Llangollen Railway

Llangollen Railway

Llangollen Railway
4.5
About
Llangollen Railway is a Heritage Railway Line running between Llangollen, following the River Dee through the Dee Valley for 10 miles, to the town of Corwen. There are five, stations along the line all with their own special charm and hidden gems. Each station has local walks that all have stunning scenery. The line, located within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), remains close to the waters of the river for most of its length, on the north bank at Llangollen Station, the river is crossed on to the south bank via the Dee Bridge, approximately one mile upstream from Llangollen. The Dee is classed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its entire length. Services run to Corwen Station which opened in June 2023. There is lots to see and do whether you want to spend a full day or just a few hours with us.
Llangollen, Denbighshire, Wales

Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,561 reviews
Excellent
1,084
Very good
322
Average
83
Poor
33
Terrible
40

Maria C
Loughton, UK156 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Friends
I pre-booked tickets for a train trip up to Carrog and back. The entry was easy, all I had to do was show the tickets on my phone and enter the platform.
The train running on the day I visited was the diesel rail car which was very comfortable and quiet. For an extra £1 you can upgrade to first class but dogs are not allowed in the first class area.

The scenery on the root is beautiful as it follows the river almost the whole journey and you can see the hills and mountains along the horizon.

Once you reach Carrog everyone disembarked because the train waits there for about 20 minutes. There is a tea room, toilets and one of the carriages has been turned into a little shop.

This is a heritage line and costs are quite high and I think this is reflected in the price, however some of the views alone are worth it and i would fully recommend a trip.

Special event days are held throughout the year and it can be busy as times so I would recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment.
Written 19 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

N Wales Jaguar XK Car Club
Bangor, UK24 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Friends
Our club visited in July and did a return trip from Corwen to Llangollen, a good way to visit as there is a big car park at the station. You can work it to have a good few hours in Llangollen and it cures the car parking issue, the train station is right in the heart of the town.
We loved the journey and had a reserved carriage on the outbound trip.
This is a really decent run on a heritage line, over half an hour.
Our only slight disappointment was that despite a "blue" day there was no steam locos operating, that did not spoil the day though.
Written 25 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

debbie d
15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • Family
A lovely magical experience, literally, the jesters magic was amazing, my grandsons were in awe, each and every staff member was super friendly and helpful, Santa and Mrs Santa were lovely, nice gifts for the children and tasty treats for everyone
We will be booking again next year , the only difference I will make is I'll probably take a picnic to have on the train
We paid for a private carriage which was expensive but worth it, the booking was for 8 people, we were a party of 4 adults and 2 children and I think 2 more would of been a bit of a squeeze.
A really festive experience, well done everyone
Written 20 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Elliot C
Wrexham, UK97 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Solo
On passing through Llangollen and having missed the previous weeks diesel day i noticed a diesel arriving at Llangollen station.
Being spontaneous i decided to drive to Glyndyfrdwy and catch the train from there to Corwen.
I arrived in plenty of time to board the train but found that there was no ticket office at Glyndyfrdwy. i boarded the train anyway and had a pleasant journey to Corwen reminiscing about the times in my youth when i often travelled behind diesel locomotives.
The scenery is also fantastic.
On arrival at Corwen i hadn't been asked to show a ticket or be charged and so made my way to the ticket office to purchase one.
I explained that i had boarded the train at Glyndyfrydwy and wanted to go back to the same station as my car was parked there (an adult return ticket from Glyndyfrydwy).
I was then asked for £25.00!!
I pointed out that i only wanted to travel half way down the line not all the way back to Llangollen but was told i "could only buy a return to Llangollen and that it was the same price no matter what station i boarded at"!
A second volunteer also told me that i "couldn't go off the online prices"
I said had i have known this i would have boarded at Llangollen and paid the same price for twice the distance.
On arriving home and checking the online prices the website clearly states
"on the day fares" Glyndyfrywy - Corwen return adult fare £19.00.
I cant help but feel cheated and lied to by the staff at Corwen.
I was never asked to show my ticket on either of my journeys, maybe honesty isn't the best policy?
Written 8 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BravoPanda
England, UK74 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Family
We attended for the Ride the Rocket event to Corwen in 2023, not really appreciating at the time of booking how different this would be to previous years.

For several years before 2023 (excluding the covid years) the train stopped at the smaller station and all guests would be treated to a smaller, fabulous fireworks display that we felt was well worth every penny, was very personable and gave us some family memories that will last a lifetime.

Cue 2023... and Corwen. Yes the fireworks were ok-ish, but the overall event was poor. We didn't at all expect to pay the same as previous years for the journey to then just be tagged on to the back end of the local display (that everyone else got in for free?!) - they even started the childrens display before people from the train had even reached the fields.

The area was massively overcrowded, the cafe/food stalls were wiped out long before we arrived, and we spent the whole performance jostling between some really unsavoury characters who spent half the firework display swearing, necking drinks and vaping right next to crowds of children, including ours.

