Family Holidays: Snowdonia and North Wales family holidays and breaks

Take the Family holiday rating 5 stars out of 5

Why

It’s an astonishing mixture of mountains and coast, quiet getaways and seaside jollity. You can take a coastal break and stay by the sea and make a day trip to Snowdon – at 1085m the loftiest mountain in England and Wales – or you can hide away in a forest and make a dash for the beach. The scenery here is superb, whether you’re looking down or looking up, and there’s a mass of family holiday options, from lazy fun to family activity breaks.

Top left: Giants seat on the Craflywyn Estate
Top right: Mt Snowdon railway

When

Well, it has to be summer, although you have to trade off the best weather against the mind-boggling traffic. The low-lying western extremities of Anglesey and the Llyn Peninsula can be good out of season.

How

It has to be the car, but be warned that while access is easy from the Midlands (A5) or the north (the A55 sweeps across the north coast from Chester), it’s a long drive from the south.

National Express runs buses to many places, and there are trains via Chester and Crewe.

Stay

There’s everything from the boutique (Llandudno’s Escape B&B – not suitable for children under 10) to basic comforts (Bryn Gwynant and other youth hostels), the glorious (the fantasy land of Portmeirion) to the most family-friendly of all, Porth Tocyn Country Hotel at Abersoch, with its award-winning restaurant. And don’t forget the great choice of campsites in fantastic locations. To hire a cottage take advantage of our exclusive 5% discount on Cottages 4 you, or browse our huge selection of Snowdonia hotels with Active Hotels, or check discount hotel deals in Snowdonia with Late Rooms.

Do

You MUST take the tiny cog steam-train with open-air carriages to the top of Snowdon, though it’s not cheap and gets hugely crowded. An £8-million visitor centre and café in rugged stone should have crowned the peak by now, but, hit by record winter snows, the opening date is still in the air.

The train goes from the busy village of Llanberis, which has plenty of other things to do – Electric Mountain, a power station deep underground (good for older children), the National Slate Museum (free, with things for youngsters to see and climb on in a lakeside setting, lake cruises, easy meadow walks and the Llanberis Lake Railway steam train.

In Snowdonia National Park children love Sygun Copper Mine, Dolgoch waterfall (a stop on the beautiful Talyllyn Railway; and the twin, tiny train-rides inside Llechwedd Slate Caverns in Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Active families with kids 12 and over can try Canolfan Tryweryn National Whitewater Centre near the lakeside town of Bala – 8km of foaming excitement fed by the Llyn Celyn reservoir so able to operate virtually year-round. There are plenty of other activity centres in Llanberis and elsewhere, along with biking and hiking trails. For younger children, Greenwood Forest Park is an eco-world of climbing, with a human-powered rollercoaster!

The north coast is a different world, with the Victorian prom of Llandudno with its own mini-mountain attractions (tramway, copper mine) and Rhyl with its kiss-me-quick feel. Anglesey is quiet and cut off, while on the west coast you’ve got delightful little resorts such as Abersoch, Aberdovey and Barmouth.

Eat

The area has lots of with farmers’ markets selling local produce, including children’s barbie favourites such as sausages and burgers – all very good quality. On the west coast you’ll find lots of good seafood, while in Rhyl there’s endless chips and candyfloss.

Good restaurants can be found, not least the Castell Deudraeth Bar & Grill at Portmeirion (see above) and the famed café Pete’s Eats in Llanberis.