Where can I take the DCs on the Welsh coast by train?

[listsandbudgets]

I want to take the children away for a while in the summer. Ages 7 and 13. DP can't come as work for him looks super busy this summer. I want to go somewhere that's got a nice beach, opportunities for lovely walks , maybe some historical interest, somewhere i might be able to get a b&b or cheapish hotel (ideally I'd like a cottage but not sure budget will stretch at that time of year). Where ever it is needs to be accessible by train. Once I'm there, I dont really want to have to leave until we are going back if that makes sense.

If anyone can suggest somewhere please do.

I've heard amazing things about Tenby but never been.

Where are you travelling from?

Llandudno/Conwy.

Barry Island? Lovely beach, funfair etc and it's only half an hour from Cardiff by train if you wanted to do anything there like Techniquest. Barry island station is very very near to the beach.

Travelling from Birmingham, sorry should have said

Anglesey is my favourite place. You can get there on the train and once there the bus service is pretty good so you can get about around the island.

Pwllheli, Porthmadog, Barmouth. Nice beaches, Portmeirion, castles.

Yep, Anglesey also!

Aberystwyth, there's normally a direct train from Birmingham to there if not it's just one change at Shrewsbury and then straight through. Lovely beaches and walks. has an old castle ruins and one of the oldest (I think) cliff railways.

Barmouth is lovely, some places are more for 'older' people but Barmouth has a brilliant caravan park. My Son loves it. He goes crabbing and he goes to Aberdovey too.

I was thinking about this too and I have never ever been to South Wales (been to Conwy and Angelsey).
Someone mentioned the Gower near Swansea? May be not accessible by train though.

Another vote for Barmouth or Aberystwyth.

I was going to say Aberystwyth too. They've got a funicular railway and you can catch a steam train up to Devil's Bridge falls as well as having the beach.
You can also get the train to Llandudno - there are straight though trains from Shrewsbury - not sure where they originate from (may have to change at Llandudno Junction) which has plenty to do and you could easily get train or bus from there if you wanted to go to Conwy Castle and walls and the Smallest House.

Aberywtwyth again - there is also a small family run cinema that is very cheap.

Tenby! Lovely compact town, beautiful beaches.

Tenby, loads of stuff to do.

Tywyn or Aberdyfi

Tenby or the gower.

Barry Island is not the most picturesque of the places mentioned, but if it rains you’re a short train ride from Techniquest and from central Cardiff, which has cinemas, ice skating, indoor crazy golf, escape rooms, a museum, a laser quest place (actually, there is one of those in Barry too).

I love Tenby and Gower, but there’s not much to do in inclement weather if you’ve no car.

Thanks so much to all of you for responding. I can see I've got some reasearch to do but since I had no real idea where to start this really helps. I'd not even heard of most of these places

We don't have a car and had a holiday in Barmouth. Travelled by train from London. There was a soft play and amusement arcade with small funfair rides. You can take a boat to a place nearby that has a steam train. You can also do a day trip to the centre for alternative technology but you'll have to take a taxi from the train station. It's only a couple of miles. Good outing for kids.

Take snacks, there's no buffet car or trolley on the train to Barmouth.

very easy from Birmingham, we've been doing this for a few years now.
2 options - train through to Conwy. Castle, smallest house, boat trip , walk the walls , lovely ice cream, tea shops and fish n chip. Easy to get over to Llandudo by train or open top bus tour for great.Orme, copper mine, lots of other stuff to do.Its also easy to get to Ffestiniog for the slate mines, zip world and the steam railway to Porthmadog.
2nd route is to Harlech/Barmouth area. At Easter we stayed at TalyBont, bnb about 5 mins walk from the station. Days out to Criccieth, Portmerion and Tywyn for the Tallyn steam railway. Last year we stayed at the same place and had days out to Barmouth and Harlech. We went to Porthmadog and took the steam railway to Ffestiniog for the mines. As Ffestiniog puts you on the other line we moved on to Conwy, staying in the YHA. There are loads of places to stay along the line to Aberystwyth - larger caravan sites at Barmouth and Talybont, Pwthelli also an option
Both routes can be straight through so sometimes you need to change at Shrewsbury or Llandudno junction for Conwy.

We did this last year. Train to Swansea and then bus to Caswell Bay. We stayed in a chalet there which was a very short walk from the beach. Think it was called the Caswell Bay chalet or Bay Chalet. Very economical. We walked or used buses to get around. Worked really well and we are going back in the autumn hopefully.

If using bus, download the app as tickets are cheaper that way. Swansea bus station is 10 min walk from train station but an easy walk.

If you go to Aberystwyth, you might (I don't know, I went to uni there 20 odd years ago but never holidayed there iyswim) be able to get accomodation cheaply in the student accomodation? Worth checking out.

Swansea by train, and you can get to Mumbles by bus.