Problems booking? If you have any problems, you can also
buy tickets without these problems at
www.stenaline.co.uk, but only starting at London
Euston & a few other key cities, and only if you
have a UK postal address. For one-way or return
tickets starting in Ireland, use
www.irishferries.com.
You can
buy tickets between any station in Britain and
any station in Ireland using this system, one-way or
return in either direction, via either
Irish Ferries or Stena Line from Holyhead.
It can also book from any station in Britain to or from
Rosslare Harbour via Fishguard, and to or from Belfast
via both Holyhead & Cairnryan. This form links to
www.raileasy.com. If it struggles with your
particular journey, also try
www.thetrainline.com.
Tickets can be collected at
any main British station including London Euston or sent to
any UK address. They cannot be collected in
Ireland.
Overseas
visitors welcome! Overseas credit cards are
accepted, and you can collect tickets on departure at
London Euston or any main British station. But you
cannot collect tickets in Dublin,
so book one-way journeys starting in Ireland as shown here
instead.
If you
live in Ireland, tickets cannot be collected in
Ireland or sent outside the UK, so buy your
SailRail tickets to Britain online at
www.irishferries.com.
Booking
fee: There's a £1.00 booking fee. Collection
at stations is free, tickets sent by 1st class post add
£1.50. Debit cards free, credit card fee around
£1.41.
Which
ferry? Click 'details' to see whether it's
routed you via Irish Ferries or Stena Line.
Holyhead-Dublin crossings with Irish ferries taking 3 hours
are
the Ulysses, crossings taking 2 hours are the
Swift fast ferry. Fares for the Swift are £5 more
than by ship.
Collecting your ticket: You collect your
tickets from these machines at London Euston or at any
main British station (the machine type varies).
Touch 'collect tickets'
on the screen then insert your credit card and the
tickets will print. Easy! But you must have the
original credit card used for the booking. Or tickets
can be sent to any UK address (but not Ireland).
SailRail
train & ferry tickets from London or any station in Britain to Dublin
or any station in Ireland...
Fed up with
flying?More volcanic ash on its way? It's time to swap stressful flights
or cramped coaches on eyesore motorways for a relaxed train ride through the English countryside and along
the beautiful Welsh coast, then by luxurious superferry across the
Irish Sea, see the journey in
pictures
below. £38 (€45),
any day, any date, buys you a 'SailRail' train & ferry
ticket from London or any rail station in Britain to Dublin
(plus a small fee for online booking). It's the traditional way to reach
Ireland, an environmentally-friendly alternative to a
flight which can reduce your
CO2 emission by up to 73%. In fact, you can buy a SailRail
ticket between any station in Britain and any station in Ireland,
one-way or return in
either direction, at these amazingly cheap prices,
covering train travel to the port, the ferry to Ireland &
onward trains in Ireland, all on one ticket. Just use
the online booking form
on the right.
If you live in Ireland, you can buy SailRail tickets to
any rail station in Britain online at
www.irishferries.com. Bring a bottle of your
favourite wine along (try doing that on Ryanair), sit back
with a good book and enjoy the ride...
London to Dublin
for £38 or €45...
London to Cork, Limerick, Waterford,
Sligo, Tralee, Galway for
£55.50 or €65
Fixed price, any day, any date,
one-way in either direction, train & ferry all on
one ticket, no baggage fees or weight limits, no
airport taxes, no costly train fare to the airport, children
under 5 go free, under 16's half price. From any
other rail
station in Britain it's the
same or less:
Manchester or Liverpool to Dublin = £33
York, Leeds, Birmingham or
Hull to Dublin
= £34
Oxford,
Cardiff or Little Kimble to Cork or Galway = £53.50
Little
where??? Exactly. Any station in Britain to
any station in Ireland. Even Little Kimble.
Book by 18:00
day before travel, a small fee applies to online bookings. Fast ferry
+£5.
Which
route? The route via Holyhead (Stena Line or
Irish Ferries) is the traditional route from London to
Dublin & most of Ireland including Cork, Limerick &
Galway. Rosslare is handy for Wexford & Waterford,
but not well connected to Cork or Limerick. London to Belfast
works equally well via Holyhead or Stranraer, see the
Northern Ireland page.
Download a detailed UK rail & ferry map here.
Leave London aboard
Virgin Trains 9.10am 'Irish Mail' to Holyhead (08:50
Saturdays, 08:15 Sundays)...
The modern 125 mph Voyager train is
air-conditioned, superior to any plane or coach, with
T-Mobile WiFi, power sockets for laptops & mobiles and a
buffet car serving drinks & snacks. The journey
takes 3h40, time to get some work done or catch up on your
reading...
The train
passes right by Conway
Castle...
...and along
the North Wales coast a stone's
throw from the sea. Yes, this was taken from the train!
...then crosses
the Menai Strait to Anglesey on Stephenson's historic
Britannia Bridge. Above, you can see Telford's famous
suspension bridge from the train.
At Holyhead, the ferry terminal is right next to the
station. You check in for your chosen ferry
operator, either Stena Line or Irish Ferries.
Compared to flying, it's quick & painless.
After checking in, a courtesy bus transfers you to the luxurious 50,000 ton
Irish Ferries superferry
'Ulysses' for the Irish Sea crossing to Dublin...
...the Ulysses is a 'cruise
ferry', perhaps the most luxurious ferry on the
Irish Sea. The sea crossing takes
3hours 15 mins, arriving Dublin Ferryport at 17:25.
With the Welsh hills in the background, Stena Line's
'Stena Adventurer' sails for Dublin 20 minutes ahead of
the 'Ulysses', but I think the Ulysses is by far the
more glamorous ship! Even on this broodingly grey
November day, the huge 'Ulysses' is rock steady...
A big step up from the budget airline experience...
On the ferry, you can upgrade to club
class in the Martello Lounge on 11 deck for £16 (18
euros), with
complimentary red & white wine, tea & coffee, cheese &
crackers, olives, smoked salmon canapés, muffins & fruit
juice. The lounge is directly above the ship's
bridge, giving a superb forward view of the Irish coast
approaching...
Welcome to Dublin! You've arrived the
traditional way, by train & ferry. No airports, no
airlines...
Let's keep it
simple. Here's the most convenient daytime train+ferry
service between
London & Dublin using the cheapest & most direct route, with
easy onward train connections for Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo &
Belfast.
London ►
Dublin Departs London 09:10 Mon-Fri, 08:50 Sat, 08:15
Sun, arrives Dublin 17:25.
Step 1, travel from London
to Holyhead by fast inter-city train, leaving London's Euston station at
09:10 on Mondays-Fridays or 08:50 Saturdays on a air-conditioned
125mph 'Super Voyager' train direct to
Holyhead arriving 12:50. On Sundays, leave London at
08:15, change trains at Crewe and arrive Holyhead at 12:43. At Holyhead, the
ferry terminal is right next to the station.
Step 2, sail from Holyhead
to Dublin by luxury superferry, leaving Holyhead at 14:10 daily
on Irish Ferries cruise ferry
Ulysses
across the Irish Sea, arriving Dublin Ferryport at 17:25.
Alternatively, Stena Line's competing 'Stena Adventurer'
sails at 13:50 arriving at Dublin Ferryport at 17:05.
Both line's ships are good, but in my opinion the superb
Ulysses is the one to take.
Step 3, transfer to
Dublin city centre: Dublin
Ferryport is 2 miles from Dublin city centre. A shuttle bus
meets the Ulysses & runs to Dublin's main bus station
(near Dublin Connolly station) for
€2.50 adult,
€1.25 child.
If you prefer a taxi, a cab ride from the port to anywhere in central Dublin costs
around €15.
Map of Dublin showing
ferry terminals & city centre. A transfer bus
also meets the Stena Adventurer for Dublin city centre.
How much does
it cost? London to
Dublin costs £38 one-way if you book by 18:00 the day before
travel or £43 if you buy on the day. Children
under 16 half price, under 5 free. 'SailRail'
fares covers train
& ferry, and the price is fixed so it's always £38 if you book in
advance, always £43 if you buy on the day. Pre-booking is
recommended.
First class fares.
How to buy
tickets:
To buy one-way or return tickets from London or anywhere in
Britain to Dublin or anywhere in Ireland,
use the online booking form above.
Enter 'London (mainline stations)' in the 'From' box for a
ticket starting at London Euston, or enter the name
of any station you like. Leave the destination as 'Dublin Port (Irish
Ferries)' if you want the luxurious Irish Ferries 'Ulysses'.
If you'd prefer Stena Line's 'Stena Adventurer'
then change it to 'Dublin Port (Stena)', or to 'Dublin City' (if you want to
include Stena Line's transfer bus to Dublin city centre. Look for the 09:10 departure from London on weekdays,
08:50 Saturdays or 08:15 Sundays.
Alternatively, if this system doesn't
work for you, you can also buy SailRail tickets from London, Birmingham,
Manchester or Liverpool to Dublin at
www.stenaline.co.uk, but tickets can only be sent to UK
addresses, not collected at stations, and of course it'll only
book the Stena Line ferry. You can also buy
tickets
by phone or in person.
Other journey
options: This is the recommended service, but if
it doesn't suit you there are others, including a
time-effective overnight option, see the
London-Dublin
complete timetable.
From anywhere
else in Britain to Dublin: You don't have to start
in London, of course! Simply use the
online booking form above to
check times & prices & buy SailRail tickets
from Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh, Cambridge, in
fact any railway station in Britain to or from Dublin
Port (Irish Ferries) or Dublin Port (Stena). The
SailRail fare
from any station in Britain to Dublin is £38 or less each way
via Holyhead. Yes, really, Inverness to Dublin for £38,
or £43 bought on the day of travel! Children under 16 half price, under 5s free.
