It is one of those facts of life that we simply must get used to, no matter how infuriating it might be. North Wales is a nightmare to get to, and not the easiest part of the UK to travel around. Public transport is notoriously inefficient and the wider links aren’t much better, although it is important to remember that this is one of the most ignored parts of the UK in terms of government spending. All the more reason for an independent Wales? That is another question for another time, so we’ll stick to transport talk for now. Still, some quite adorable mountain railways…
Airport(s)
Technically speaking, the nearest airport to Snowdonia National Park is Anglesey Airport, but you won’t see Ryanair opening up a new Anglesey/Cluj-Napoca route any time soon. Liverpool John Lennon Airport is 54 miles away, while Manchester Airport has a direct train connection with Bangor and Llandudno Junction.
Train Station
There are a number of busy (by Welsh standards) train stations in the area, with Bangor and Llandudno Junction the two most engaged. Neither has much in the way of facilities though, so don’t turn up too early hoping for a cafe to sit in. Conwy train station is quite pretty. We’ve covered Llanfairpwll in other parts of the page, but suffice to say that is the most famous train station in this part of the world. The train station at Betws-y-Coed is right in the middle of the park.
Bus Station
Bus is generally the best way to get around Snowdonia National Park if you’re relying on public transport, although anyone travelling around Wales and relying on public transport is in need of serious help. Llanberis and Betws-y-Coed are the two most useful towns in terms of bus routes. As for North Wales, Arriva and Stagecoach buses shuttle between the larger towns, with Caernarfon and Bangor connected every 30 minutes. Don’t hang around the bus stations for too long, as they are generally quite rough.
Taxis
Taxis in this part of the world are generally inexpensive, although it almost always pays to book ahead of time. Roger’s Taxis tend to be the best in the north, a small company based in Conwy that will shuttle people around for a decent price. Good luck getting a taxi in the middle of Snowdonia National Park.
