Base Camp Snowdonia, Betws-y-Coed

About Base Camp Snowdonia, Betws-y-Coed

Base Camp Snowdonia is a 38-bed hostel on Holyhead Road, in the middle of Betws-y-Coed. The building was the Bryn Llewelyn, a nine-bedroom bed and breakfast, until new owners converted it and reopened it as a hostel under its Welsh name, Gwersyll Cyntaf Eryri. Guests rate it 9.2 out of 10 on Booking.com, from 492 reviews.

The rooms

Sleeping is in four- and six-bed dormitories, mixed or female-only, and there are private rooms for couples and small parties. Some rooms are en-suite and some share a bathroom; the room type says which when you book. Every bed has its own privacy curtain, a reading light and a socket, and clean linen is included. Towels are available.

Beds start at about £32 a night. That is the cheapest bed in a four-bed dorm, priced over two nights in March on Booking.com, so it is a per-bed rate rather than a room rate.

Under the same roof

The Waypoint Café and Bar is on the ground floor, so coffee and breakfast do not involve going outside. There is a self-catering kitchen as well, with hobs, an oven, a fridge-freezer, pans and crockery, and a long shared table to eat at. The lounge has sofas and a table football.

A heated drying room takes the wet kit at the end of the day, and the bike store locks. The WiFi runs off satellite and is quick enough to work on.

Getting here without a car

Betws-y-Coed station is about ten minutes’ walk away, on the Conwy Valley line, with six trains each way and connections at Llandudno Junction from Manchester, Liverpool and London. Two things are worth knowing. The station is unstaffed, with no ticket machine, so buy in advance or on board. And the car park there is not free, whatever you may read elsewhere.

From the same station the Sherpa’r Wyddfa S1 runs on to Swallow Falls, Capel Curig, Pen-y-Pass, Llanberis and Caernarfon. That puts the Pyg and Miners’ tracks up Yr Wyddfa within reach for the day without driving.

If you do bring a car, parking at the hostel is limited. Pont y Pair car park has 54 spaces, from £2 for an hour to £8.50 for twenty-four. The national park’s long stay is £8 a day and takes cards only, with no cash accepted.

On the doorstep

The mountain biking starts in the village. Gwydir Mawr is a red-graded loop of 24.8 km through the forest, with Gwydir Bach at 9.1 km for a shorter run. You will still see it called the Marin Trail in places, but that is the old name.

On foot, the Afon Llugwy riverside path runs a mile and a half towards Swallow Falls. The longer climb to Llyn Elsi, 3.9 miles, starts behind St Mary’s Church. Underground, Go Below runs trips into the disused slate mines in the hills around the village. Pont-y-Pair, the old bridge over the Llugwy, is Grade II* listed and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Eating in the village

The Pont-y-Pair pub is a short walk from the door. Caban-y-Pair does breakfast, Hangin’ does wood-fired pizza, and Tu Hwnt i’r Bont, the ivy-covered tea house on the far side of the old bridge, is worth the walk for the cake.

Good to know

Is there parking at Base Camp Snowdonia?
On-site parking is limited. There are paid village car parks nearby: Pont y Pair from £2 an hour, and the national park long stay at £8 a day, card only.

How far is the train station?
About ten minutes on foot. The station is unstaffed with no ticket machine, so buy in advance or on board.

Are there private rooms, or only dormitories?
Both. Four- and six-bed dorms, mixed and female-only, plus private rooms for small parties. Some are en-suite, some share.

Is there a kitchen guests can use?
Yes — hobs, an oven, a fridge-freezer, pans and crockery, with a long shared table.

Can I dry wet kit and lock a bike up?
Yes. There is a heated drying room and a lockable bike store, both included with a stay.

Can I bring a dog?
Yes, but tell them when you book. Dogs go in a private room rather than a shared dorm, and there is a cleaning charge.

How do I get to Yr Wyddfa from the hostel?
The Sherpa’r Wyddfa S1 leaves from Betws-y-Coed station and runs to Pen-y-Pass and Llanberis, so you can reach the main paths without a car.