Full details of fares from any
station in Britain to Ireland & how to
buy tickets. Use the
route map above to check the most
appropriate
ferry
route:
For example, Glasgow to Belfast is best via Cairnryan,
Cardiff to Wexford is best via Fishguard. The
route via Holyhead is the best route from London, the
southeast, south, East Anglia & Midlands to Dublin
and most of Ireland including Cork, Galway & Limerick. You can also check times &
fares (but not buy tickets) from anywhere in Britain to Dublin
using
www.nationalrail.co.uk. If you live in Scotland,
you'll find a Glasgow to Belfast timetable (via Cairnryan) on the
Northern Ireland page,
simply use www.irishrail.ie
to find train times for onward travel to Dublin,
allowing at least 1 hour between ferry arrival and train
departure in Belfast.
London ► Belfast,
Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Cork, Tralee...
Travel to
Dublin as shown above, then hop on an
Irish inter-city train as follows:
For Belfast,
take the daily 19:00 'Enterprise' express from Dublin Connolly
station
arriving at Belfast Central at 21:15.
For Sligo,
take the daily 19:05 train from Dublin Connolly
station
arriving Sligo at 22:05.
For Cork,
take the daily 19:00 train from
Dublin Heuston station
arriving Cork at 21:58.
For Limerick,
a train leaves Heuston station on Mondays-Saturdays at
19:00,
change at Limerick Junction, arriving Limerick at 21:28.
On Sundays, leave Heuston at 19:05, change at Limerick
Junction and arrive Limerick at 21:23.
For Galway,
leave Heuston station on Mondays-Saturdays at 19:15
arriving Galway at 21:50. On Sundays, leave Heuston at
18:45 arriving Galway at 21:25.
You can check
these train times
at the Irish Railways website
www.irishrail.ie.
For any other
destination in Ireland, use the journey
planner at www.irishrail.ie to check train times from Dublin.
Make sure you allow enough time to interchange in Dublin.
If it's not possible to complete your journey the same day
(for example, the last train to Tralee leaves Dublin before
you get there), SailRail tickets allow you to stay in Dublin overnight and take a
train next day.
Map of Dublin showing
railway stations & city centre.
Fares:
London to Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Tralee or Killarney
costs £55.50 each way if booked by 18:00 the day before
travel, £60.50 if bought on the day. London to Belfast costs £49
each way if booked by 18:00 the day before travel, £54 on
the day. Children under 16 half price, children under
5 free. You can buy a SailRail ticket from any station
in Britain for the same or less.
How to buy
tickets: You can now buy SailRail tickets from
anywhere in Britain to Cork, Galway, Limerick, Tralee or anywhere in Ireland online at
www.thetrainline.com, or you can
buy them by phone or at
stations. If you want to stop off to see Dublin,
you'll need to buy a London-Dublin ticket (which you can do
online using the booking form above), then
buy a separate onwards train ticket from Dublin using
www.irishrail.ie. If you find the cheapest 10 euro 'web'
fare available from Dublin to Cork, Limerick, Galway and so
on, this can actually work out cheaper than a through
ticket! If you live in Ireland, you can buy SailRail
tickets online from any station in Ireland to London or any
station in Britain at
www.irishferries.com/ie/sailrail.asp.
The train from
London to Holyhead: The train is
a modern air-conditioned 125 mph 'Super Voyager' with refreshments available on
board (it's now an electric 'Pendolino' on Saturdays). Virgin Trains have chosen not to use the
traditional train names in their timetables, but the 09:10 (08:50 Saturdays) direct train to Holyhead
is the famous 'Irish Mail'. For the best views
between London & Holyhead, choose a seat on the right-hand
side of the train. The Voyager train tilts into the
curves at high speed, although you won't notice it unless you look
closely! The 09:10 train from London usually consists of
two 5-car units, with the rear 5 detached at Chester, so
make sure you travel in the front 5 coaches for Holyhead.
The train sweeps through the
Buckinghamshire & Northamptonshire countryside, with
frequent
glimpses of narrow boats on the Grand Union Canal alongside
the railway. A couple of hours out of London, the train calls at the railway town of Crewe.
Look out for the railway
museum on the right just after leaving. Later it calls
at the city of Chester, and you'll see part of Chester's historic
city walls on the right just after leaving.
The train then
runs along the scenic north Wales coastline, often just a
stone's throw from the sea. Look out for the old ferry
'Duke of Lancaster', originally moored as a floating nightclub
and now just rusting gently. After calling at Llandudno
Junction, the train enters the pretty town of Conway and
passes right under the towering walls of Conway's impressive
castle.
After
leaving Bangor, look through the trees on the right and you'll catch a glimpse of
Telford's suspension bridge
carrying the old London-Holyhead coach road (now the A5) from the mainland
onto the
Isle of Anglesey, and shortly afterwards your train crosses to Anglesey over
the equally historic
Britannia Bridge,
built by Robert Stephenson in 1850. Originally just a
rail bridge, it was rebuilt after a fire in 1970 and now
carries a road above the railway. As the train crosses
the bridge, you'll see Telford's beautiful suspension bridge a
little way along the river to your right.
You're now on
Anglesey, and your train swishes non-stop through a little
local station with the longest name in Britain, a visitor
attraction in its own right. It's called
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, in
case you were wondering, but normally features in railway
fares manuals as 'Llanfair PG'... Finally, you'll see
the mountains of Snowdonia in the distance to your left before
arriving in the port of Holyhead, the traditional embarkation
point for Ireland.
In Holyhead, the
ferry terminal for both Stena Line and Irish Ferries is right
next to the station at the end of platform 2. So walk straight off the train and into the terminal to check in
for the ferry. There's a 30 minute check-in for Irish Ferries,
40 minutes for Stena Line, if you've time to spare you can wander across the stainless-steel
footbridge into Holyhead's pleasant town centre (5 min walk
from the station & ferry terminal). After
getting your boarding pass there's a brief and painless X-ray
security check, and you then check in your bags so you don't
have to carry them round with you on the ferry.
Which ferry?
There are two ferry operators between Holyhead and Dublin,
Stena Line & Irish Ferries, and each operates both a
conventional ship and a fast ferry. Stena Line's fast ferry
(which goes to Dun Laoghaire rather than Dublin Ferryport) berths
right next to the terminal building at Holyhead, but after
cutbacks in 2009 it only sails once a day at 10:25, too early
for train connections from London. So in the London to
Dublin direction, I recommend that you buy a ticket routed to
Dublin Port (Irish
Ferries) and use their conventional ship, the luxurious 50,000
ton 'Ulysses' from Holyhead to Dublin Ferryport. Stena
Line also have an afternoon ship to Dublin Ferryport, the Stena Adventurer, with
similar timings (in fact, you'll get to Dublin 20 minutes
earlier, arguably a better option if you have an onward train
to catch in Dublin) but the Ulysses is perhaps the most
luxurious ship on the Irish Sea and Irish Ferries
have a wider choice of sailings so offer more flexibility.
Both Stena Line & Irish Ferries ships berth a little way from
the terminal building at Holyhead, so after check-in
passengers are shuttled out to the ferry on a free courtesy bus.
Holyhead to
Dublin Ferryport by Irish Ferries ship 'Ulysses' (or Stena Line's
competing ship 'Stena Adventurer' if you
prefer, though you'll need to choose the ferry operator when
buying a ticket). The
online system above has
'Dublin Port (Irish Ferries)' pre-selected so it will book you
on Irish Ferries 'Ulysses', but feel free to change this to
'Dublin Port (Stena)' if you'd prefer the Stena Line ship. The Ulysses leaves Holyhead at
14:10 daily and arrives at Dublin Ferryport at
17:25. The Stena Adventurer sails from Holyhead daily at
13:50 and arrives Dublin Ferryport at 17:05. Both ships
have bars, cafes, lounges, a
restaurant, a cinema, children's play area, fast food outlets & a shop. Head up on deck for some fresh sea air. You'll sea
the town of Holyhead give way to rocky Welsh coastline which then
disappears astern as the ferry heads for Ireland.
A couple of hours later you enter the wide Bay of Dublin with
the church spires and yacht-filled harbour of Dun
Laoghaire to your left, with the dark purple Wicklow Hills in the distance
behind it, and the town of Howth on your right. This is the best way to see Ireland for
the first time, not from inside an airport!
Map of Dublin showing the Ferryport.
Shuttle bus
into Dublin city centre.
Arriving on the Irish Ferries' Ulysses at 17:25, you'll find a
double-decker Dublin bus waiting right outside the terminal
building to take you into the city centre. It leaves
when all foot passengers have left the ship, around
17:40-17:55, arriving at the Busaras (Dublin's central bus
station) in the city centre at 18:00-18:10. The fare is
2.50 euros adult, 1.25 euros child.
Or take a taxi, which will cost about 15 euros to Connolly
Station or any central Dublin hotel or 17 euros to
Dublin's Heuston station. Dublin Connolly station (for trains to
Belfast, Sligo, Wicklow) is 2 minutes walk round the
corner from the bus station. For Dublin Heuston station
(trains to Cork, Limerick, Galway) take the LUAS tram (1.50
euros,
www.luas.ie) from Connolly station to Heuston. Arriving on the Stena Adventurer, a free
shuttle bus takes you to central Dublin at Connolly Station by
17:30, and Westmoreland Street at by around 17:45. A
painless and scenic trip from central London, three countries
in one day, England, Wales & Ireland!
FAQ...
Does the price vary?Can these tickets sell out?
The price is fixed, so it's always the same price whether
you buy 90 days in advance or one day in advance, summer or
winter, mid-week or Fridays. It's not a 'limited
availability' offer, it's almost always available, although
it now costs a few pounds more if you wait and buy a ticket
on the actual day
you travel. Note that in practice the rail industry
reservation system has a quota of ferry places allocated to
it, which can in theory sell out at busy times, so advance
booking is a good idea. Booking normally opens 12
weeks ahead.
Can I stop
off on the way? No, you cannot stop off with a
SailRail ticket, except as
necessary to make connections. If you want to stop
off, buy separate tickets for each stage.
Are there any
baggage limits or baggage fees? Do I check my bags in?
Are there left luggage lockers? There are no baggage weight limits or baggage fees to worry
about, as long as you don't take the mickey.
