Visiting Wales By Train! 10 Best Places To Visit in Wales by Train!

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Are you wondering how much you can see in Wales by train and where to go in Wales by train?

There are so many amazing places to visit in Wales along the coast, in the countryside, mountains and cities and many of these places in Wales can be accessed by train.

In this Wales travel blog, I’m going to give you 10 great places to visit in Wales by train along with tips for the trains in Wales, getting the train to Wales, cheaper train tickets, and recommendations for your Wales train itinerary.

Wales by Train

Train Tickets for Wales

There are a variety of tickets available for getting around Wales by train and the Transport for Wales (TfW) direct website is where I recommend you go to purchase your Welsh train tickets. You can also download the TfW app which makes buying and presenting tickets easy on your journey.

If you are looking to visit just 1 place in Wales, a return journey option will be the best option for you, and if you are looking to visit a few places in Wales by train, single journey tickets or Multiflex train tickets will be the best option depending on how many places you intend to visit.

Train to Wales

You’re probably reading this post because you live in England, are planning to visit Wales from England or visiting from one of the main airports in England.

When planning a train travel trip to Wales, there are a few good starting points in England which will make getting the train to Wales easier.

Cities in England you should look to start your trip from are:

• London
• Birmingham
• Bristol
• Manchester
• Chester
• Shrewsbury

Trains in Wales

Before we get into where to go in Wales by train, here are a few things you should note about the trains in Wales and train travel around Wales.

My top tips for getting the train around Wales are:

• Don’t try to visit too many places in one day
• Stick to exploring one part of the country in one trip
• Plan in plenty of time for cross-country journeys and journeys to and from Wales
• Be prepared to change trains (which TfW will make you aware of in advance)
• Look into the buses in Wales (which you can do via Transport for Wales too) when you can’t see a connecting train route
• Book accommodation close to the train station / in the town centre so you don’t need to take taxis from the train station
• Use a city or large town in Wales as your base as it will be easy to get the train there and then you can take separate day trips by train, bus, taxi and tour to places nearby

Railways in Wales Map

Below is a network map for all the railways in Wales and train stations in Wales. As you can see, Wales is well connected by train!

This is a Wales train map by TfW, if you want to download it as a PDF, visit the TfW website here.

Places to go in Wales by Train

South Wales by Train

1. Cardiff

Cardiff is the capital city of Wales and certainly one of the best and easiest places to visit in Wales by train due to its great railway connectivity to many major cities and towns in England and Wales.

Cardiff is a city worth visiting in itself, here are the top things to do in Cardiff like Cardiff Castle and Cardiff Bay, but it’s also a great base in Wales for a few days. From Cardiff, you can take the train or bus to many beaches, towns and mountains nearby for day trips from Cardiff. Or, take an organised tour with a local company.

If you’re coming from London, you can even do a day trip from London to Cardiff by train!

Best to visit from:

• London Paddington – 2 hours
• Birmingham International – 2 hours
• Shrewsbury – 2 hours
• Manchester Piccadilly – 3 hours 15 minutes
• Bristol – 35 minutes

Search for train tickets to Cardiff here using TfW

2. Tenby

Tenby is a seaside gem in Wales and it’s so great that Tenby has a train station in the centre of town making it one of the top places to go in Wales by train!

Getting to Tenby by train does take a while because it is in the Southern West corner of Wales but once you get there it will be well worth it!

You’ll have a colourful town and 4 beaches right on your doorstep with many more beaches and walks close by. I really recommend the Tenby to Saundersfoot walk!

There are many cottages in Tenby close to town as well as hotels and B&B’s so Tenby works as a brilliant final destination in Wales for a few days or a base to see more of Pembrokeshire from.

Best to visit from:

• Swansea – 1 hour 40 minutes
• Cardiff – 2 hours 40 minutes
• Bristol – 3 hours 30 minutes
• London – 4 hours 50 minutes

Search for train tickets to Tenby here using TfW

3. Fishguard

If you want to get pretty far away in Wales by train then Fishguard is a great place to go!

Fishguard is a small town on the West Coast of Wales in North Pembrokeshire. It has a harbour and a few beaches nearby.

Fishguard is a good place to visit if you are planning a South West Wales itinerary by train because you can visit Carmarthen, Tenby and Narbeth in one trip by train around Wales.

Fishguard is also well connected by train because of the ferry over to Ireland so if you are travelling by public transport around Wales and want to continue, you could always jump on the ferry to Ireland next.

Best to visit from:

• Carmarthen – 50 minutes
• Tenby – 1 hour 15 minutes
• Swansea – 1 hour 45 minutes
• Cardiff – 2 hours 50 minutes
• London – 5 hours

Search for train tickets to Fishguard here using TfW

4. Carmarthen

I’ve spent a lot of my life in and around Carmarthen and used to get the train here a lot when I was younger so it has to feature on this list of places to go in Wales by train.

Carmarthen itself is a town with a few shops and not so much going on but it is a great base to see more of South West Wales from.

When planning your Wales itinerary by train I’d suggest basing yourself in Carmarthen for a few days close to the train station and then visiting places nearby on day trips like Tenby, Narbeth, Pembrey, Llanelli and Fishguard, all of which have their own central train stations.

