Train/bus travel between Southampton and Conwy but through Wales

Can you take a look at this map of the rail system. (Scroll down for the south). You can take a direct train (Hourly) from Southampton to Newport (for the line going N) or continue for 15 more minutes to the Welsh capital - Cardiff. (Cardiff & Newport also have direct trains to Conwy/Llandudno Junction going via Shrewsbury and Chester).

If using the trains and wishing to reach Conwy, you could change at Shrewsbury and head west but as you can see from the map, you don't have to go via Aberystwyth.

It sounds like you are trying to cover too much ground in a short space of time. For example, you mention Welshpool but do you know that it has a NT property on the west side of town - see:> https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/powis-castle-and-garden?

NOTE that RS has a separate section for Wales & it might be worth taking a look at some of the previous threads on that part of the UK.

Thanks James, I've been using rail maps, but I like your's better. Also found my connections on traveline.info
Actually, my connection at Aberystwth is not correct, we would be connecting at the Dovey Junction if that is possible. Your maps show this better. Also from Dovey Junction looks like train to Porthmadog and bus of 45 minutes to Blaenau Ffestiniog. You may be correct on covering too much ground in a short time. Depending on the weather and fog, we simply wanted to take a trip through Wales via train/bus. All look for more options too. I have the RS book on England and Wales

To give you some idea of how long it takes for different train journeys:> Southampton to Cardiff is 2 hours 40 minutes (15 less as far as Newport). Cardiff to Llandudno Junction (1 mile E of Conwy) is about 4 hours by direct trains; Cardiff to Shrewsbury is 2 hours and Shrewsbury to Porthmadog is 3 hours 25 minutes - no need to change trains but note they will split the train at Machynlleth with one section going to Aberystwyth and you would need to be on the Pwllheli section.

https://www.traintickets.com/?/ is an easy site to use to find train times and prices. This site will also tell you if splitting the ticket reduces the fare - but they do charge commission on the amount saved. (Other ‘split’ sites are available).

If you can spare the time, I would suggest that you make your first leg Southampton to Cardiff and stay 2-3 nights. Visit St Fagans Castle & Museum - about a 25 minute bus ride W of the city (no buses Sundays); Caerphilly Castle - a short local train ride N of the city; Cardiff Castle in the city centre and maybe the National Museum of Wales.

Head N via the Marches Line which goes through lovely rolling countryside to Shrewsbury (well worth a look) and then head west to
Porthmadog and stay at least 1 night - more if you want to see Portmeirion.

As you say, you could take the bus to Blaenau Ffestiniog and then the ‘normal’ train down to Llandudno Junction for Conwy. Alternatively, take the Ffestiniog steam railway to BF. See -https://www.festrail.co.uk (note there is another steam railway going NW from Porthmadog to Caernarfon which has a large medieval castle).

Another way to get from Porthmadog to BF is the Sherpa Bus which also takes a very scenic route - see:>https://www.sherparwyddfa.wales

Google the places I have mentioned. Chester is also well worth seeing when going from N Wales to Scotland.

https://www.visitwales.com is the official Welsh Government tourism site.

There are many, many different ways to configure such an itinerary- see the Traws Cymru map- https://traws.cymru/en/services
for details of the long distance bus routes in Wales.
Other routes could include train to Carmarthen, then bus to Aberystwyth for train or bus up the coast
OR train to Fishguard for the buses all the way up the west coast to Aberystwyth then bus/train onward
OR train from Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil, bus T4 via Brecon (potential stop) and the Brecon Beacons to Newtown (the next railway station west of Welshpool), then your planned route.
Note that almost all trains calling at stations between Shrewsbury and Machynnleth split at Machynnleth- half the train going to Aberystwyth, the other half going to Criccieth via Barmouth and Porthmadog.
OR train from Newport (Gwent) to Hereford, bus to Brecon then the T4 as above.
OR train to Neath for the T6 to Brecon then the T4 as above.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help. I appreciate it! This section of our trip will be the most difficult with the fact that we are trying our best in October to take a quick train ride through Wales. I'll look at the new suggestions, might even just cut it down to Conwy and take some short trips around that area. After Conwy, we are planning on heading straight to Edinburgh, Glasgow, then taking the ferry over to Belfast for two days and then Dublin for two days. Flying home from Dublin.

You are covering a lot of territory so looks like you will be taking the shortest route from Southampton to Conwy - with perhaps a 1 night stop on the way.

I see that a British TV documentary about the Cambrian line in NW Wales - has now become available on You Tube. Might be of interest to anybody else reading this?

James, thanks for the YouTube link. That's the route I was thinking of taking. Maybe from Southampton to Shrewsbury, overnight in Shrewsbury, and the next day to Porthmadog, bus to Blaenau Ffestiniog then on to Conwy.
We were thinking of two days in Conwy, but may just make it 2 nights to give one full day for Conwy.