You simply take your bags with you on the train, placing
them on the luggage racks above your head or at the end of
the coach. You check bags in at the ferry terminal so
you're free to use the ferry's facilities without being
encumbered with luggage, then you collect your bags again
from the carousel at the ferry terminal on the other side of
the water.
There are left luggage lockers at London Euston (see
here for details), at Holyhead and at Dublin Heuston station,
but not at Dublin Connolly.
Is the ferry
affected by bad weather? Can it get rough? I
have always found the huge 50,000 ton
Ulysses to
be
rock steady under most conditions, even in the depths of winter. And in ten years of
service she hasn't missed a single sailing due to weather -
or for that matter, volcanic ash, which is more than can be
said for the planes. The Ulysses always gets through!
If you use the smaller, faster 'Swift' SeaCat this can
be cancelled if the weather is poor, especially
in winter, when perhaps 5% of sailings are cancelled.
Can I take my
bike? Yes. Bicycles go for £9 each way on
Irish Ferries, £10 on Stena Line. Pre-booking is
recommended for Irish Ferries, email them at
info@irishferries.com
for details. Bikes are carried free on trains to Holyhead,
but a bike reservation is compulsory on
Virgin Trains as
there's a 3-bike limit and recommended for
Arriva Trains
Wales who have a 2-bike limit. Bikes can now be taken free of
charge on off-peak Dun
Laoghaire-Dublin DART trains 10:00-15:30 & after 19:00
Mon-Fri, any time weekends.
Can I take my
dog or cat? Irish Ferries now allow foot passengers to
take small dogs or cats if they're in a container which you
can carry onto the ferry. The dogs or cats must
travel in their container on the car deck or in the kennel
area, see
www.irishferries.com/pets
for details. Stena Line don't allow foot passengers to take
cats or dogs (except guide dogs).
Dublin ► London
Departs Dublin 08:05, arrives London 16:38 Monday-Saturday,
16:44 Sunday.
This service runs
daily and has all-weather reliability.
Transfers from
Dublin city centre: Take a taxi from central Dublin to Dublin Ferryport.
A taxi costs about 15 euros from any central
Dublin hotel to the ferry port & takes about 25 minutes.
There's no bus early enough to connect with this particular
sailing.
Map of Dublin showing
ferry terminals & city centre.
Step 1, sail from
Dublin Ferryport to Holyhead on Irish Ferries luxurious
superferry 'Ulysses', leaving Dublin Ferryport terminal
1 daily at 08:05 and arriving Holyhead at 11:30. The
Ulysses is the world's largest car ferry, with excellent on
board accommodation including bars, restaurant, cinema,
children's play area and even private cabin for an extra
charge. At Holyhead, a courtesy bus transfers you to
the passenger terminal and station. Alternatively,
there's a competing Stena Line ship, the
Stena Adventurer, leaving Dublin Ferryport terminal 2
at 08:20, arriving Holyhead at 11:25, you can book this on
the
form above by entering
'Dublin Port (Stena)' instead of Dublin Port (Irish
Ferries).
Step 2, travel by train
from Holyhead to London. On Mondays-Fridays, you leave
Holyhead at 12:39, change trains at Chester (arrive 14:15,
depart 14:35) and arrive London Euston at 16:38. If
you'd prefer a direct train to London there's one at 13:58
on Mondays-Fridays arriving
London Euston at 17:38. On Saturdays, you leave Holyhead
at 12:38, change in Chester (arrive 14:14, depart 14:35) and
arrive London Euston at 16:38. On Sundays you leave Holyhead at
12:50 on a direct
train to London, arriving London Euston at 16:44.
Always use
www.nationalrail.co.uk
to check train times for your specific date of travel.
...or
travel to anywhere else in Britain: Simply use the
online booking form above
to find ferry & train times from Dublin Ferryport (Irish
ferries), Dublin Ferryport (Stena) or Dun Laoghaire to
your chosen British destination via Holyhead.
How much does
it cost? The fare
from Dublin to London is £38 bought in Britain, assuming you
buy it before 18:00 the day before travel. Bought in
Ireland, it's 45 euros. Children under 16 half price, under
5s free. The fare to anywhere else in Britain is the
same or less than this. Yes, you can even travel from
Dublin to Inverness for £38!
First class fares.
New fares
from 2 January.
How to buy
tickets if you live in Britain: To buy a one-way ticket
from Dublin to London or anywhere in Britain via this
service, I recommend buying online in euros at
www.irishferries.com/ie/sailrail.asp, selecting 'Dublin
Ferryport' to 'London (all stations)' and an 08:00 departure
time. Tickets can be collected at the Irish ferries
desk at Dublin Ferryport (the recommended option) or sent to
any address worldwide by normal post at your own risk.
To book a round trip from London to Dublin and back, I
recommend booking the outward journey from London to Dublin
as a one-way using the
Raileasy booking form above, then booking the return leg
from Dublin to London as a one-way using
www.irishferries.com/ie/sailrail.asp.
Why shouldn't you use the
Raileasy booking form above to book both ways?
Well, you can if you like. But the Raileasy system has
an unfortunate habit of not showing the 08:05 'Ulysses'
departure from Dublin, only the 08:45
Swift fast ferry, because the Swift overtakes
the ship and the system disregards the slower service.
By all means take the 08:45 Swift if you like, but
remember that the Ulysses has all-weather reliability and is
five pounds cheaper. The
Swift is faster but can be cancelled if the weather is poor,
perhaps 5% of occasions in winter. The Irish Ferries
system has no problem offering both the 08:05 'Ulysses' ship
and the 08:45 Swift so you can choose the one you want.
Oh, and for the record, you can't use the Irish Ferries
system to book a return ticket starting in London as it only
sells tickets starting in Ireland.
Full details of fares & how to
buy tickets.
How to buy
tickets if you live
in Ireland: You can book this
journey online at
www.irishferries.com/ie/sailrail.asp and collect tickets at Dublin
Ferryport, or tickets can be sent to any Irish address. The Irish Ferries
website now sells cheap SailRail tickets from any Irish rail
station to any British rail station, although it's a good
idea to read these
booking tips first. Alternatively, you can
buy tickets in
Ireland in person or by phone. Tickets bought in
Ireland are all of the 'walk up' type, a reservation is
needed and included on the ferry, but no reservation is
required on British trains, you can take any suitable
connecting train once in Britain.
How to buy
tickets if you live
overseas: To buy a one-way or round trip ticket
from Dublin to London or anywhere in Britain via this
service, I recommend buying online at
www.irishferries.com/ie/sailrail.asp, selecting 'Dublin
Ferryport' to 'London (all stations)' and an 08:00 departure
time. Tickets can be collected at the Irish ferries
desk at Dublin Ferryport (the recommended option) or sent to
any address worldwide by normal post at your own risk. Alternatively, you can
buy tickets in
Ireland in person or by phone. To book a round
trip from London to Dublin and back, I recommend booking the
outward journey from London to Dublin as a one-way using the
Raileasy booking form above
(tickets can then be collected at any main station in
Britain including London Euston), then booking the return
leg from Dublin back to London as a one-way using
www.irishferries.com/ie/sailrail.asp
(tickets can then be collected at Dublin Ferryport).
Belfast, Cork,
Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Tralee ► London
If your train
arrives at Heuston station, take the LUAS tram to Connolly
station, this runs every 5-10 minutes and takes 15 minutes,
fare 1.50 euros (not included in through tickets). The
tram leaves from right outside the front of the station.
Alternatively, take bus 90.
Map of Dublin showing
city centre, railway stations & ferry terminals.
Step 2, travel from
Dublin to London by train & ferry
as above.
Alternatively,
a morning departure is possible from most of these places,
to connect with the 14:30 Swift from Dublin to Holyhead,
arriving in London in the evening, simply
use the booking form below to find train and ferry times
and buy tickets.
There are lots of trains to
Holyhead, and 4 different types of
ferry from Holyhead to Dublin, run by two different ferry
operators, Irish Ferries and Stena Line. 'SailRail'
train & ferry tickets are either routed via Irish Ferries or
via Stena Line, it's your choice, with a slightly higher fare if
you want to use a fast ferry rather than a
conventional ship.
Which ferry
should you choose? Irish Ferries' luxurious cruise
ferry Ulysses
and Stena Line's competing 'Stena Adventurer' operate to a
similar schedule, and both ships offer great facilities
and all-weather reliability. Stena
Line's ship will get you to Dublin 20 minutes
earlier than the Ulysses off the same train connection from
London and it has free WiFi, but in my opinion the Irish
Ferries Ulysses
is the far more glamorous ship, with a genuine 'cruise ship'
feel. Until recently she was the largest car ferry
in the world at over 50,000 tons. The Ulysses is
therefore my own choice, but by all means take the Stena
Adventurer if you prefer. Irish Ferries' fast ferry
'Dublin Swift' offers a very fast crossing, just be aware
that it can be cancelled if the weather is poor, perhaps 5% of departures in winter, with passengers
transferred to the next available sailing of the all-weather
Ulysses.
Stena Line's HSS fast ferry is less subject to the weather
than the smaller Swift, but it now only runs once a day from
April to September,
leaving Holyhead too early for any useful train connections. However, its afternoon departure back from Dun
Laoghaire to Holyhead is a good choice for an eastbound
journey, as it allows same-day train connections from Irish
cities west and south of Dublin, and has very easy
train/ferry transfers at both Dun Laoghaire and Holyhead.
OR
OR
1. Irish Ferries
'Ulysses': A
luxurious cruise ferry Holyhead to Dublin
Ferryport. The leisurely crossing takes 3 hours
15 minutes. Bars, restaurants, cinema, optional private cabins available on board. VIP
lounge available for an extra £16.
2. Irish Ferries
'Dublin Swift': A fast SeaCat from Holyhead to Dublin Ferryport,
taking 1 hour 49 minutes. Reclining seats & refreshments available on board.
It can be cancelled if the weather is bad,
perhaps 5% of sailings in winter with
passengers transferred to the all-weather Ulysses.
3. Stena
Line HSS fast ferry, Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire
in 1 hour 49 minutes, for a DART train to central
Dublin. The HSS (High Speed Sea Service) is a giant
catamaran. It now only runs
April-September.
