Holidays2Gether
North Wales 2gether In the Autumn This is a ‘Just for Groups’ Holiday organised for LLU3A
Departs Monday 15th October 2018 5 Days 4 Nights Visits to Portmeirion, Llanberis, Porthmadog, Betws y Coed, West Highland Railway and Ffestiniog Railway
Our Hotel: The Bulkeley Hotel, is situated in Castle Street, Beaumaris on Anglesey. The Hotel is close to the beach, Beaumaris Castle is nearby, alongside the Menai Straits, and enjoys stunning views across to the mountains of Snowdonia. Built as a Georgian show piece in 1832, the hotel now has 43 en suite bedrooms, a fine restaurant, coffee shop, Real Ale bar and lounge. All the bedrooms are serviced by a lift.
Highlights: This holiday will be a train enthusiast’s paradise! We will enjoy three Railway trips; Welsh Highland Railway from Caernarfon Station including a visit to Portmeirion, enjoy a ride on the Ffestiniog Railway from Porthmadog Station and finally a trip on the Llanberis Lake Railway. We will also visit Betwys y Coed or Llechwedd Slate Caverns and Portmeirion. There will be visits en route to RAF Museum at Cosford, and a Llangollen Wharf canal trip.
Our itinerary:
Monday: Our journey to North Wales takes us to the RAF Museum at Cosford. Situated next to an active airfield, there are over 70 aircraft housed in three Wartime Hangars and within the National Cold War Exhibition. See the world’s oldest Spitfire and a Lincoln Bomber; just two of the highlights in the ‘War in the Air’ Collection. We will stay here for lunch and then continue to our hotel to arrive in good time for dinner.
Tuesday: We start our North Wales visits, taking a short drive to Caernarfon Station to join the Welsh Highland Railway for our journey to Porthmadog Station. The Welsh Highland Railway is Snowdonia’s newest railway. Trains start their spectacular 25 mile scenic journey from beneath the castle walls at Caernarfon. The trains - hauled by the world's most powerful narrow gauge steam locomotives - climb from sea level to over 650ft on the foothills of Snowdon, before zig-zagging dramatically down the steep hillside to reach Beddgelert, nestling in the heart of the National Park, then through the magnificent Aberglaslyn Pass and on to Porthmadog. As the longest narrow gauge line, the Welsh Highland is powered by a fleet of coal-fired South African NG Beyer-Garret locos. Our afternoon is spent in Portmeirion. The town was created by the architect Clough Williams-Ellis from 1925 to 1976. He wanted to show how a naturally beautiful site could be developed without spoiling it.Aside from its iconic architecture, scenic surroundings and vast woodland gardens. Portmeirion is home to hip hotels, a huddle of historic cottages, a spa and award-winning restaurants.
Wednesday: We travel to Llanberis to visit the National Slate Museum. After a tour of the museum and time for coffee, we depart for a trip on the Llanberis Lake Railway. We stay in Llanberis for lunch. Our afternoon will be spent on a tour around Anglesey, visiting Holyhead and Beaumaris Castle with a stop for afternoon tea. Thursday: Today we have another exciting train journey. This time on the Ffestiniog Line. The railway is roughly 13 ½ miles long and runs from the harbour of Porthmadog to the slate mining town of Blaenau. We will travel through forested and mountainous scenery. The line is single track throughout with four intermediate passing places. The Ffestiniog Railway Company, which owns the railway, is the oldest surviving railway company in the world. It also owns the Welsh Highland Railway which was re-opened fully in 2011. For our afternoon visits, there is an optional choice to go to the Llechwedd Slate Caverns where you will find an interpretive centre showing how slate was extracted and processed, and a reconstructed village which shows how miners lived. Alternatively you can choose to visit Betws y Coed, the gateway to Snowdonia with a distinctly alpine feel. Friday: This morning, leaving the joys of North Wales behind, we head for Llangollen Wharf. We will enjoy a Canal trip from Llangollen to Froncysyllte across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. An optional ploughman’s lunch is available ‘on board’. As we continue for home we will have a short comfort stop.
What is Included in the Holiday: Executive coach travel * Ensuite bedrooms * Half Board * Excursions & tours as detailed. Full English breakfast * Three course evening dinner * Extras not included: * Drinks and refreshments * Lunches * Gratuities
Price: £584 per person. Non-refundable Deposit: £50 per person Single Supplement £10 pppn (total £40 for the holiday) Travel Insurance (if required): £15 per person
Departure & Arrival times: We depart from Tesco’s bus stop in Leighton Buzzard on Monday 15th October at 07.45 We return on Friday 19th October at around 18.30.
Travel Insurance: If you do not already have insurance of your own, you can take ‘Just for Groups’ Insurance at £15 per person, which conveniently, has no age limit.
How to book: • Rooms will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Bookings will open on Tuesday 6th March at 09.30 am Please call Pamela Richardson • A Booking Form will then be emailed or posted to you. Please return the completed form and cheque for your deposit, single supplement and travel insurance (if applicable) as soon as possible to: Pamela Richardson • Upon receipt of your booking, you will receive confirmation (including JFG travel insurance, if selected) showing the balance you have to pay. The balance of payment will be required by: Friday 10th August Please send your cheque and final payment to Pamela at the above address. • Confirmation will be sent to you of your final payment together with JFG luggage labels and final instructions.
Questions: If you have a query or a problem of any kind, please speak to Pamela.
Please note: This holiday is arranged and provided exclusively for us by ‘Just for Groups’, a fully bonded division of the UK Holiday Group (bonding refs: ABTA V6237 & ATOL 5024) Just for Groups Ref : XGBEB5