Ferry to Uk options

gary the great

Im bringing my car over to the UK for a couple of months, whats the options for croissing the water?

I checked stena from dun loaire and was a bit surprised by how expensive it is (160euro for one way), so i just want to know are there any other options?

mikedragon32

That's because it's the HSS and you're coming into the shoulder season, travel-wise. The HSS and Swift are usually dearer than the slow ferry.

Have you tried Irish Ferries from Dublin Port, it should be cheaper on the Ulysses or either of the companies' ferries from Rosslare.

Diamondmaker

Norfolk line are dirt cheap, never used them myself and it takes 8 hours!!

But as I say dirt cheap some offers as loa 89e return to the Pool.

Tabnabs

The only problem with the cheaper bigger ferries is that because they are slower, you tend to spend more on them. Most of the time you're better off paying extra for a faster and hassle free crossing.

Guy:Incognito

Diamondmaker wrote:

Norfolk line are dirt cheap, never used them myself and it takes 8 hours!!

But as I say dirt cheap some offers as loa 89e return to the Pool.

How the hell do they stretch the trip to Liverpool to 8 hours? Do they just give it a big shove at the port and let it drift over?

Pherekydes

Liverpool is almost twice as far as Holyhead.

Henry Ford III

Diamondmaker wrote:

Norfolk line are dirt cheap, never used them myself and it takes 8 hours!!

But as I say dirt cheap some offers as loa 89e return to the Pool.

I'm going in mid May (for a classic car event around the lake district). I've used them before and the service is fine.

Overnight both ways, and includes dinner, B&B with private cabins & showers. Food and bar are good.

€327 incl. for car and 2 pax.

testicle

Slow coach wrote:

Liverpool is almost twice as far as Holyhead.

Dublin to Holyhead ~ 70 miles
Dublin to Liverpool ~ 140 miles

Victor

http://www.dublinport.ie/Ferries.html#list

http://www.irishferries.com/

chicken_food

I used norfolk lines and save myself the guts of 350e compared to others. Sure it took a bit under 7hours but i had the day off work so i wasnt going anywhere in a hurry. You get lunch etc and theres no point in getting a cabin as if you ask nicely once you start moving they'l give you one anyway. Really clean boat and probably the best ferry experience iv had!

crosstownk

The only thing about those HSS craft is that they get cancelled if someone sneezes. Any sort of strong wind and they are cancelled. I've been bumped back to the slow ferry a few times because of this.

It depends on where in the UK you are going - but if you are heading to any northern area then give some consideration to the Larne- Stranraer crossing - I used it for the first time last year and found it quite good.

EDIT : P&O Irish Sea do a service to Mostyn which can be quite cheap (not sure if they still do) but check it out www.poirishsea.com

gary the great

Thanks for the links and info lads. i'll be driving down to London, so i reckon holyhead would be the best option.

Pherekydes

testicle wrote:

Dublin to Holyhead ~ 70 miles
Dublin to Liverpool ~ 140 miles

That's what I said.

JohnCleary

lol ye think 160 is bad? Had to fork out 680 on the weekend (Towing a heavy load though)

I love Irish Ferries, always depart on time, never had any hassle with changing times etc.... 2 hours from Dublin to Holyhead (Swift)

Bradidup

Maybe Michael O Leary might get get into this business and do us some favors.

Mitch Connor

Bradidup wrote:

Maybe Michael O Leary might get get into this business and do us some favors.

and charge you for each bag you have in the car, and extra if you don't want to just sit in the car all the way over.

Tabnabs

Tauren wrote:

and charge you for each bag you have in the car, and extra if you don't want to just sit in the car all the way over.

Yeah and change the Irish crews out for dirt cheap foreign nationals helping to make record profits for the company, oh wait, that's Irish Ferries... Maybe O'Leary could learn from them?

gary the great

Do ferrys book like flights?

The earlier you book the cheaper they are?

testicle

Anyone had to change a car details, or a passenger name with a ferry company, after booking, before?

Alun

testicle wrote:

Anyone had to change a car details, or a passenger name with a ferry company, after booking, before?