4. Stena
ship to Dublin Ferryport. The 'Stena
Adventurer' sails to a similar schedule as Ulysses...
* = On Saturday mornings,
train leaves Holyhead at 04:25, change at Chester,
arriving London 09:30. If you've heavy luggage, a
direct train leaves Holyhead at 06:50 arriving London 10:38.
** = The HSS
only operates from 1 April to 11 September 2012, not all
year round. No ferry to/from Dun Laoghaire at all
in winter.
Direct = This
train is a direct
125mph Virgin Trains 'Voyager' or 'Pendolino' train between London & Holyhead.
Crewe = You must change trains at Crewe. Birmingham =
You must change
trains at Birmingham New Street.
---- =
This means there's no
train connection available for this ferry.
At Holyhead the ferry terminal for both Stena Line &
Irish Ferries is right next to the station at the end of
platform 2. After checking in, passengers for the
Ulysses and Stena Adventurer are transferred by
free courtesy bus across the port area to the ferry, as the
ships berth a little way from the terminal. Stena
Line's HSS berths next to the terminal and you can
simply walk between ferry and train. There is
a 30 minute check-in for Irish Ferries or 40 minutes for
Stena Line, and your bags are checked in for the crossing. A left luggage
office is available at Holyhead, and the town centre is just
5 minutes walk across a footbridge if you have time for a
wander.
Dublin Ferryport,
where Irish Ferries
Ulysses,
Irish Ferries Swift, and the Stena Line 'Stena Adventurer' arrive, is 2
miles from central Dublin. There's a shuttle bus
from the ferry terminal to the busaras (main bus station) in
Dublin city centre, 2 minutes walk from Dublin's Connolly
station for trains to Belfast, Wicklow & Sligo. Buses
connecting with Irish Ferries cost 2.50 euros adult, 1.25
euros child, you pay the driver on the bus. There are
also buses connecting with Stena Line ships. For
Heuston station (for trains to Cork, Galway, Limerick), take
the LUAS tram from Connolly station to Heuston, 1.50 euros.
A taxi from Dublin port to central Dublin will cost 15 euros
to most central area hotels or Dublin Connolly station,
about 17 euros to Dublin Heuston station, journey time about
25 minutes.
Dun
Laoghaire (pronounced 'Dunn Leary') where Stena Line's
HSS arrives, is 11 km (7 miles) south of
Dublin. It's the traditional place to arrive in
Ireland. Leave the ferry terminal main exit and you'll
find the railway station just across the road.
DART
suburban trains run
every 10-15 minutes from Dun Laoghaire to Dublin Connolly
station in the city centre, journey time 25 minutes, so
you'll be in central Dublin around an hour or so after the
ferry arrives.
If you need to reach Dublin Heuston station
(the station for trains to Cork, Limerick, Galway & western
Ireland) bus 90 links Connolly & Heuston stations (allow 45
minutes) or you can take the new tram,
www.luas.ie.
Train+ferry fares from UK stations to 'Dublin City' include
the DART train to Dublin Connolly, but it's 2.50 euros extra
each way if your ticket is only to Dun Laoghaire. Train+ferry fares
to Cork, Limerick, Galway etc. include the DART train
to Dublin Connolly and a bus (but not the tram) to Dublin
Heuston station.
Find train & ferry times from other UK
cities to Dublin...
Use the
online booking form above
to check train times & buy SailRail tickets from any
station in Britain to Dublin or Dun Laoghaire.
Enter any station you like in the 'From' box, such as
Birmingham, Cardiff, Newcastle, Norwich, your own local
station, whatever...
Enter 'Dublin Port (Irish Ferries)' or 'Dublin Port (Stena)' in the 'To' box for Irish Ferries
(Ulysses or Swift fast ferry) or Stena Line ship to Dublin
Ferryport,
enter 'Dun Laoghaire' for the Stena Line HSS fast ferry to Dun
Laoghaire.
Enter your dates of travel and click 'find tickets'.
When the results appear, it doesn't distinguish between the
Ulysses ship and the Swift fast ferry to Dublin Ferryport,
it just says 'ferry'. With 'Dublin Port (Irish
Ferries)' selected, if the ferry takes 3 hours or
more than it's the Ulysses, if it takes 2 hours or less it's
the Swift. All ferries to Dun Laoghaire are the Stena Line
HSS fast ferry. With 'Dublin Port (Stena)' selected, it
will be the Stena Line ship.
Click 'fares' to see the fare for that journey.
SailRail fares from 2 January 2012...
SailRail fares
from any station in Britain to Dublin & Ireland...
One-way fares for train
+ Irish
Ferries
...to Dublin
...to Cork, Limerick, Galway,
Sligo, Tralee
Advance fare
Ulysses ship
Advance fare
Swift fast ferry
Walk-up fare
Ulysses ship
Walk-up fare
Swift fast ferry
Advance fare
Ulysses ship
Advance fare
Swift fast ferry
Walk-up fare
Ulysses ship
Walk-up fare
Swift fast ferry
From London...
£38
£43
£43
£48
£55.50
£60.50
£60.50
£65.50
From any UK rail station in Zone A
£32
£37
£37
£42
£49.50
£54.50
£54.50
£59.50
From any UK rail station in Zone B
£33
£38
£38
£43
£50.50
£55.50
£55.50
£60.50
From any UK rail station in Zone C
£34
£39
£39
£44
£51.50
£56.50
£56.50
£61.50
From any UK rail station in Zone D
£36
£41
£41
£46
£53.50
£58.50
£58.50
£63.50
From any UK rail station in Zone E
£38
£43
£43
£48
£55.50
£60.50
£60.50
£65.50
One-way fares for
train + Stena Line
...to Dublin
...to Cork, Limerick, Galway,
Sligo, Tralee
Advance fare
Stena ship
Advance fare
HSS fast ferry*
Walk-up fare
Stena ship
Walk-up fare
HSS fast ferry*
Advance fare
Stena ship
Advance fare
HSS fast ferry
Walk-up fare
Stena ship
Walk-up fare
HSS fast ferry
From London
£36
£40
£41
£45
£54.50
£58.50
£59.50
£63.50
From any UK rail station in Zone A
£30
£34
£35
£39
£48.50
£52.50
£53.50
£57.50
From any UK rail station in Zone B
£31
£35
£36
£40
£49.50
£53.50
£54.50
£58.50
From any UK rail station in Zone C
£32
£36
£37
£41
£50.50
£54.50
£55.50
£59.50
From any UK rail station in Zone D
£34
£38
£39
£43
£52.50
£56.50
£57.50
£61.50
From any UK rail station in Zone E
£36
£40
£41
£45
£54.50
£58.50
£59.50
£63.50
* Stena
Line's HSS fast ferry goes to Dun Laoghaire rather than
Dublin, and only runs April to September, see timetable
above. This is the fare to Dun Laoghaire, through
fare to Dublin City by DART train is £1 more.
Advance fare = Sail Rail
Advance, this is the fare you would normally want to buy. Booking
usually opens 12 weeks ahead, tickets must be booked by
18:00 the day before you travel. The fares shown above
are not 'starting at...' prices, but are fixed prices that
are almost always available at the price shown, even up
until the evening before departure. The ticket
includes a reservation on the ferry and on those trains on
the British part of your journey on which seat reservation
is possible. You can only travel on the specific train
or trains which have been reserved for you, not on earlier
or later trains or on alternative, unless a delayed ferry
means you miss a scheduled connection. No stopovers
are allowed. On trains on which seat reservation is
not possible, meaning local or suburban trains, you can take
any suitable train. Tickets are non-refundable, but
changes to date or time can be made for a fee (about £10) in
person at British railway stations but not in Ireland or by
phone.
Walk-up fare = Sail Rail
Single, this is the
price you pay if you buy a ticket on the day of travel.
Also known as 'Standby'. A
reservation is required on the ferry, but seat reservation
on trains is optional and you can use any train and any
permitted rail route to and from the ferry port.
However, no stopovers are allowed except as necessary to
make connections. You can buy a 'walk-up' fare in
advance if you like, but it's only valid on the date you
book it for, and the only reason you'd want one is if you
wanted the flexibility to take alternative trains or routes
on the way to or from the ferry port from those that the
system offers you. Refunds allowed less a £15-£20
admin fee.
Which
British station is in which zone?
New zones from 2 January 2012...
Zone A:
Gwynedd North, Clwyd
Zone B:
Greater Manchester,
Liverpool & Merseyside, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Cheshire
Zone C:
Lancashire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire,
Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, West Midlands,
Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Hereford & Worcester, Gloucestershire,
Powys, Gwynedd South.
Zone D:
Cumbria, North Yorkshire,
Humberside, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire,
Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Avon,
Gwent, South Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan, West Glamorgan,
Dyfed, Somerset.
Zone
E:
London, anywhere in Scotland, Tyne & Wear,
Durham, Cleveland, Northumberland, Greater
London, Surrey, Norfolk, Suffolk,
Essex, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire,
Dorset, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall.
Thomas Cook publish an excellent
map of train network in Great Britain and Ireland, showing
all train routes, scenic routes, ferry routes and places of
interest.
Click here
to buy at Amazon.co.uk.
What do SailRail fares cover?
SailRail fares cover the train to Holyhead and the ferry
to Ireland, all on one ticket for one inclusive price.
Tickets to Irish destinations beyond Dublin also cover
the Irish train.
Making a
return journey? There are now no return fares,
only one-way fares, so a return journey = two one-way fares.
If you're not sure when you will return, I recommend only
buying your outward ticket, then buying a ticket back from
Dublin online at
www.irishferries.com/ie/sailrail.asp when you know the
date, collecting this ticket at Dublin Ferryport.
Children:
Children under 5 go free, children under 16 go for
half the prices shown above. No railcard discounts.
Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Unaccompanied children 16-17 years old must have written
authority to travel from their parent or guardian.
Children under 5 go free, but they need a reservation
for the ferry.
Does the price vary?Can they sell out?
