“We've been on several Great Rail holidays and this was definitely one of the best. It fitted in a lot in three days of escorted tours (with one free day), not just the railways and castles of the title, but some unusual gardens, the fascinating Gwydir house, the National Slate Museum and Portmeirion, a fantasy Italian village on the Welsh coast. The local guides at Caernarfon and Conwy castles were both excellent. The only disappointment was the Snowden Mountain Railway, which couldn't go all the way to the top because of the weather. The hotel was good too, especially the food.