rail & sail problems foot passenger discrimination

car free kate

I love rail & sail travel, but it's a major pain to make the connections work. I need to get from South Wales to Holyhead to Dublin Port on Dec 30th. Had happily settled on long train journey to Holyhead in time for 21.30 ferry, only to be told that sailing does not accept Foot Passengers.
I'm furious, it seems really discriminatory. The earlier sailings don't work in terms of train connections.

I know the obvious route is Fishguard Rosslare for me, but I try to boycott that route because Irish Rail are the absolute worst offenders when it comes to rail and sail. No more will I stand on the Stena Line deck in the dark 15 minutes from Rosslare and be insulted by the sight of the Irish train like a lit up necklace pulling out from the station.

Has anybody come up with a way around this? Like say showing up at Holyhead for the 21.30 and asking to be let on?
When I moved back to Dublin last year I sold my car and adopted a greener and calmer lifestyle by living and working in the heart of town. I don't like flying. Happy to let that go. But now I'm stressed by the horrible attitude of travel companies who don't really want to accommodate people like me.
I'd really appreciate some suggestions. Thanks in advance.
Kate.

scudzilla

car free kate wrote: »

I love rail & sail travel, but it's a major pain to make the connections work. I need to get from South Wales to Holyhead to Dublin Port on Dec 30th. Had happily settled on long train journey to Holyhead in time for 21.30 ferry, only to be told that sailing does not accept Foot Passengers.
I'm furious, it seems really discriminatory. The earlier sailings don't work in terms of train connections.

I know the obvious route is Fishguard Rosslare for me, but I try to boycott that route because Irish Rail are the absolute worst offenders when it comes to rail and sail. No more will I stand on the Stena Line deck in the dark 15 minutes from Rosslare and be insulted by the sight of the Irish train like a lit up necklace pulling out from the station.

Has anybody come up with a way around this? Like say showing up at Holyhead for the 21.30 and asking to be let on?
When I moved back to Dublin last year I sold my car and adopted a greener and calmer lifestyle by living and working in the heart of town. I don't like flying. Happy to let that go. But now I'm stressed by the horrible attitude of travel companies who don't really want to accommodate people like me.
I'd really appreciate some suggestions. Thanks in advance.
Kate.

Hey, i travel back to North Wales on a regular basis to see family and i use the Rail & Sail, i think you can go on the Stena ferry's as a foot pasenger from Dublin but not from Holyhead, give them a call direct at the port on 01407 606666, they may be able to help.

Could you not get the 14:10 Irish Ferries service? Would mean leaving South Wales pretty early but can easily be done.

I know what ya mean about the trains, they're complete and uter crap, The Swift docks at 10:45, Ulysses at 11:30, and the 11:45 train from Holyhead is only 2 carriages, many times it's been crammed and people haven't been let on, and don't even get me started on the Sunday times!!!! The train leaves 20 mins before the boat docks and ya have to wait 2.5hrs for the next one!

Gillo

I've never used it but Bus Eireann offer a bus service to loads of UK cities. It may be an option to get that as you won't be a foot passenger.

Our man in Havana

There must be a reason for no foot passengers at that time. Drunks?

scudzilla

Bond-007 wrote: »

There must be a reason for no foot passengers at that time. Drunks?

Nah, i think the reason is that the Irish Ferries has a walkway onto the boat, but sometimes do bus the passengers on. Stena has no walkway and rely solely on passengers being bussed on board.
I'm sure if she rang the number i posted above they'd be able to help.

scudzilla

Also i know the OP said she didn't like flying but would she consider it? Train from South Wales to Holyhead, 5hrs plus, hanging around in port, 1 hr, Ferry, 3.5 hrs compared to a 60euro 50 minute flight from Cardiff to Dublin with Aer Arran, i know what i'd be doing

kindalen

ty googling private coach companies like jj kavanagh or john mcginley that might do uk runs.
you might e able to hook up with them en route somewhere and just jump out in dublin? messy but just might work for you.

car free kate

I feel really guilty, started using these boards in November, had a big rant about my sail & rail problems, then promptly forgot to come back and see if anyone had replied.

But I just wanted to say that your replies are still really useful to me; I take the ferry regularly and I'm going to check out your suggestions, so thank you so much Scudzilla, Gillo, Bond 007 and Kindalean.

Just to say I took the Irish Ferries boat to Holyhead on 27th, not without some issues, ( my rail sail tickets never arrived; you can't get these online, I had opted for the post, they are issued like a manual cheque book, I had to walk down to Alexandra Road, buy new tickets on the promise that I'd be refunded after my return journey, the original amount was taken out of my bank account on 1st December, I eventually got a refund on 25th January, and that was after 4 calls. Complete pain in the arse, the onus all on the customer.)

Despite all that, rail & sail to south Wales is still cheap as chips at €88.
By the way, I came back New Years Eve, on the 02.40 boat, after a 5 hour wait in Holyhead. Sounds nuts I know, but I can work while I wait, so that's ok, beats flying for me. A few of us anti-new-years eve oddballs had the boat literally to ourselves, had a bit of a party, so I can really recommend that night to travel.

But next time, I'm going to call the port itself like Scudzilla recommended, and I'm also going to check the Bus Eireann and other bus company options.

On a similar note, wouldn't you think that a 1st world country with a Green Party in power could manage to join the dots enough to make a Rosslare bound train happily connect with a ferry to Fishguard! I think it beggars belief - and they still have the nerve to suggest we leave cars at home and travel by public transport!

Thanks again for all your help and courtesy.

car free kate.

undo

The shameful lack of integration between public transport services in Ireland is a frequent topic on the Rail Users Ireland forum. You might want to pop over there and report on your adventures. People in RUI have lots of experience with Irish Rail, with Rail & Sail and the like. And they also lobby those in power... the more passengers voice their opinion, the more chance there is of actually achieving something.

Fratton Fred

As a side note OP, I see you are interested in a calmer greener lifestyle. Are you aware that the planes Aer Arran and Flybe use are the greenest way to fly?

Other than a hanglider of course!

car free kate

undo wrote: »

The shameful lack of integration between public transport services in Ireland is a frequent topic on the Rail Users Ireland forum. You might want to pop over there and report on your adventures. People in RUI have lots of experience with Irish Rail, with Rail & Sail and the like. And they also lobby those in power... the more passengers voice their opinion, the more chance there is of actually achieving something.

I'll check that out - and thanks for taking the time to comment.

cfc

car free kate

Fratton Fred wrote: »

As a side note OP, I see you are interested in a calmer greener lifestyle. Are you aware that the planes Aer Arran and Flybe use are the greenest way to fly?

Other than a hanglider of course!

My daughters fly Aer Arran regularly, I have done so occasionally, it's just that I actually love boats and trains, along with the environmental aspects. Given a choice between a big shiny jet or a leaky bucket across the pond, I'd happily go for the bucket.

The time suck can be an issue, but I can do some work as I go and also, I have to say, I find I can de-stress on those long meandering journeys, I've ploughed through a heap of reading matter which I never seem to have time for at home, that kind of thing.

So if rail and sail was more efficient, I reckon more people would find it attractive as a real switch off from the pressures of busy lives. cfk