The prices shown above are fixed, so it's always the same price whether
you buy 90 days in advance or the evening before you travel, summer or
winter, mid-week or Fridays. These fares are not a 'limited
availability' offer, they are always available. However, the rail industry
reservation system is loaded with a finite quota of ferry places which can in
practice sell out at very busy times, so booking ahead is
recommended. Booking opens around 12 weeks in advance.
Cost of SailRail
tickets if bought in euros in Ireland.
Railcard holders: As they are so cheap, there's
no further discount on SailRail fares for young person's or senior railcard
holders.
Stopovers: Stopovers at stations in Britain are not allowed using
any SailRail ticket,
other than to make connections. If you want to stop
off anywhere, you'll need to buy separate tickets.
Buses to Dublin city centre: With Irish
Ferries, the transfer bus from Dublin Port to Dublin city
centre costs 2.50 euros, which you simply pay on board the
bus. With Stena Line, you can buy a ticket to 'Dublin
City' which includes a bus transfer to the city centre, and
costs £1 more than the fare to Dublin Port. To buy a
ticket via Stena Line including this bus transfer, use the
online booking form above
and change the destination to 'Dublin City'. Fares to
Galway, Cork, Limerick etc via Stena Line include this
transfer bus between Dublin Port & Dublin city centre.
Better value than flying: When comparing with the cost of a flight,
remember that it will cost £14 one-way or £28 return for the
train ride from central London to or from Luton, Stansted or
Gatwick airports, in addition to the air fare. And
remember the airline baggage fees, check-in fees, and so
on... And these SailRail fares are available at short
notice and peak times, too, when flights are expensive!
First class travel... There are no first class
SailRail fares, but if you want first class travel to
Ireland here's how to travel in style: First go
to
www.raileasy.co.uk and book the morning train from
London to Holyhead, looking for a cheap first class
'Advance' fare which starts at just £54 one-way if you
pre-book (max 3 months). If you travel first class on the direct Virgin Trains
service from London to Holyhead the fare includes an
at-seat cooked breakfast and drinks, and if you're a couple
the seating layout includes some intimate tables for two,
too. Wonderful! Then go to
www.irishferries.com and
buy a separate foot
passenger ticket for the afternoon cruise ferry from
Holyhead to Dublin for £28 one-way, remembering to add
access to the Club Lounge for £16 extra, with complimentary
red & white wine, tea and coffee, and those smoked salmon
canapés. Book your return trip from Dublin the same
way.
Taking a bicycle? Bicycles
go for £9 each way on Irish Ferries, reservation
is recommended, email them at
info@irishferries.com
for details. Bikes are carried free on trains to
Holyhead, but but a bike reservation is compulsory on
Virgin
Trains as there's a 3-bike limit and recommended for
Arriva Trains
Wales who have a 2-bike limit.
Dogs: On Irish ferries, small dogs and cats can
be carried if they can be put in a container that can be
carried onto the ferry and placed on the car deck during the
crossing, see
www.irishferries.com/pets.
However, foot passengers cannot
take dogs or cats on Stena Line.
Other Irish
destinations: Ireland's rail
stations are zoned 1-3, with Cork, Limerick, Galway and
Sligo all in zone 3, at the prices shown above. Fares
to (say) Wicklow or Athlone will be more than to Dublin,
less than to Cork.
If you live in the UK
(or you live overseas & your journey starts in
Britain) you can buy
SailRail tickets online & collect them from the
ticket machines at all main British stations.
These are machines at London Euston station.
Buy SailRail tickets online
here: You can buy tickets
from London or any station in Britain to Dublin
Ferryport or any rail station in Ireland (in either direction)
using the online
booking form above.
Which 'Dublin' to use? Enter 'Dublin Port (Irish
Ferries)' as your destination for journeys to Dublin using Irish Ferries ship
'Ulysses' or their 'Swift' fast ferry. Enter 'Dublin Port
(Stena)' for journeys to Dublin using Stena Line's ship to Dublin
Ferryport, or 'Dun Laoghaire' for journeys using Stena
Line's HSS fast ferry. Enter 'Dublin City'
for journeys to Dublin via Stena Line with their
transfer bus to Dublin city centre included. Or
enter the name of any Irish rail station as destination,
including Cork, Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Killarney or
Tralee.
Ticket delivery: Tickets can be sent to any UK address or collected at
any main station in Britain including London Euston.
They cannot be collected in Dublin or sent outside the
UK.
Booking tip: Neither the online
booking form above nor
www.thetrainline.com will offer you the 08:05
ferry departure from Dublin back to Britain, only the
faster 08:45 'Swift'. That's because the 08:45
Swift overtakes the 08:05 ship, even though the
all-weather ship is cheaper and more reliable. To
book the 08:05 ship, first book your outward journey to
Dublin as a one-way, then book the 08:05 back from
Dublin as a one-way journey using
www.irishferries.com/ie/sailrail.asp and select the
option to collect tickets at Dublin Ferryport.
Alternatively, book online at
www.stenaline.co.uk: If the
Raileasy system doesn't suit you, you can also
buy SailRail tickets from London, Birmingham, Manchester or Liverpool to Dublin
online at the Stena Line website
www.stenaline.co.uk. However, tickets can only
be sent to UK addresses, are valid via Stena Line but
not Irish Ferries, cannot be collected at stations,
and only a few cities are covered, not any station in
Britain.
Buy SailRail tickets by phone: You can buy tickets by phone from the SailRail booking line,
08709 000 773 (UK callers
only). Lines are open 08:00-20:00 Mondays-Fridays,
09:00-17:00 Saturdays & Sundays.Remember to ask for tickets
routed either 'Stena Line' or 'Irish Ferries' depending
on which service you want in which direction. You
can also buy tickets via Stena Line from Stena
themselves, 08445 762 762.
Buy SailRail tickets in
person:
You can buy these train+ferry SailRail tickets at most main
British railway stations, even on the day of travel.
This includes London Euston. But allow plenty of time
to buy your ticket, and be aware that small stations (ones
without the capability to do seat reservations) may not sell
these tickets. It's better to buy tickets a day or two
before if you can.
SailRail tickets from
Dublin to London can be
bought online or bought at Connolly station...
You can buy train &
ferry tickets to London or anywhere in Britain
online at IrishFerries.com or
in person from
the ticket office at Dublin Connolly station,
indicated by the arrow in the picture above.
Buy SailRail tickets online
at
www.irishferries.com/ie/sailrail.asp: Irish Ferries have
launched online booking for one-way or return SailRail
tickets starting in Ireland, from any rail station in Ireland to any
rail station in Britain via Holyhead (but read the paragraph
below first!). Tickets can be collected at the Irish Ferries desk at Dublin
Ferryport (useful if you're from overseas) or can be sent by
registered post to Irish addresses or by normal post (at
your own risk) to any address worldwide.
Tips for
using
www.irishferries.com/ie/sailrail.asp: The
SailRail online booking form is top left. For travel
to London,
select 'London (all stations)'. The departure &
arrival times it gives you are for the ferry between Dublin
& Holyhead, not for your whole journey, as the system
is not programmed with any train times, just the ferry times.
So you'll need to look up train times separately, either by
looking at the Dublin-London
timetables on this page, or by looking up Irish trains
at
www.irishrail.ie and British trains at
www.nationalrail.co.uk. Tickets are valid on any
suitable connecting train without restriction. Remember to allow at least
40 minutes check-in for the ferry at Dublin Ferryport
outward and at Holyhead on the return, plus plenty of time
for transfers between Dublin Ferryport and Dublin's Connolly
or Heuston stations. Obviously, this system will only
book SailRail via Irish Ferries to Holyhead, not journeys
via Stena Line. Top tip: It's well worth
the extra 18 euros to upgrade to Club Class with a special
lounge, complimentary tea, coffee, red & white wine and
canapés! You can do this online when you book, or pay
the extra on board the ferry.
Buy SailRail tickets in
person at
Dublin Connolly
station at the main ticket window, open all day, 7 days
a week (see photo on the right) or at these Irish Rail
stations:
Athlone, Ballina, Claremorris, Dublin Connolly, Dundalk,
Drogheda, Ennis, Galway, Longford, Mallow, Cork, Tralee,
Killarney, Waterford, Wexford, Limerick, Limerick Junction,
Mullingar,
Sligo, Thurles, Tullamore, Westport. They can sell
'SailRail' train & ferry tickets from any Irish station to
any British station. SailRail tickets now cost 6 euros
more if bought on the day of travel.
Buy SailRail tickets
by phone: Call Irish
Railways on 1850 366222 (lines open
09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday) (from outside Ireland call 00 353
1850 366222) or call Irish Ferries
on 0818 300 400 (lines open
09:00-19:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-16:00 Saturdays, if
calling from Northern Ireland or anywhere outside the
Republic of Ireland, dial +353 818 300 400) or call Stena Line
on (01) 204 7777.
Cost of
SailRail tickets bought in Ireland: Bought at
least one day before travel, Dublin to London costs 45 euros
(ship) or 51 euros (Swift fast ferry), Dublin to Birmingham
or Leeds costs 40 euros (ship) or 46 euros (Swift fast
ferry), Dublin to Liverpool or Manchester costs 39 euros
(ship) or 45 euros (Swift fast ferry). Cork, Limerick
or Galway to London costs 65 euros by ship or 71 euros by
Swift fast ferry. Tickets bought on the day of travel
will cost 6 euros more. Fares in euros for tickets
bought in Ireland can be found using the journey planner at
www.irishferries.com. Note that tickets
bought in Ireland are all of the 'walk up' type, a
reservation is needed (and included) on the ferry, but no
seat reservation is required on British trains, you can take
any suitable connecting train you like once in Britain,
although no stopovers are allowed.
How to buy
SailRail tickets if you live overseas...
If your
journey starts in Britain, simply buy a one-way or
return ticket from London or any rail station in Britain to
Dublin or any rail station in Ireland using the online booking system
above. Overseas credit cards are
accepted. They
won't send tickets overseas, so select the option
to collect tickets from the self-service ticket
machines located at most major British stations,
including London Euston, but not in Dublin, which
is of course not a British station (do I have to spell it out?!).
