Year - 2025
Departure Date - jun 5
Return Date - jun 12
This Tour Is Open -
Tour Type - Railfan/tourist tour
TBA - Staying At portmeirion in a village room
TBA - Staying At portmeirion in the main hotel
TBA - Staying At portmeirion in a village suite
TBA - Staying At tudor lodge
TBA -Single Room occupancy at tudor lodge
TBA - Deposit To Hold Space
Final Payment Due By - mar 5 2025
We explore Welsh narrow gauge steam in North Wales. Travel on charter trains and stay at the exclusive Portmeirion hotel and Village on the Welsh coast. The program includes gourmet meals, wine tasting and after dinner speakers. Portmeirion is a popular tourist village in Gwynedd, North Wales. It was designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975 in the style of an Italian village. Portmeirion has served as the location for numerous films and television shows.
We have come to a special arrangement with Portmeirion so as to be our able to offer four different levels of accommodation. Top of the range is accommodation in hotel suites in the village which are exceptionally well appointed. Mid-range is standard hotel rooms all located in the village grounds. Thirdly for those with any mobility issues we have reserved a small number of rooms in the main hotel building but these are not as spacious as those in the village. The final alternative is to share accommodation in one of the well-appointed village cottages but with the guarantee of your own bathroom, living and dining rooms would be shared between the party staying in the cottage.
Irrespective of your choice of accommodation at Portmeirion all of the inclusive meals will be taken together in the hotel restaurant or private dining rooms. Portmeirion is renowned for the quality of its cuisine with wonderful views over the bay from the dining room. There are several occasions for pre-dinner drinks and for most meals wine or soft drinks are included.
As well as the hotel and gardens there are extensive woodlands and beaches which in the evening are deserted and ripe for exploration and June is the ideal time to see the gardens and parkland at their best.
It is possible to travel to Minffordd by rail from London to Portmeirion or make your own way to the village. In the evening a welcome gourmet meal in a private dining room at the hotel, with a talk on the history of Portmeirion by a member of the management team. You have the option to stay at Pormeririon or Tudor Lodge.
🍽 dinner
Portmirion hotel
Morning at leisure to enjoy Portmeirion Village gardens and parkland. Option to travel by Cambrian railway or coach to Tywyn to join an afternoon charter train on the Talyllyn Railway – the world’s first preserved line – utilising the original Victorian stock and steam engines dating from 1869 on a return trip to Nant Gwernol with photographic run passes. During the journey we will have a guided tour of the workshops at Pendre and on returning to Tywyn drinks in the renowned Narrow Gauge Railway Museum and an evening meal at the railway with the general manager as an after dinner speaker.
🍽 breakfast, dinner
narrow gauge talyllyn railway
narrow gauge talyllyn railway
narrow gauge talyllyn railway
narrow gauge talyllyn railway
narrow gauge talyllyn railway
narrow gauge talyllyn railway
narrow gauge talyllyn railway
In the morning travel on a heritage steam hauled train on the Snowdon Mountain Railway. This is a unique rack railway first opened in 1896. After a short time at the summit we return to Llanberis where we next visit the National Slate Museum. There are lunch facilities at the Museum. After lunch we visit the nearby Llanberis Lake Railway for a return trip along the line and a planned tour of the locomotive yard and workshop. In the evening we have dinner at Castell Deudraeth on the Portmeirion estate with wine tasting.
🍽 breakfast, dinner
snowdon mountain railway
snowdon mountain railway
snowdon mountain railway
snowdon mountain railway
snowdon mountain railway
snowdon mountain railway
An early morning departure to enjoy a special charter train traveling on both the Welsh Highland and Ffestiniog Railways – 80 miles of scenic narrow-gauge wonder. Our train will be hauled by two Ffestiniog steam locomotives (subject to availability). For those staying in Portmeirion we have exclusive reserved seating in the luxury observation coach with champagne and croissants. Our first stop after departing Porthmadog will be the workshops at Boston Lodge for a visit to see the amazing collection of vintage steam locomotives and carriages before we return to Porthmadog and on the Welsh Highland Railway through Beddgelert and the spectacular scenery of Snowdonia before arriving in Caernarfon. After a short break we return to Beddgelert and Porthmadog to join the world famous Ffestiniog Railway. We change locomotives in Porthmadog to, hopefully, two original 1860’s “England” locomotives. We journey up the line with its spectacular views to Blaenau Ffestiniog. On return to Porthmadog we have a private dinner in Spooner’s restaurant with after dinner speakers to talk about both Railways.
🍽 breakfast, lunch, dinner
Photos of the welsh highland and ffestiniog railways
Narrow gauge railroading at it's best
A day devoted to seeing the work of the National Trust in Snowdonia. After a leisurely breakfast we join our executive coach traveling to Llandudno to ride the historic tramway up the Great Orme. Here we will meet with the National Trust ranger for a talk on the plans for Great Orme, which has recently been acquired by the Trust. We then proceed to Penrhyn Castle near Bangor for a private tour of the extensive rail museum and the option to either remain in the museum at leisure or join a conducted tour of the house. After time for lunch in the restaurant at the castle you will then have the choice of being transferred to travel on the Conway Valley Railway to Blaenau Ffestiniog or visit the National Trust’s spectacular and world renowned Bodnant Gardens for a conducted tour by the head gardener which will include access to a new part of the gardens not open to the public. The party will rendezvous back at Blaenau Ffestiniog for onward transfer to Portmeirion/Porthmadog.
🍽 breakfast, dinner
The great orme tramway
The great orme tramway
The bodnant garden
Conway valley railway
An opportunity to enjoy Portmeirion village before a later morning departure to the Llangollen standard gauge steam railway where we plan to traverse the full line including the newly opened section to Corwen. After some free time in Llangollen we will take a horse drawn trip along a quiet section of the Llangollen canal. We dine in a unique Victorian hotel on our way back to Portmeirion.
🍽 breakfast, dinner
The llangollen railway
The llangollen canal
Travel along the coastal route by coach to Aberystwyth with time to explore the town before our return journey steam hauled train on the Vale of Rheidol Railway. We will have a tour of the brand-new locomotive facilities and museum before we return to Portmeirion.
🍽 breakfast
Vale of rheidol railway
Morning departure from the hotels (included transfers to Minffordd from Portmeirion) on the train to Shrewsbury and on to Birmingham New Street and London Euston.
🍽 breakfast
TOUR CONDITIONS PRICING - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
Tour Pricing:
All tour prices are subject to change without notice, at any time. All prices based on double room occupancy. Those people that use a credit card for payments a 3% conveyance fee (The 3% fee has been suspended until further notice) will be added to the tour price. We reserve the right to change tour prices if necessary without prior notice.
