Pre-booked parking at base of Snowdon to cost up to £40

New rules are being brought in as part of efforts to control vehicles descending on Snowdonia.

Visitors to one car park will have to pre-book parking slots at high season.

The Pen-y-Pass car park, which lies at the foot of Snowdon, can accommodate 65 vehicles and lies at the start of two popular routes to the summit of Wales’ highest peak, including the PyG Track and Miners Path.

A pre-booking pilot scheme began last August for weekends and bank holidays, meaning access to the car park was reserved for pre-bookings only.

Now, the Snowdonia National Park Authority says after it received such positive feedback, it is bringing back the pre-booking service during the 2021 summer season.

New parking tariffs start from £18, which is £2 cheaper than last year’s pilot scheme. Tariffs are for between one and eight hours, going up to £25 for 12 hours. Those who choose to park for 24 hours will pay £40.

Before the pre-booking system came into place, the car park charged a £10 daily rate up to midnight.

The National Park Authority says the extra money will cover the 24 hour security in place, which is said to have received “incredibly positive” feedback from visitors following last year’s pilot.

Chaotic

It will also cover extra buses to “create a high quality service”.

In recent years during the high season, chaotic parking scenes have been reported in the area.

Rows upon rows of illegally parked cars have been reported, with towing services having to be called in to remove vehicles parked by road sides and fixed penalty notices handed to drivers.

Offending visitors, many of them from the West Midlands, were told they were putting lives at risk by blocking roads that were needed for emergency vehicles. Footage showed long line of cars scattered on grass verges.

In November, low season fees at the Pen-y-Pass car park will then return to a £10 daily rate up to midnight.

Available as of April 8, pre-booked slots are expected to be filled extremely quickly and visitors are urged to book days in advance.

They will also be required to show a confirmation email on arrival to gain access to the car park.

The SNPA warns only ticket holders will be able to gain access to the car park after April 8.