Steam Train Vacation in Wales: Why You Should Consider Taking This Trip With Your Kids by Sheri B Doyle

There is something romantic about the idea of riding an old steam train through the rolling hills of Wales. The vibrant green fields, lounging sheep, waterfalls and misty mornings whisk riders away to a time long ago.

For children it is even more special. They are able to watch the conductor fill the coal bins to power the train. Then the steam rolls out of the chimney while the cool air ruffles through their hair. The experience is something straight out of a children’s story. No modern buildings or major highways interrupt the journey into a time that once was. As they moved from outside cars to inside cars, pausing to sit in the old-fashioned seats or sip on hot chocolate served on small carts, their joy infected all who were on the train.

In certain cars the children were lucky enough to find a train aficionado who would give them little bits of information about the train, the conductor or history of the Welsh train system. The knowledge enhanced their experience as they rode for over an hour toward an ancient castle in Caernafon.

What delighted me even more than watching the kids was the experience all of the adults had as well. Sitting on trains from the 1920s, sipping hot chocolate, coffee or hot toddies, we traveled back to a simpler time without iPhones, computers or modern distractions. Forced to be in the moment we gaped out the windows at the gorgeous landscape finding a quiet calm we miss in our day-to-day lives.

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