The system will book journeys starting in
Ireland, but there's no way to collect
tickets as there are no British railway ticket machines
in Ireland and they'll only send tickets to UK addresses. If you have any problems buying
tickets online, you can simply wait till you get to the UK and
buy your ticket at
the station. Remember, SailRail fares are
fixed-price so there's no need to book way ahead to get
the cheap fare, although there's a finite allocation of
ferry places held on the rail industry reservation
system which can in theory run
out, so it's better to book them in advance, at least a day or two
beforehand, not five minutes before the train leaves!
If your journey
starts in Ireland, simply buy tickets online at
www.irishferries.com (but it's a good idea to
read the booking
tips here first!).
Tickets can be collected at the Irish Ferries desk at Dublin
Ferryport, or posted (by normal unregistered post, at your
own risk) to any address worldwide. Alternatively,
you can wait till you get to Ireland and simply buy a
SailRail ticket from Dublin to London at the ticket office at Dublin's Connolly station,
see the photo above.
SailRail fares are fixed-price so there's no need to book way ahead
to get the best fare, it's the same price even bought on the
day of departure. However,
there's a finite allocation of ferry places loaded onto the
rail industry reservation system which
can in theory run out, so it's better to book tickets in
advance, or at least a day or two
beforehand, not five minutes before the train leaves!
Irish Ferries' huge 50,000 ton 'Ulysses' was once the
largest car ferry in the world (a title now with Stena
Line's new 63,000 ton 'Stena Hollandica' and 'Stena
Britannica' on the Harwich-Hoek van Holland route), and
she's perhaps the most luxurious ferry on the Irish Sea.
She's all-weather (and all-volcanic ash!) reliable, as in
ten years of service she hasn't missed a single sailing due
to weather. More than can be said for the planes!
She's rock stead under most conditions, and a pleasure to
travel on...
Irish Ferries' superb cruise ferry 'Ulysses' from
Holyhead to Dublin...
A private cabin aboard the Ulysses.
The
luxurious 50,000-ton Ulysses is the world's biggest car ferry...
You too could be on board the
'Ulysses', travelling
from Dublin to London by luxurious superferry & inter-city
train in a relaxed way, no airports or flights, for just £38
or 45 euros!
...from any British
station to Cork, Galway, Limerick, Sligo or any Irish
station...
Booking
tips...
This is
www.thetrainline.com,
and it can sell cheap SailRail tickets from any station
in Britain to any station in Ireland, one-way or return,
either direction.
Simply
enter 'London' or the name of your local station in the
'from' box and the name of any Irish station in the 'to'
box.
For
departures from London, I recommend selecting '07:00' as
your desired departure time.
Tickets
can be sent to any UK address or collected at any main
British station including London Euston.
Tickets
cannot be collected in Ireland, although they can
be sent to any address worldwide for a £7.50 fee. If you live in Ireland or live overseas
and want a journey starting in Ireland, it's better to book online at
www.irishferries.com/ie/sailrail.asp
instead.
London to
Cork, Limerick, Galway,
Tralee, Sligo, Wicklow or anywhere in the Republic
of Ireland...
The most usual,
easiest and fastest route to any of these cities from
London, Birmingham or Manchester is by train to Holyhead,
ferry to Dublin, then onward Irish train from Dublin Heuston
station to Cork, Galway, Limerick, Tralee or from Dublin Connolly
station to Sligo or Wicklow. A cheap SailRail ticket
covers the British train, the ferry, and the Irish train all
for one inclusive price
Simply
use the booking form on the right. This will give
you a train+ferry timetable and fares from any rail
station in Britain to any rail station in Ireland and
sell you a cheap SailRail ticket online!
Alternatively, you can book with
www.raileasy.com using the
booking form at the top of
the page - just change 'Dublin Port (Irish Ferries)'
to whatever Irish station you want.
For more
details about the journey and travel options, the
suggested train & ferry service from London to Cork,
Limerick, Galway & major cities in Ireland via Holyhead
is shown here. The
recommended option for the return journey is
shown here.
Alternatively, see the
London to Dublin complete
timetable section for train
& ferry
times from London to Dublin. Then see the Irish Rail
website,
www.irishrail.ie,
for train times from Dublin to Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo,
Wicklow, Kilkenny or Tralee. Allow at least 90 minutes
between ferry arrival and a train departure from Dublin
Connolly, 2 hours for a departure from Dublin Heuston.
For Cork,
you can also travel via the newly-reinstated
Swansea-Cork ferry,
see the section
below.
How much
does it cost?
SailRail train & ferry fares
Advance
Walk-up
London
& the Southeast ► Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, or Tralee
£55.50
£60.50
Anywhere
in Scotland, East
Anglia, or the South-West ► Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Tralee
£55.50
£60.50
Birmingham
or anywhere in the Midlands ► Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Tralee
£51.50
£56.50
Manchester
or Liverpool
► Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Tralee
£50.50
£55.50
Advance fare = Sail Rail
Advance, this is
the fare you would normally want to buy. Tickets must
be booked by 18:00 the day before you travel. The
fares shown above are not 'starting at...' prices, but are
fixed prices that are almost always available at the price
shown, even the day before departure. The ticket
includes a reservation on the ferry and on all British
trains on which seat reservation is possible. You can
only travel on the specific train or trains which have been
reserved for you, not on alternative trains or routes,
unless a delayed ferry means you miss a scheduled
connection. No stopovers allowed. On trains on
which seat reservation is not possible, meaning local or
suburban trains, and when you're in Ireland, you can take
any suitable train. Tickets are non-refundable, but
changes to date or time can be made for a fee (about £10) in
person at British railway stations but not in Ireland or by
phone.
Walk-up fare = Sail Rail
Single, this is the fare
you pay if you buy a ticket on the day of travel.
Also known as 'Standby' fare. A
reservation is required on the ferry, but seat reservation
on trains is optional and you can use any train and any
permitted rail route to and from the ferry port.
However, no stopovers are allowed except as necessary to
make connections. You can buy these 'walk-up' fares in
advance if you like, but the only reason you'd want one is
if you wanted the flexibility to take alternative trains or
routes on the way to or from the ferry port from those that
the system offers you. Refunds allowed less a £15-£20
admin fee.
These fares are examples, you can buy tickets from
any British railway station to Dublin or
any Irish railway station.
The ticket covers
the train or trains to Holyhead, the ferry to Dublin,
and any suitable Irish train onwards from Dublin to your chosen
destination.
Making a
return journey? There are now no return fares,
only one-way fares. A return journey = two one-way
fares.
Children:
Children under 5 go free, children under 16 go for
half the prices shown above. No railcard discounts.
Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Unaccompanied children 16-17 years old must have written
authority to travel from their parent or guardian.
Children under 5 go free, but they need a reservation
for the ferry.
Does the price vary?Can they sell out?
The prices shown above are fixed, so it's always the same price whether
you buy 90 days in advance or just one day ahead, summer or
winter, mid-week or Fridays. But the higher 'walk-up'
fare now applies if you buy a ticket on the day.
These fares are not a 'limited
availability' offer, they are always available. However, in
reality the rail industry
reservation system has a quota of ferry places allocated to
it, which can in theory sell out at very busy times, so booking
ahead is
recommended. Booking opens around 12 weeks in advance.
Cost of SailRail
tickets if bought in euros in Ireland.
Railcard holders: As they are so cheap, there's
no further discount on SailRail fares for young person's or senior railcard
holders.
Stopovers:
Stop-overs at stations in Britain are not allowed using
any SailRail ticket,
other than to make connections. If you want to stop
off anywhere, you'll need to buy separate tickets.
Stop-overs are allowed
on the rail part of the journey, as long as you continue
the same day.
Ship or fast ferry?
These fares are valid on any day, any date, any train and
any sailing of the Irish Ferries cruise ferry
Ulysses.
Fares for using the Irish Ferries Swift fast ferry cost £5
more. Fares via Stena Line's ship are similar to those
via Irish Ferries Ulysses, and
www.thetrainline.com tends to route you via the
Stena ship.
Taking a bicycle? Bikes go for £9 each way
on Irish Ferries, £10 each way on Stena
Line, no reservation required.
How to buy
tickets...
If you
live in the UK: SailRail tickets from any rail
station in Britain to any rail station in Ireland can now be booked online at
either
www.raileasy.com or
www.thetrainline.com.
Both
www.raileasy.com and
www.thetrainline.com can now book one-way or return
tickets from any rail station in Britain to any rail station in Ireland,
including London, Birmingham, Manchester or Leeds to Cork, Galway, Tralee, Limerick, wherever,
with British train, ferry and Irish train all included on
one cheap ticket.
Amazing! Alternatively, you can buy these cheap SailRail tickets in person at your local railway station or by calling
the SailRail booking line, 08709 000 773, lines open 08:00-20:00
Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-17:00 Saturdays & Sundays.
Or
you can book with Virgin Trains on 0845 7 222
333 or Stena Line on 08445 762 762.
Stena Line's phone lines are open 08:30-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00
Saturdays & 09:00-17:00 on Sundays.
Booking
tip: Buying
two separate tickets, one London-Dublin, the other for
onwards travel by Irish Rail can sometimes work out cheaper
than a through ticket if you get the cheapest 10 euro 'web'
fare for Irish Rail beyond Dublin. It's also easier to
arrange a journey from (say) Limerick to Dublin one day,
staying overnight, then Dublin to London the next day, if
you book this as two separate journeys.
Step 2, buy a Dublin-Limerick/Galway/Sligo/wherever 'web fare' online at
www.irishrail.ie from just 10 euros one-way. 'Web'
fares are non-refundable & non-changeable, so make sure you
allow plenty of time between the ferry arriving at Dublin
Ferryport and the train leaving Dublin, allowing for the
transfer from port to station. You pay online and
collect tickets from the self-service machines at all
main Irish stations, just by entering your booking
reference or inserting your credit card.