I've had to 'delete' a passenger once on a Stenaline ferry. Went OK, except I had to phone instead of just doing it over the net, and I even got a refund!

Bradidup

Tauren wrote:

and charge you for each bag you have in the car, and extra if you don't want to just sit in the car all the way over.

Air bag??

Henry Ford III

crosstownk wrote:

EDIT : P&O Irish Sea do a service to Mostyn which can be quite cheap (not sure if they still do) but check it out www.poirishsea.com

Service has been withdrawn.

JohnCleary

testicle wrote:

Anyone had to change a car details, or a passenger name with a ferry company, after booking, before?

Yes, I nearly *always* have to amend my ferry times, never been a problem, just phone before you get to the terminal

JohnCleary

gary the great wrote:

Do ferrys book like flights?

The earlier you book the cheaper they are?

Yeah, definately the case with Irish Ferries anyhow

Our man in Havana

Larne Cairnryan ftw!

Prices seem to be fixed on this route.

Our man in Havana

JohnCleary wrote:

Yes, I nearly *always* have to amend my ferry times, never been a problem, just phone before you get to the terminal

Depending on the type of fare you booked, there may be a hefty change fee involved.

gary the great

Anyone know if Pembroke would be closer to London than Holyhead?

gary the great

Bond-007 wrote:

Larne Cairnryan ftw!

Prices seem to be fixed on this route.

Wheres this depart from and where is Larne Cairnryanm (sounds Wlesh!), what line and how much?

Thanks!

Alun

Pembroke - London would probably be quicker than from Holyhead. Easy peasy to navigate too, a short section of A road and then M4 over the Severn Bridge all the way to London.

Larne is in Norn Iron, north of Belfast. Cairnryan is in Scotland. Another similar route is Belfast - Stranraer. Stranraer and Cairnryan are practically next to each other.

crosstownk

Cairnryan is just north of Stranraer in Scotland. P&O Irish Sea operate this sailing.

I've often ammended car details with Irish Ferries, Stena and P&O North Sea - all at no charge.

JohnCleary

Bond-007 wrote:

Depending on the type of fare you booked, there may be a hefty change fee involved.

Never happened to me and I've nearly always had to amend my ferry bookings

testicle

gary the great wrote:

Anyone know if Pembroke would be closer to London than Holyhead?

Pembroke is closer, but Holyhead is Motorway/HQDC all the way. South Wales roads are utter sh1te. Time is about the same.

gary the great

Suppose i'll just take the dublin holyhead 150euro route, didnt think it was going to be that expensive. Might not take the car now as i'll just have to bring it back in a few weeks and pay the same again.

How long does it take to get from Holyhead to Kingston in London (roughly!!), are we talkin about 3,4,5,6 hours?

Alun

testicle wrote:

Pembroke is closer, but Holyhead is Motorway/HQDC all the way. South Wales roads are utter sh1te. Time is about the same.

There's only a short section of 2-lane road from Pembroke, then it's dual carriageway all the way to the M4. Hardly sh1te, I'd say.

Lockster

gary the great wrote:

Suppose i'll just take the dublin holyhead 150euro route, didnt think it was going to be that expensive. Might not take the car now as i'll just have to bring it back in a few weeks and pay the same again.

How long does it take to get from Holyhead to Kingston in London (roughly!!), are we talkin about 3,4,5,6 hours?

I'd allow 4 hours, but probably won't take you that long. Also don't be tempted to go through Wales on the A5, although it looks shorter on a map. Take the A55 from Holyhead all the way to Chester and then the M56, M6 and M40. If time is not an issue then the A5 is a nice scenic drive but don't expect to make good time.

testicle

Alun wrote:

There's only a short section of 2-lane road from Pembroke, then it's dual carriageway all the way to the M4. Hardly sh1te, I'd say.

Must have been upgraded so. Last time I was there the M4 started near LLanelli. There was also roadworks between Pembroek and the M4 which held me up for over an hour, and made me miss the Eurostar.

Captain Trips

gary the great wrote:

Suppose i'll just take the dublin holyhead 150euro route, didnt think it was going to be that expensive. Might not take the car now as i'll just have to bring it back in a few weeks and pay the same again.