Best to visit from:

• Tenby – 45 minutes
• Swansea – 50 minutes
• Cardiff – 1 hour 50 minutes
• Bristol – 2 hours 30 minutes
• London – 3 hours 40 minutes

Search for train tickets to Carmarthen here using TfW

5. Swansea

Swansea works well as a base in South Wales to see more of the area from and it benefits from being further West than Cardiff so it’s quicker to access beautiful places in Pembrokeshire from by train, like Tenby.

A huge benefit to Swansea is Swansea Gower which is like an island off the coast of Swansea, it has a spectacular coastline and you can visit the cute town of The Mumbles or wild beaches like Three Cliffs Bay with the help of the TfW bus system.

Best to visit from:

• Cardiff – 50 minutes
• Bristol – 1 hour 30 minutes
• Birmingham – 3 hours
• London – 3 hours 45 minutes
• Manchester – 4 hours 10 minutes

Search for train tickets to Swansea here using TfW

6. Abergavenny

The Brecon Beacons National Park is one of the best places to visit in South Wales and to best access this area by train you can catch the train into Abergavenny and travel by bus or taxi to your desired village or hiking spot. The Pen-Y-Fan hike will take you to the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons. and in South Wales!

When planning your Wales train travel itinerary, you could travel from Cardiff to Abergavenny quite easily as it’s not far by train and then travel back into England from Abergavenny or back down to the South Coast

Best to visit from:

• Cardiff – 40 minutes
• Swansea – 1 hour 40 minutes
• London – 2 hours 10 minutes
• Birmingham – 2 hours 10 minutes
• Manchester – 2 hours 30 minutes

Search for train tickets to Abergavenny here using TfW

Remember to check out the Advance Ticket Sale now available here on Transport for Wales!

North Wales by Train

7. Bangor

Visiting North Wales is an absolute must and Bangor is a great city in North Wales to travel to by train and base yourself in to see more of this stunning part of the country.

Bangor has a thriving University and University city feel and it’s the best gateway into Eryri National Park (Snowdonia National Park) that you’ll get by train travel in Wales.

If you want to see more trains in Wales and Welsh train stations, from Bangor you could get yourself to Llanberis, a small town in Eryri National Park (Snowdonia National Park) and take a steam train around Llanberis Lake Railway, and, you can take the Snowdon Mountain Railway to the top of Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon), the highest point in Wales!

Best to visit from:

• Chester – 1 hour 10 minutes
• Liverpool – 2 hours
• Manchester – 2 hours 30 minutes
• London – 3 hours 20 minutes
• Cardiff – 4 hours 20 minutes

Search for train tickets to Bangor here using TfW

8. Llandudno

Llandudno is a Victorian seaside town and was very popular in its heyday! These days it’s still a great place to go and is high on my list of places to visit in North Wales, especially for families as there is plenty to do in the town and nearby!

Llandudno is located along the coast of North Wales and is a good place to add to your Wales by train itinerary if you plan to stop in a few locations along the North Coast, for example, you could stop at Llandudno before or after Conwy and Bangor.

One of the best things to do in Llandudno is to take the Great Orme Tramway to the summit of the Great Orme.

Best to visit from:

• Liverpool – 2 hours
• Manchester – 2 hours 15 minutes
• Birmingham – 3 hours
• London – 3 hours 30 minutes

Search for train tickets to Llandudno here using TfW

9. Holyhead

Anglesey is an island just off the North West Coast of Wales and Holyhead is at the very top of it. There is a well-located and well-connected train station in Holyhead which I recommend travelling to by train in Wales to see more of this stunning corner of Wales.

If you enjoy hiking you can walk the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path from here as well as visit beaches nearby.

Holyhead is not too far from Bangor and Llandudno by train so if you are looking to visit a few places in North Wales by train, you can plan your Wales train itinerary to take the train to each of these places and stay a few nights.

Best to visit from:

• Bangor – 30 minutes
• Liverpool – 2 hours 50 minutes
• Manchester – 3 hours 10 minutes
• London – 3 hours 45 minutes
• Birmingham – 3 hours 45 minutes

Search for train tickets to Holyhead here using TfW

Mid-Wales by Train

10. Aberystwyth

This popular seaside town on the West coast of Wales is a great place to go in Wales by train because a train line runs directly there through the centre of Wales and once there, Aberystwyth train station is located right in the centre of town.

After your scenic train journey to Aberystwyth, you can spend a few days enjoying this seaside town as well as visiting other coastal destinations nearby using the train and bus services.

For train lovers, once in Aberystwyth, you can take the Vale of Rheidol Railway, a restored steam train service for a stunning journey along the Rheidol Valley.

Best to visit from:

• Shrewsbury – 2 hours
• Birmingham – 3 hours 15 minutes
• Manchester – 4 hours
• Cardiff – 4 hours

Search for train tickets to Aberystwyth here using TfW

I hope this helps you with places to go in Wales by train and how to travel Wales by train!

This post is sponsored by Transport For Wales. All opinions, thoughts and suggestions are my own.

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• To read more of my Wales blog posts see:
• 20 Things To Do In Cardiff, Cardiff Bay & Near Cardiff!
• 30 TOP Places To Visit in South Wales & South Wales Attractions!
• 30 BEST Places to Visit in North Wales & North Wales Attractions!
• 15 BEST Beaches in Pembrokeshire To Visit & A Map!
• Best Time To Visit Wales By Weather & Things To Do!