If you
live in Ireland, you can now buy cheap
SailRail tickets online from any Irish rail station to
London or any rail station in Britain, one-way or return,
using
www.irishferries.com/ie/sailrail.asp. Tickets can
be sent to any Irish address by normal or registered post,
or sent to any address worldwide by normal post, at your own
risk. Alternatively, visit any major Irish Rail station or call Irish Railways on 01
703 1884 (lines open
09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday) or (if travelling by Irish
Ferries) Irish Ferries
on 0818 300 400 (lines open
09:00-19:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-16:00 Saturdays).
London to
Rosslare
& Wexford via the Fishguard-Rosslare ferry
There is a regular fully-integrated train & ferry service
from London, Bristol & Cardiff to Rosslare in Southern
Ireland via Fishguard. Rosslare is handy for Wexford &
Waterford. Special 'SailRail' train & ferry tickets are
sold from any British railway station to Rosslare Harbour
via this route, just use the
booking form above to buy a ticket to Rosslare Harbour,
then buy an onward ticket to Wexford or Dublin when you get
to Rosslare. If you're heading for Cork, Limerick
and so on, you're better off travelling via Holyhead &
Dublin,
see here. London-Dublin journeys are best made via
Holyhead, see here.
No service on
25 & 26 December. Always check UK train times for
your date of travel at
www.nationalrail.co.uk, as
engineering work can affect train times especially at
weekends.
Rosslare Europort
is linked by train to Wexford, Wicklow & Dublin.
They've stupidly moved the platform away from the ferry
terminal, and it's now a 5 minute walk from the terminal
building.
Check Irish train times at
www.irishrail.ie. Rosslare to Wexford & Dublin
buses are operated by Bus Eireann, check times & fares at
www.buseireann.ie.
The Waterford
connection: Sadly, the
Rosslare-Waterford railway was closed in September 2010, and
is now the 'missing link' in the Irish rail network.
You unfortunately now need to travel by bus. Arriving
at Rosslare Europort on the afternoon ferry, a bus leaves
from outside Rosslare ferry terminal doors at 19:00 daily,
arriving Waterford 20:20. Arriving at Rosslare on the
overnight ferry, a bus leaves from outside Rosslare ferry
terminal doors at 07:00 on Mondays-Saturdays or 07:15 on
Sundays, arriving at Waterford bus station at 08:45.
In the other direction, a bus leaves Waterford bus station
at 07:00 daily, arriving Rosslare Europort ferry terminal at
08:25, in time for the 09:00 ferry. In the evening, a
bus leaves Waterford bus station at 17:30 Mondays-Saturdays arriving
Rosslare Europort ferry terminal at 19:10, or 16:30 on
Sundays, change at Wexford, arriving Rosslare 18:50, in good time for the
21:00 ferry. Please check these bus times at
www.buseireann.ie.
Wexford &
Rosslare ► Fishguard, Cardiff, Bristol, London
By train (* = by bus)
Monday-Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Dublin
Connolly depart
-
16:37
-
16:37
-
13:36
-
13:45
Wexford
depart
08:00*
19:05
08:00*
19:05
08:00*
16:04
08:00*
16:08
Rosslare
Europort arrive
08:25*
19:25
08:25*
19:25
08:25*
16:28
08:25*
16:32
By Stena Line ferry across the Irish Sea...
Rosslare
Europort depart
09:00
21:00
09:00
21:00
09:00
21:00
09:00
21:00
Fishguard
arrive by ferry
12:30
01:00
12:30
01:00
12:30
01:00
12:30
01:00
By train...
Fishguard
depart by train
13:30
01:50
13:30
01:50
13:30
01:50
14:23
01:50
Cardiff
arrive
16:04
05:02
16:04
04:52
16:02
04:35
17:14
05:02
Newport
arrive
16:18
07:32
16:18
05:09
16:23
08:11
17:31
05:30
Bristol
Parkway arrive
16:59
07:32
16:59
07:38
16:59
09:40
17:59
07:32
Swindon
arrive
17:27
07:32
17:27
07:38
17:27
09:40
18:27
07:32
Reading
arrive
17:55
07:32
17:55
07:38
18:00
09:40
19:00
07:32
London
Paddington arrive
18:24
07:32
18:24
07:38
18:32
09:40
19:38
07:32
SailRail train & ferry fares
Advance
Walk-up
London
or any South East or East Anglia rail station to Rosslare
£38
£45
Birmingham,
Southampton or Reading to Rosslare
£36
£43
Bristol,
Bath,
Cardiff or Swansea to Rosslare
£33
£40
Check the
fare from any British station to Rosslare using the
online booking form above
(just change 'Dublin Ferryport' to 'Rosslare Harbour').
Advance fare = Sail Rail
Advance =
the fare you would normally want to buy. Tickets must
be booked by 18:00 the day before you travel. The
fares shown above are not 'starting at...' prices, but are
fixed prices that are almost always available at the price
shown, even the day before departure. The ticket
includes a reservation on the ferry and on any British
trains on which seat reservation is possible. You can
only travel on the specific train or trains which have been
reserved for you, not on alternative trains or routes,
unless a delayed ferry means you miss a scheduled
connection. No stopovers allowed. On trains on
which seat reservation is not possible, meaning local or
suburban trains, you can take any suitable train.
Tickets are non-refundable, but changes to date or time can
be made for a fee (about £10) in person at British railway
stations but not in Ireland or by phone.
Walk-up fare = Sail Rail Single
= the fare
you pay if you buy a ticket on the day of travel.
Also known as 'Standby'. A
reservation is required on the ferry, but seat reservation
on trains is optional and you can use any train and any
permitted rail route to and from the ferry port.
However, no stopovers are allowed except as necessary to
make connections. You can buy a 'walk-up' fare in
advance if you like, but the only reason you'd want one is
if you wanted the flexibility to take alternative trains or
routes on the way to or from the ferry port from those that
the system offers you. Refunds allowed less a £15-£20
admin fee.
About
these SailRail fares..
The fare includes the train to Fishguard and the ferry
to Rosslare, all on one ticket for one inclusive price.
The fares are fixed price, it's the same price whether you
buy 90 days in advance or just one day ahead, summer or winter,
mid-week or Fridays. These fares are not a 'limited availability'
offer, they are always available. However, the
'walk-up' fare now applies if you buy a ticket on the day of
travel. Just remember that in practice the rail industry
reservation system has a quota of ferry places allocated to
it, which can in theory sell out at busy times, so advance
booking is a good idea.
Return journey = two one-way fares.
Stopovers are
not allowed.
Railcard holders:
There's no further discount
for railcard holders, as they're so cheap anyway.
Children 5 to 15 travel at 50% off these fares,
under 5s free.
Travelling beyond Rosslare? You can buy tickets
from London or any station in Britain to Rosslare Harbour,
but if you want to go beyond Rosslare you'll need to buy a
separate onward train or bus ticket when you get to Rosslare.
Through tickets beyond Rosslare are no longer available.
Taking a bicycle? Bikes go for £10 each way on Stena Line, no reservation required. Bikes are carried
free on
trains to Fishguard, but reservations are recommended as
there's a 2 bike limit on Arriva Trains Wales and a 6
bike limit on First Great Western. Call First Great Western
to book your bike on the train.
How to buy
tickets in Britain...
Buy online, using
the online booking form above.
Simply change 'Dublin Ferryport' to 'Rosslare Harbour'
and enter any starting station you like.
This will book combined train & ferry tickets from London or any
other station in Britain to Rosslare harbour. A small (£1-£3)
booking fee is charged. Onward tickets from
Rosslare to Wexford, Waterford etc. should be bought on
board the bus or train when you get to Rosslare.
Buy in
person at most UK
railway stations.
Buy tickets by phone, calling the SailRail
booking line 0870 9
000 773 (+44 870 9 000 773 from outside the UK).
Lines are open 08:00-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-17:00
Saturdays & Sundays. You can also book
by calling Stena Line on 08445 762 762.
Lines are open 08:30-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00
Saturdays & 09:00-17:00 on Sundays.
Onward
tickets from Rosslare to Wexford, Waterford, Wicklow or
Dublin can be bought when you arrive at Rosslare.
Rosslare station has no ticket office, so you can buy on
board the train.
How to buy tickets
in Ireland...
If you're in
Ireland, you can buy train+ferry tickets by calling (01)
703 1884 (lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday)
or by visiting a major Irish Rail station.
The
civilised way to Ireland: London to Rosslare for only
£38...
Take a 125mph
high-speed train from London's Paddington
station to Cardiff. There's a buffet-bar on
board. The journey takes you past the
Uffington White Horse and through Isambard Kingdom
Brunel's Severn Railway Tunnel into South Wales.
...Transfer to a local
train for the last leg to Fishguard Harbour. A
refreshment trolley is available.
At Fishguard, the little
2-car train arrives right alongside the Stena Line
ferry 'Stena Europe' for Rosslare. It couldn't
be simpler. The ferry has bars, restaurants,
lounges & family areas, also private cabins.
Top tip: For £15 extra
paid on board, relax in
the StenaPlus VIP lounge with complimentary red &
white wine, tea, coffee, snacks, free newspapers & WiFi...
Swansea-Cork Ferries went out of business in late 2006 and
there were no Swansea-Cork ferry sailings at all in 2007-2009.
But a campaign led by local businesses finally succeeded
in bringing back the ferry, see
www.bringbacktheswanseacorkferry.com. New company
www.fastnetline.com acquired
a new ship and sailings started in March 2010.
UPDATE FEBRUARY 2012: Sadly, Fastnetline ran into
financial problems in 2011, and sailings ceased in September.
On 2 February 2012, it was announced that sailings will not
resume. All Swansea-Cork ferry service has ended, a
great shame.
Fastnetline's new ferry
'Julia', arriving for the first time in Cork
Harbour...
Photo
courtesy of fastnetline
A 2-berth standard en
suite cabin on board the Swansea-Cork ferry 'Julia'...
Photo courtesy of fastnetline
On
arrival in Cork harbour, you sail right past the
seafront at Cobh on the way to the Ringaskiddy ferry
terminal...
Trains
are a pleasant and relaxing way to get around Ireland.
