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If you are looking at options for UK family holidays, you may find that riding around on the steam trains of Wales is a great way of including some kids' day trips that you will love too. Whether you are thinking of UK family holidays or short breaks, Wales has a number of historic railways that are either designed for visitors or have been converted for this purpose after previously serving as passenger lines or ferrying slate from quarries. If you like your family holidays to include lots of fresh air and scenery, there are many opportunities to enjoy it on Welsh steam railways. For instance, the Bala Lake Railway runs the full length of the largest natural lake in Wales, with plenty of mountain scenery on view as well. Another lakeside ride is the Llanberis Lake Railway, a five-mile round trip on a 19th century track that has had a 21st century extension added to take it on to Llanberis village, past the ruins of Dolbadarn Castle. Llanberis is also the home of the most famous railway in Wales, the Snowdon Mountain Railway. Opened in 1896, the railway uses a rack-and-pinion system – the only one in Britain – to climb the slopes of the mountain. There are great views from the railway and several stations along the way, although for most people their destination is the summit station. A new summit building - known as Hafod Eryri - was opened in 2009 and you can take the chance to enjoy some food and drink as well as grabbing a few souvenirs. From here, it is just a very short climb to the summit of Snowdon, where you and your kids can enjoy the amazing vantage point as you stand on the very top of Wales. If your kids are keen on a bit more of a challenging climb, you might want to try the Snowdon Ranger Path, which is served by the station of the same name on the Welsh Highland Railway. The original route ran a short-lived service from Caernarfon to Porthmadog between 1922 and 1937, but is now gradually being restored as a scenic narrow-gauge route, with castles, lakes and mountains along the way and the sea at each end. You also pass through the village of Beddgelert, named after the legendary grave of a king's dog, who fought off a wolf to save his master's infant son, but was slain by its owner after he saw the blood and wrongly concluded his dog had killed the baby. A shorter section of the original route runs out of Porthmadog and is known as the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway. This town was also the port to which slate used to be delivered by the Ffestiniog Railway Company from its mines in Blaenau Ffestiniog. The line was closed after the industry declined in the 20th century, but it was re-opened by enthusiasts in 1954 and offers a long, gradual descent from the industrial landscape of the town, past mountains and lakes to the sea. If you like the idea of taking a train inland from the sea, then the Talyllyn Railway may be one very good option. It runs from Tywyn to Abergynolwyn and as well as providing access to some family-friendly walks, the Dolgoch Falls are also nearby. These may make a great attraction for a rainy day as this will make the waterfalls even more spectacular. The Vale of Rheidol Railway also starts on the coast, climbing through fields and wood out of the popular family holiday resort of Aberystwyth on the way to Devil's Bridge, where the water swirls around dramatically in the Devil's Punch Bowl. For those visiting mid-Wales, another option is the Welshpool and Llanfair light railway in Montgomeryshire near the English border, which offers a 16-mile return trip through meadows and forests. And further south, there is the Brecon Mountain Railway, which unlike its Snowdon equivalent does not climb a mountain, but does offer wonderful views as it passes the full length of the Taf Fechan Reservoir and its imposing dam. So all around Wales you will be able to find some great train rides, offering a wonderful variety of scenery and history for all the family to enjoy. The kids will be fascinated by the train itself and will often get the chance to see at close quarters how steam engines work. For kids' day trips, you can't beat a day on one of Wales's steam trains. If you are looking for UK holidays then why not try Wales for some of the best activity holidays in the UK? Head over to Visit Wales for advice and information on holidays in Wales including, things to do, attractions and accommodation for UK family activity holidays and outdoor activity holidays in Wales.
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Family holidays, UK family holidays, UK family holidays short breaks, Kids day trips,
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