Snowdonia

[steve singh]

Taking the kids to Snowdonia for a couple of days as they want to go on the mountain train.

I'm potentially staying in Porthmadog - hoping that's a good location?

Also what are the places to eat like in Porthmadog - want to avoid out and out pubs and potentially may be getting back late - so will places still be open (after 9pm)?

TIA.

[LuS1fer]

There is a railway in Porthmadog itself - possibly two - one that just goes up and down a short piece of track. Not sure if that's the one that goes up Snowdon as I recall it being too expensive for the likes of me to go on.

Last time I went to Porthmadog, it had improved into a reasonably cosmopolitan place by Welsh standards. Snowdon is not too far so it's a good base.

[ChiChoAndy]

Porthmadog is where the set/village from the Prisoner series is located, I think. Beautiful part of the country in NE Wales. Conwy, Caernarfon, Betsw y-coed, (can never spell that right), and Snowdonia itself. great roads as well...

[LuS1fer]

ChiChoAndy said:

Porthmadog is where the set/village from the Prisoner series is located, I think. Beautiful part of the country in NE Wales. Conwy, Caernarfon, Betsw y-coed, (can never spell that right), and Snowdonia itself. great roads as well...

That's Portmeirion but it's not far from Porthmadog. Neither is Harlech or Caernarfon if castles are your thing. There is also a butterfly palace near the Menai Bridge which is sign-posted.

[ChiChoAndy]

Oh yes, Portmerion... My mistake. Still, got the first 4 letter right. The castles are superb. used to go on hoons in that area pretty much every sunday in the MR2 Turbo, and the race prepped Astra! Superb roads, as good as anything else in the country, I'd say.

[steve singh]

Thanks for the responses guys - is there a good non-pub options in terms of eating out?

[ChiChoAndy]

steve singh said:

Thanks for the responses guys - is there a good non-pub options in terms of eating out?

Non-pub... Non-pub... non-pub... Sorry, I have no idea what that is!

[Bill]

LuS1fer said:

There is a railway in Porthmadog itself - possibly two - one that just goes up and down a short piece of track. Not sure if that's the one that goes up Snowdon as I recall it being too expensive for the likes of me to go on.

Last time I went to Porthmadog, it had improved into a reasonably cosmopolitan place by Welsh standards. Snowdon is not too far so it's a good base.

It's the Ffestiniog railway in Porthmadog, the Snowdon mountain railway goes from Llanberis. (Where the power station is also worth a visit - Electric Mountain IIRC)

No idea about food options in Portmadog, but Eric's Cafe in Tremadog is good.

[SwanJack]

Don't just turn up and hope to get on the Snowdon Mountain Railway. It gets booked up quite quickly as my MIL found out last week, buy them in advance here

http://www.snowdonrailway.co.uk/times_prices.php

[steve singh]

SwanJack said:

Don't just turn up and hope to get on the Snowdon Mountain Railway. It gets booked up well in advance as my MIL found out last week, buy them in advance here

http://www.snowdonrailway.co.uk/times_prices.php

Thanks for that - I did check and we were planning on going on the 'early bird' pricing to avoid some of the eye-watering approx £85 cost for 2.5hrs...still £65 from memory though!

[Bill]

Just don't miss your return, you will end up walking

[LuS1fer]

Take a coat too. Even in the recent hot weather, it snowed on the top of Snowdon.

[buzzer]

steve singh said:

Thanks for the responses guys - is there a good non-pub options in terms of eating out?

A few suggestions...

http://www.portmeirion-village.com/content.php?nID...

had lunch and dinner here many times... Very good and if you have lunch you get free tickets into Portmerion for free (worth £9 each)

Portmerion hotel is also great, but a little pricey. If you book in advance, again you can get free entry.

A bit further down the road, this place is excellent!

http://www.mawddach.com/e_photos.php

[alfa pint]

Have a look at Criccieth instead. Much nicer village with more eating options. Just a few miles further up the road.

Porthmadog is a bit of a ville dump - its best feature is proximity to a decent sized beach.

Llanberis is the start of the railway line up to Snowdon though isn't it? Porthmadog has a gucci narrow gauge railway with thomas the tank engine trains for little uns.