As you'd expect, most rail lines radiate out of Dublin, see
the route map above or you can buy
a
Britain & Ireland rail map. New
air-conditioned intercity trains are being introduced as
part of a massive investment programme, and frequencies are
being increased. Dublin to Cork and Limerick will soon
become hourly throughout the day, and trains will run every
2 hours on routes to Galway, Sligo, Waterford, Wexford.
Trains run from
Dublin Heuston Station to
Limerick (2 hour 45 min), Cork (2 hours 50 min,
change at Cork for Cobh), Killarney, Tralee,
Galway (2 hours 45 min), Kilkenny, Waterford.
Trains
run from Dublin Connolly
Station to Belfast (2 hours), Sligo (3 hours), Dun
Laoghaire, Bray, Wicklow, Wexford and Rosslare.
How to
check Irish train times & fares, and how to buy tickets: www.irishrail.ie
To check Irish train times
& fares, see
the Irish Railways website, www.irishrail.ie.
It's easy enough to buy tickets at the station as seat
reservations are never compulsory, but to save a few euros
you can buy cheap tickets in advance online at www.irishrail.ie,
collecting them at the self-service ticket machine at all
main stations. You can Irish
rail enquiries are on (within Ireland) 01 836 6222 or(calling from
outside Ireland) 00
353 1 836 6222.
What are
the trains like? Dublin to Cork InterCity
trains...
These smart modern trains
operate the Dublin-Cork route.
The full Irish breakfast on morning trains from Dublin
is as good a breakfast as you'll have on any train
anywhere! Free WiFi: Most Dublin-Cork
trains now have free WiFi.
Dublin-Cork 1st class: First
class seats on a modern air-conditioned train from
Dublin to Cork...
InterCity to Cork: An
InterCity express train to Cork waits to leave Dublin's
Heuston station...
Dublin-Cork 2nd class:
2nd
class seats on an air-conditioned Dublin to Cork
train. Better than any bus!
Ticket machines:
You can buy cheap tickets at www.irishrail.ie
& collect them from these machines.
InterCity railcars from Dublin to Galway, Waterford,
Sligo, Wexford, Limerick, Rosslare...
These smart modern
air-conditioned railcars are the new face of Irish
Railways. They were introduced in 2008 onto all
intercity routes from Dublin, other than the
Dublin-Belfast and Dublin-Cork routes.
Which station
in Dublin?
Heuston station is the station serving Cork, Limerick,
Galway, Kilkenny, Waterford, Tralee, Westport & Ballina. Connolly
station is the one for Belfast, Sligo, Wicklow, Wexford,
Dun Laoghaire & Rosslare...
Above:
Dublin's Heuston station, showing the new LUAS tram
(www.luas.ie) which links it to the city centre & to Dublin's other
main station, Dublin Connolly.
Above:
Inside Dublin's Heuston station, looking towards the tracks.
Dublin to Belfast 'Enterprise'
trains...
Modern air-conditioned 'Enterprise'
trains link Dublin & Belfast every 2 hours or better, journey
time about 2 hours. See www.irishrail.ie or
www.translink.co.uk. For travel between London or
Scotland and Belfast via Stranraer, see the
Northern Ireland page.
Above: Intercity train from Dublin to Limerick,
Cork, Galway or Belfast, then motorcoach to the sights...
Above: The Cliffs of
Moher, western Ireland...
Above: Kissing the Blarney Stone, on the upper
battlements at Blarney Castle, southern Ireland, supposedly giving
you the gift of eloquence...
If you want to kiss the Blarney Stone, drive the Ring of Kerry or walk
on the Giant's Causeway as a stress-free day trip from Dublin,
Railtours Ireland (www.railtoursireland.com)
deserves a special mention. They run daily tours from Dublin using
a unique concept that makes the famous sights & scenery of remote western &
northern Ireland accessible as a day trip. Working
closely with Iarnrod Eireann (Irish Railways),
you are whisked from central Dublin to Limerick, Galway, Cork or
Belfast by comfortable air-conditioned intercity train, leaving around
7:00-7:30 am...
A motorcoach meets the train and takes you on a guided tour into the
countryside.
The range of tours includes kissing the
Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, driving around the Ring of Kerry, or to
see the Giant's Causeway, or to Bunratty Castle and the Cliffs of
Moher, and more... There's stops for lunch & photographs;
In the early evening the coach takes you back to the station and puts you on
a fast intercity train back to Dublin, arriving (depending on the
tour) 8:00-10:15 pm.
Prices are pretty good, for example the 1 day tour to Cork, the Blarney
Stone & the Queenstown Story at Cobh costs 109 euros (£87)
including the train ride from Dublin, and
the 1 day tour to Belfast and the Giant's Causeway, or the Ring of
Kerry are the same price. As well as these day trips, they also run 2-6 day tours.
They've been operating for 10 years now, and get great reports.
You can book online at
www.railtoursireland.com, or by phone. Please mention seat61.com when
booking.
Top tip: There's a full cooked breakfast available in the
restaurant car of some of the Irish Rail intercity trains they use out
of Dublin, costing around 15 euros (£12). It's as good a cooked
breakfast as you'll have on any regular scheduled train, so treat
yourself!
All short breaks from the UK to Ireland involve flights, don't they? No they
don't! In 2008 Railtours Ireland started running
short breaks to Ireland using eco-friendly train & ferry to Dublin,
with the option to add one-day tours to kiss the Blarney Stone, the
Ring of Kerry, or visiting the Giant's causeway out of your Dublin
base. No airport hassles, no ugly motorways. They've now
been joined by train holiday specialist Railbookers who have
also started offering short breaks to Dublin by train & ferry.
Both companies come highly recommended.
Railbookers
(www.railbookers.com)
can tailor-make a 2-night or
3-night short break from anywhere in Britain to Dublin for you,
starting on virtually any day or date you like,
with train and ferry travel from anywhere in Britain to Dublin then
2 or 3 nights in the 4-star Ashling Hotel in Dublin. A 2-night
3-day break starts at around £285 per person. See www.railbookers.com
or call 020 3327 0761.
Railtours Ireland (www.railtoursireland.com)
run a tour leave London every weekday from March to October, using the
09:10 Virgin Trains departure direct from London Euston station to
Holyhead via the scenic North Wales coastline. At Holyhead
you board the Irish Ferries cruise ferry 'Ulysses' and sail across the Irish
Sea to Dublin Ferryport, arriving at 5.25pm, just as I recommend above. It's the scenic & painless way to reach Ireland!
See the account of this journey & photos.
The cost is 289 euros (£229) per person for London-Dublin
return train+ferry travel plus 2 nights three-star hotel accommodation in Dublin
(with the option of extra nights).
You can then mix-&-match the London-Dublin tour with one or more
1-day tours from Dublin, see the day trips section above.
To book from the UK, call Railtours Ireland free on 0800 328 2899.
To book
from outside the UK, call+353 1 856 0045.
To
get the most from your visit, you should take a good guidebook.
For the independent traveller, I think this means either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide. Both
series are excellent.
Lonely Planet Dublin -
Lonely
Planet Ireland -
Rough Guide Ireland.
Also consider Ecoescapes Ireland, which lists eco-friendly places to
stay.
www.hotelscombined.com
is probably the best hotel search system I've seen, a free search tool
which checks all the main hotel booking sites (Opodo, Expedia,
Booking.com, Hotels.com, AsiaRooms, Travelocity, LateRooms and
others) to find the cheapest hotel rates. Set up in
2005, it's probably the best place to start for booking any
hotel online in any country, worldwide.
Other hotel sites
worth trying...
www.tripadvisor.com
is the best place to browse for
independent travellers' reviews of the main hotels, and it has
the low-down on Dublin attractions too.
www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system
(Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system). It
has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries
worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and
decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras
such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one
price, then charge you another!).
www.mrandmrssmith.com (no relation!) is the place to start
if you want something special for an anniversary, honeymoon,
romantic break or other special occasion. It lists
a number of hand-picked boutique hotels in Dublin.
Backpacker hostels...
If you're on a tight budget,
don't forget the hostels. For a dorm bed or an
ultra-cheap private room in backpacker hostels in most
European cities use
www.hostelbookers.com.
Travel insurance & health card
Get travel insurance, it's essential...
Never travel without insurance from a
reliable travel insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover loss of
cash (up to a limit) and belongings, and cancellation. An annual
multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip
policies even for just 2 or 3 trips
a year (I have an annual policy myself).
Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed
connection, but European international rail conditions of
carriage (known as the 'CIV') contain consumer protection
provisions that entitle you to travel forward by the next
available train if you miss a connection because of a delay to
the first train, irrespective of who operates which train, and
even if your ticket is in theory train-specific and
non-changeable.
Feedback from using
insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome. Here are some suggested insurers.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
links.
If you're a
UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free
European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or
reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in
many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with
the NHS. This replaced the old E111 forms
as from January 2006. The EHIC card is available from
www.ehic.org.uk. It doesn't remove the need for
travel insurance, though.
Get a spare credit card, one designed for foreign travel with no currency
exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...
It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.
If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're
not left stranded if
your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself. In addition,
some credit cards are significantly better for
overseas travel than others. Martin Lewis's
www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which
UK credit cards
have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something
overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when
you use an ATM abroad. Taking this advice
can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your
normal high-street bank credit card! You can save money on ATM charges and exchange rates using a
Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or indeed the
multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card,
find out about these cards & sign up here.
Get an international SIM card
to save on mobile data and phone calls...
Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're
not careful you can return home to find some huge bills
waiting for you. I've known people run up over £1,000 in
data charges just by leaving their iPhone connected during a
simple trip to Europe. However, if you
buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company
such as
www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85% and
limit any damage to the amount you have pre-paid. Go-Sim
cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide,
and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries. It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills
when you get home. It also allows cheap data access for laptops
& PDAs. A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't
expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some
others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone
number' for life.
London to Dublin
for £38 or €45... 
How to buy
SailRail tickets if you live overseas...
.
Also consider Ecoescapes Ireland, which lists eco-friendly places to
stay.