How long does it take to get from Holyhead to Kingston in London (roughly!!), are we talkin about 3,4,5,6 hours?

www.viamichelin.com

a brisk four hours, 457km, to Kingston upon Thames. Depends on traffic, and the time of day you are travelling (i.e., nightime you will fly down the motorways, but could be 6 hours+ if you hit rush hours).

The irish ferries Jonathan Swift gets cancelled a *lot* more frequently than the Stena Line HSS, which is a much much bigger boat (I think twice-three times the size, it seems anyway). I have been cancelled on the J Swift countless times and moved to the Ulysses, yet I see the HSS going on all except one of the occasions that the J Swift was cancelled. A major problem is that the J Swift leaves at 0845 - great if it goes as you are hitting the road at around half ten, but if it is cancelled, you get the 0805 (I think - it is earlier), and only get going at around twelve which can see you hitting evening traffic! Not good!

But, although the HSS is more likely to go even when the J Swift is cancelled, it leaves at 1100, which sucks even more! It is more useful on the way back though as it leaves at 1830, so you can easily clear the UK during the daytime.

The Ulysses will go in pretty much any conditions as it is huge, and if Stena have to cancel both the HSS and the slower one (Explorer? can't recall), they will book you on the Ulysses.

The HSS is slightly quicker by aroudn 10 mins, but fo course depends on weather DUn Laoghre or Dublin Port is more convenient.

Alun

testicle wrote:

Must have been upgraded so. Last time I was there the M4 started near LLanelli. There was also roadworks between Pembroek and the M4 which held me up for over an hour, and made me miss the Eurostar.

The M4 still starts near Llanelli. It's about 40km on the single carriageway A477, then another 40kms or so on the dual carriageway A40/A48 around Carmarthen to the start of the M40.

Alun

Captain Trips wrote:

www.viamichelin.com

a brisk four hours, 457km, to Kingston upon Thames. Depends on traffic, and the time of day you are travelling (i.e., nightime you will fly down the motorways, but could be 6 hours+ if you hit rush hours).

The M6 around Birmingham is a favourite bottleneck. Take the M6 Toll road if you're in a hurry and going round there any time near peak times.

Our man in Havana

Alun wrote:

The M6 around Birmingham is a favourite bottleneck. Take the M6 Toll road if you're in a hurry and going round there any time near peak times.

I agree it's well worth the money and it is almost always deserted.

macshadow

gary the great wrote:

Anyone know if Pembroke would be closer to London than Holyhead?

probably is but i'm almost sure the boat trip is longer to pembroke than it is to holyhead.the prices of those motorway restaurants are crazy if you plan to stop along the way.

eamon234

Pembroke or Fishguard is your best bet - Holyhead is much further - I drove from London to Fishguard last year in a battered MG only took about 3 1/2 hours and that was with loads of coffee stops! It's a doddle to navigate and very well signposted as is most of the UK unlike here where the signs are created and erected by someone who had no idea where they were in the first place.

gary the great

Sorry to bump this but im going in the mroning to holyhead which is the quickest route to Surrey? I was told go down by the birmingham toll road way?

Anyone able to give directions?

Our man in Havana

A55 from Holyhead to Manchester direction, M6 towards Birmingham take the toll Road down to the M40 and follow down via Oxford to the M25 London orbital route.

testicle

eamon234 wrote:

Pembroke or Fishguard is your best bet - Holyhead is much further - I drove from London to Fishguard last year in a battered MG only took about 3 1/2 hours and that was with loads of coffee stops! It's a doddle to navigate and very well signposted as is most of the UK unlike here where the signs are created and erected by someone who had no idea where they were in the first place.

What signs do you need!!!

The M4 From London leads on to the A48 which leads onto the A40 which goes straight to Fishguard. No turns anywhere! :cool:

gary the great

testicle wrote:

What signs do you need!!!

The M4 From London leads on to the A48 which leads onto the A40 which goes straight to Fishguard. No turns anywhere! :cool:

Im goin from holyhead

testicle

gary the great wrote:

Im goin from holyhead

you're not eamon234!