on Delve Into Europe. Here is a selection of articles to whet your appetite further:
Best Castles in North Wales – the four World Heritage wonders and the castles of the Welsh Princes
Best Castles in South Wales – Caerphilly, Cardiff, Chepstow and many more
Best Ancient Sites In Wales – 5,000-year-old burial chambers, mysterious standing stones and more
Wales Bucket List – 40 of the very best things to do in Wales
Landscapes in Wales – Breathtaking landscapes in Wales you can’t miss
Rivers in Wales – Some of the most beautiful scenery in Wales
Best Places To Visit On The River Wye – from the Cambrian Mountains to the Bristol Channel, following the trail of the very first British tourists
Lakes in Wales – Where you find some of the best views in Wales
Landmarks in Wales – famous places in Wales to Explore
Best Places To Visit On The River Wye – Hay, Hereford, Tintern and more
Best beaches in North Wales – the
Best things to do in Conwy – A stunning UNESCO Heritage town on the edge of Snowdonia National Park
Portmeirion – A gorgeous Italianate village on an estuary on the North Wales coast
Welsh Slate Landscape – UNESCO World Heritage Site North West Wales
Llanddwyn Island – One of the most special of all Welsh islands
Anglesey beaches & coastline – Home to some of the best beaches in the UK
Best walks on Anglesey – Eight of the best Anglesey walks to help you discover more of this magnificent island
Best things to do on Anglesey – the largest of Welsh Islands
For road trips in Wales, check out some of these articles:
A470 Road Trip – the epic coast-to-coast drive through the heart of the Welsh nation
20 Best Scenic Drives In Wales – stunning scenic routes around Wales
Snowdonia Road Trip – 4 itineraries around the dramatic mountains of North Wales
Pembrokeshire Road Trip – a 5-day journey through Pembrokeshire, covering beaches, coastal walks, castles and ancient sites
For places to visit across the border in England take a look at some of these articles: