Traveling using the Snowdonia Sherpa bus is inexpensive and easy. You will not miss having a car inside Snowdonia National Park. Read for all the details of how we used the Snowdonia Sherpa network of busses as our only mode of transit.
If you want to read more on how we use public transit throughout the United Kingdom, read our post on Scotland Without a Car.
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Why Snowdonia
Snowdonia, Wales’ 838 square meter National Park, is an outdoor playground. Visited by roughly 10 million people per year, Snowdonia is home to some of the world’s most beautiful scenery.
However, most people come to Snowdonia to hike Mt. Snowdon – or Yr Wyddfa in Welsh – which is the highest peak in all of the UK, or they come to experience the summit by taking the scenic Snowdon Mountain Railway.
If climbing mountains is not your thing, Snowdonia is full of quaint towns, beautiful llyns (Welsh for lakes) and charming castles. And one of the best parts of this National Park is that you don’t need a car.
The Snowdonia Sherpa Bus is frequent and inexpensive. It also takes the stress out of parking in small towns and at trail heads where parking is very limited.
Getting to Snowdonia
While many people choose car transport throughout the UK, we prefer to travel by public transportation.
We find it to be more inexpensive given the high rates of car rentals, more environmental and most importantly, more relaxing.
What is the Snowdon Sherpa Bus
The Snowdon Sherpa bus system in Snowdonia provides a practical alternative to personal vehicles, connecting the six main paths around Snowdon and their associated car parks, along with villages and attractions in the area.
The service runs between Llanberis (for the Llanberis Path) and Pen y Pass (for the Pyg Track and Miners’ Track), with stops at the Park & Ride car park at Nant Peris. The service on the other side of the mountain is less frequent, covering the Rhyd Ddu Path, Snowdon Ranger Path, and the Watkin Path.
The Sherpa bus service also links Snowdon with Caernarfon, Porthmadog, Bangor, and Betws-y-coed for those traveling by bus instead of a car. We used the service to connect us from the train station in Bangor to our accommodations in Llanberis.
Tickets, available for purchase on the bus, come in the form of single journeys or day passes, allowing passengers to use any Sherpa service throughout the day.
In 2024, prices are £6.50 for adults and £4.40 for children, making it an economical and practical choice for exploring Snowdonia without a car.
Via Bangor Starting On the Sherpa Bus
The region of Snowdonia is easily accessible first by train. And there are a couple of ways to access the area. On our journey, we took the train from Glasgow to Bangor. From Bangor, you can easily hop onto the Snowdonia Sherpa Bus.
The Sherpa bus picks up less than a block from the Bangor train station. You simply come out of the main station doors, walk 348 feet, and take a left on the first road, which is the A5.
Then, walk another 100 feet up the street to the green bus stop. From here, the S2 bus runs every hour. You can get the full Sherpa timetable of the bus schedule.
Via Llandudno Junction Via Train Then Sherpa Bus
However, you can also take a train through Transport For Wales into Betws-y-Coed, one of the most quaint and picturesque towns in Snowdonia. The train route to Betws-y-Coed is on the Conwy train line.
The Conwy line begins in Llandundo and ends in the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. All travelers coming into Snowdonia from outside the National Park will change trains at Llandudno Junction.
Llandudno Junction is North Wales’ busiest train station and offers train service through Avanti West Coast and Transport for Wales. Trains operate hourly from Cardiff, Birmingham via Shrewsbury, Chester or Bangor. You can also travel via Manchester.
All trains from outside Northern Wales to Betws-y-Coed travel through Llandudno Junction with a train change here in Llandudno Junction.
There are typically 6 trains per day from Llandudno Junction into Betws-y-Coed. Trains service takes about 30 minutes and the cost for just the Llandudno Junction to Betws-y-Coed is £6.60.
At Betws-y-Coed, you can also easily access the Snowdonia Sherpa Bus. There are several bus stops throughout the small town, but the closest to the train is about 150 feet to the right as you exit the train station.
In Betws-y-Coed, you will take the S1 with stops in Pen y Pass – the stop to climb Yr Wyddfa – Llanberis, and Caernarfon.
Where to Take the Snowdonia Sherpa Bus
Yr Wyddfa
This is a must. Parking is limited at Llanberis and Pen y Pass in the summer. There are many hiking paths to access the summit of Yr Wyddfa. The bus drops you at both Pen y Pass and Llanberis.
While technical climbers will certainly need to do more research than what we are providing here, those who want to explore Yr Wyddfa are most likely to take the Llanberis Path, which is known as the easiest in the summer.
The trailhead for this hike is very near the Snowdon Mountain Railway train station and the Snowdonia Sherpa bus lets you off very near the train station.
At 7-8 hours, the climb takes a few hours longer than other trails but is the most gradual.
A more technical climb begins in Pen y Pass. Both the PYG and the Miner’s Track begin at Pen y Pass. The bus literally drops you off within steps of the trailhead.
