Pen-y-Pass Car Park

Everybody says you need to arrive at the above early to ensure a space. How early is early?

We are planning to  go on Saturday 15th September. After the school hols but still a weekend.

We are driving from West Yorks on the day so need a rough idea as to what time to set off

I know it is probably a case of how long is a piece of string and the earlier  the better, but should 'by 8' OK or is that pushing it a bit? 

Also does the Sherpa Bus run in September? Timetable seems to finish at the end of August..

Many thanks

Ian 

No idea as it seems to vary. I just know that you need to phone the bank for a mortgage and also take coins, as it doesnt always take notes.

If you decide to park on the road by the hotel - make sure you are totally off the tarmac. Else you are likely to get a ticket.

8am might be pushing it at the weekend. The park and ride from Nant Peris carpark to Pen Y Pass operates through to winter / bad weather - I think it's still only a quid each way. Last time I was there, a sign at Nant Peris shows if the Pen Y Pass carpark is full to save a wasted journey.

I've parked at Pen-y-Pass twice, once in June and once in August, both times coincided with school holidays, Friends, who live on Angelsey, advised that we get there for seven o'clock. On both occassions the car park was at least half full by then.

As Chewie intermates, the grass verge by the Pen-y-Gwryd hotel could be a good alternative, and far cheaper, option. But it does add an extra 100m of ascent to the start of your day.

The grass verge by PyG hotel isn't a good option - you're still likely to be charged. You need to go to the layby on the 'conwy' side of the county boundary (Conwy don't charge, Gwynedd do).

Ron, I stand corrected. Useful to know that info.

8-00am...on a good day at the weekend, the chances are it will be full and will remain so till late in the afternoon.  Latest I would want to arrive would be 7-00am

If you park on the grass verge by the PyG hotel you will almost certainly pick up a ticket - I'd use the Park and Ride.  

What people haven't said yet is that near the Pen y Gwryd on the Gwynedd side there's lots of "official" roadside Pay and Display parking. I don't know what it costs, but it won't be any more than the Pen y Pass charges, it won't fill up (quite) as quickly as PyP, you'd be safe from parking tickets, and you can use the concession path to avoid the main road and walk up to PyP in about half an hour.

I've not parked there myself, I tend to go for the free laybys on the Conwy (Capel) side of the county boundary, or the Nant Peris park & ride.

Alternatively you can aim to arrive at PyP around 1pm which is when I'm told it starts to empty again as people come back off the hill. We parked there in October last year on a Sunday, having arrived at 12.45 to a full car park we were second in the queue for spaces. The car park attendant told us that it usually started to empty from 1pm and that we'd be fine if we waited a few minutes.

I used the first sherpa bus of the morning from Llanberis on 30th June (Saturday) got up to Pen y Pass and it was choca block with people and cars

footloose wrote (see)

I used the first sherpa bus of the morning from Llanberis on 30th June (Saturday) got up to Pen y Pass and it was choca block with people and cars

what time was the first bus footloose??

On the several ocassions I've used Pen y Pas carpark on a Saturday or Sunday, it has been full by 8am

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Parking at the bottom costs 4 quid for all day. Or at least it did last October...

The bus was about 8-30am from Llanberis.It only took about 20 minutes at the most to get up there.

hillhiker1 wrote (see)

Parking at the bottom costs 4 quid for all day.

It's a tenner at PyP

There are much nicer ways to get up Snowdon than via PYP.

Steve D

* Didster * wrote (see)

Parking at the top is free

What, at the summit, next to the Cafe and the Railway Station??

I think the last bloke that tried parking up there didn't get it for free..