We can see a lot of effort went in to the partnership and appreciate costs were probably a factor, but we were really disappointed and honestly it just tarnished years of lovely memories, while many on the train said exactly the same on the journey back - "what a shame".

If it's the same in 2024 or any future years we likely wont be returning :(
Written 11 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Debra D
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • Family
Arrived at the station to absolute mayhem. People everywhere. Standing on the platform you couldn't even see the end of the carriages there was that many. On the train itself someone was sitting in our allocated seats. Had to search for a member of staff to sort this problem which took about 10 minutes. Santa (who looked totally fake - this didn't go unnoticed by my 7 Yr old Grandson) came around the moving train. Asked my grandson his name and age and then proceeded to shout to a long line of other members of staff behind him '7 year old boy'. Santa hands the present over to my Grandson and proceeded towards the next child. Talk about a conveyer belt!
We arrive at our destination . We get off the train. No one knows what is happening. No organisation. So like sheep we follow everyone else and join a very long queue. People were pushing in. After 20 minutes we finally got to the end of the line to have a family photo with Santa who was in a tent. Luckily it wasn't raining but if it had been we would have been soaked!! My poor little grandson. As it was I'd had to convince him that it was the 'real Santa' because of the poor costume. Then to add insult to injury my Grandson was worried as he hadn't told Santa what he had wanted for Christmas. That was not an option we only had chance for a photo!
In the past I have been on the 'Llangollen Santa experience' twice before. On both those occasions it was absolutely magical. Couldn't fault it. But I'm afraid it is now just a money making racket!! I am very disappointed. What is worse I now have a 7 year old Grandson who is now doubting whether Santa exists - and all because of this experience.
'Llangollen Railway' you need to up your game and revert to how it use to be done.
Written 3 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ted C
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
I had phoned Llangollen railway up a month before I went to Llangollen to check that there was a steam train running on Friday the 19th August, I also phoned a week before going and on both occasions a lady confirmed that they would be running a steam train for that date. When I asked at the station on the the day I was told it would only be a diesel train running and was told later by a volunteer that Llangollen railway haven't had a steam engine for some time so my brother and I were totally disappointed. The only reason I can see why I was told a lie was to get me there on false pretenses as they know most people would expect to see at least one steam engine running at a vintage railway railway set up.
So be warned at the moment there are NO Steam engines running at Llangollen.
Total wast of time and money.
Written 21 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Ted, Thank you for your feedback. We have been saddened to hear that you and your brother were so disappointed with your experience on the railway. While we do our best to ensure a comprehensive and satisfactory visit for all of our customers, our business is somewhat vulnerable to issues such as mechanical failure and weather conditions. These factors have been particularly bad this year, and we have had to make difficult choices with regard to which vehicles we run and when. For this reason, we do make customers aware that we cannot guarantee a Steam-hauled service, even when these are timetabled. Our communications regarding our locomotives and the timetables we make available to the public are particular areas for improvement for us, and we are in a transitional period in this regard and others. Your feedback has been escalated to the Trust Manager in order to prompt a review of procedure. As a gesture of good will, we can look into providing an enhanced or discounted experience the next time you visit. Kind Regards, Alex Elbourne Administrator, Llangollen Railway
Written 24 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

richardputley523
Great Malvern, UK6 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Solo
Their website and printed timetables both showed they were running a public train service on Thursday 4th July 2024, I set off from my home in Chippenham, Wiltshire at 7am this morning. I thought this would give me plenty of time to get to Corwen station in plenty of time for your 13:35 train. Indeed I arrived there at about 12:30. But having spent £4 on a parking ticket I was very disappointed to be told be your staff that you were not running a public service today. They said they top were disappointed . Apparently their General Manager had decided on a whim to run some Charter Trains instead.

Naturally I emailed them and attached both a photo of my Parking Ticket and their timetable. But I've not even had an acknowledgement of my email. It's now over a week ago.
Written 14 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Vonny28
Swindon, UK5 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022
We recently went on a trip on the Llangollen railway from Llangollen to Carrog. Unfortunately there were no steam trains running that day but this wasn't an issue for us as whilst the ride itself is not long it is through picturesque countryside. However we did find that there were coach parties booked on the same train, meaning that there were a shortage of seats and some people had to stand during the journey. We were fortunate in that the guard found us seats but Llangollen railway should not over sell tickets meaning that customers have to stand.
Written 25 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PapaJim
1 contribution
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
Very disappointed having booked in advance and paid over £60 to fund on the return journey from Corwen that there were no seats. When I said to the staff that I would expect to have a seat having booked in advance and they were accepting on the day tickets I was told I had paid for a ride in the train and not for a seat. Not good enough really in my opinion and a warning to others that you may as well stay on the train rather than get off during the 40 min stop or risk not having a seat. Considering they count everyone on at the start it can’t be that difficult. It was a 2 coach train and there were at least 12 people standing/sitting on the floor. It’s not a commuting train to London🤬
Written 20 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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