While these trails are faster routes to the summit, roughly 5-6 hours, be advised that they are much steeper and require a greater level of fitness.
Even if you are not feeling up to the summit or if you are traveling with smaller kids, just hopping off the bus at Pen y Pass and taking a short hike up the mountain is a great way to get some exercise and experience some views.
On our recent visit, we loved talking with a Welsh woman who had taken the bus up just for a few hours of exercise, only to “be home by tea time.”
The land is spectacular and any time spent exploring it is worth it.
Llanberis
Llanberis is a cute, small town in Snowdonia (and happens to be where we stayed). Here you can take the Snowdon Railway.
The town is also situated on the southern banks of Llyn Padarn and can be a great place to take a kayak tour or rent boats on your own.
We also rented bikes from Llanberis Bike Hire. The bike rental is out of the back of Rumdoodles, a shop on the main street in Llanberis.
We rented three bikes for two days for roughly £150. There is a nice bike path along the shore of Llyn Padarn.
We also rode our bikes up to Dolbadarn Castle, which is just outside of the town. The castle is completely free to enter.
And while there are hours posted, the gate is not closed or locked. We were there slightly after it was “closed” and were able to explore the castle.
Dolbadarn is a 12th or 13th-century Welsh castle unlike Caernarfon, which was built by the invading English under King Edward I.
Caernarfon
Another great half-day trip in Snowdonia is to the town of Caernarfon, on the North Wales coast. Just across from the Menai Strait from the Isle of Anglesey, Caernarfon is a royal town.
In 1963, Queen Elizabeth gave Caernarfon the title of royal borough, and it certainly has the charm to match the title.
In this royal town, you can not miss a chance to tour Caernarfon Castle. Of all the castles we saw throughout Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, it was our favorite.
We loved it because you get to explore all parts of the castle and Cadw, Wales´ version of the National Trust, owns and manages the site and does an excellent job providing history and information.
Caernarfon Castle is also where Charles, Prince of Wales was invested in 1969. And the castle was featured in the Netflix series, “The Crown” dramatizing that (also televised) event. Its importance to the crown makes it a true jewel to experience.
In addition to the castle, we spent time walking the streets of this quaint town. Home to just under 10,000 people, Caernarfon has several thrift or charity shops.
The walled city and castle of Caernarfon, along with two other sites, are on the UNESCO World Heritage site, as a “supreme example of medieval military architecture.”
And we made an afternoon of thrifting, eating ice cream, and having a pint.
Betws-y-Coed
Whether you come into Betws-y-Coed by train or make your way on the Snowdonia Sherpa Bus, this town is not to be missed on your trip to Snowdonia.
Seeing this picturesque town is our #1 suggestion, especially for those that are in Snowdonia less for climbing and more for small-town exploring. The town, with its stone buildings, has a distinctly Alpine feel.
It was truly picturesque.
In addition to shops and lots of good eats, on the edge of the town are great walking paths. Betws-y-Coed lies at the confluence of four forested valleys creating numerous waterfalls. At 3.7 km, Swallow Falls is an easy walk from Betws-y-Coed.
Or you can head in the opposite direction to see the town’s Fairy Glen. The Glen is on private property so there is a fee to park a car if you bring one.
But if you travel by Sherpa Bus, you can easily walk the 2 miles to the Glen and avoid the parking fee altogether. There is also a small entry fee to be paid in the “honesty box.”
Regardless of whether you stay in town and enjoy the shops or head out for a nature walk, Betws-y-Coed is a great stop along the Snowdonia Sherpa Bus line.
Snowdonia Sherpa Bus
There is so much to experience in Snowdonia and the beautiful part–well, in addition to all that natural beauty–is that you can leave the driving to the professionals.
Cost
You can buy tickets right on board the bus. The bus operator will accept cash or contactless payment. Short one-way trips cost as little as £2.
If you are town hopping with multiple routes, you might be better served to buy the 1bws multi-operator ticket, which is £6.50 for adults and £4.40 for children (up to 16 years old).
Conclusion: Why the Snowdonia Sherpa Bus is Better Than a Car
Embracing the Snowdonia Sherpa bus system not only redefines your exploration of Snowdon but transforms your entire experience of the region. Opting for the Sherpa over a car not only enhances the convenience of traveling between towns like Caernarfon and Betws-y-Coed but also opens up a spectrum of activities in these charming locales.
The standout advantages of the Sherpa extend beyond mere practicality. More significantly, choosing the Sherpa bus aligns with an environmentally conscious mindset, significantly reducing the impact on the picturesque Snowdonia landscape.
Our journey through Snowdonia was seamlessly carless, with the Sherpa bus effortlessly connecting us to hiking trails, towns, and attractions.
The ease of hopping on and off, the budget-friendly fares, and the eco-friendly approach make the Sherpa bus the undisputed champion of transportation in Snowdonia.
