Sail and Rail question

Galactic Cowboy

Hi all!
Just wondering when buying Irish Ferries' "sail and rail", what are the benefits? Like, are the rail prices included to make it advantageous, in saving money on rail?
Personally, I plan on going to Carlisle (to get to Whitehaven).

Alun

Basically, the price you pay for the rail travel over and above the normal passenger ferry fare is far less than any train fare you could possibly get otherwise.

Geog1234

It's possible to travel by rail to Whitehaven and the ticket from Dublin (or wherever in Ireland) can show Whitehaven as the final destination.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
will show where to change train.

Hope this information might help and that your trip goes well.

westmidlands

I have used the sail and rail a few times when travelling to the UK, I love it especially when I am not under pressure for time! For me the advantages are that I love the journey, as much as the arrival, and the sail and rail is usually a hassle free journey. No bedlam with massive queues and checking in when boarding the ferry, compared to the airport Travelling on the ferry is very comfortable and the ferries generally link very well with the trains in Holyhead. Travelling through the British countryside on the train to is really nice!

So for me the advantage is that when I do the sail and rail I enjoy the journey, compared to flying which I find a chore.

Hilly Bill

If you get the 08.05 Irish Ferries in the morning, you get to Holyhead at 11.27. You can then get a train all the way to Whitehaven with a change in Chester ,Crewe and Carlisle. You will get there around 18.38.
It will cost you around €46 one way.

I got the route and times from Qjump.co.uk

The benefit is that its a lot cheaper.

seanmacc

Hilly Bill wrote: »

If you get the 08.05 Irish Ferries in the morning, you get to Holyhead at 11.27. You can then get a train all the way to Whitehaven with a change in Chester ,Crewe and Carlisle. You will get there around 18.38.
It will cost you around €46 one way.

I got the route and times from Qjump.co.uk

The benefit is that its a lot cheaper.

Just be careful with the 08:05 sailing, it rarely meets the 11:27 train. The 08:45 Swift (when its running) will make it. Getting off the Ulysess or Stena Adventurer in Holyhead is a good long hike off the ship to a holding area where you get bused the rest of the way to the main terminal where there is immigration, baggage reclaim and then a very short walk to the train platform. Off the 08:05 Ulysess you're more likely going to get the 12:38 train.

Likewise the 14:30 Swift arrives into Holyhead for 16:30 but there is no garauntee that you'll make the 16:50 train. The 17:30 train is the more likely.

Sail Rail is a great way to travel that's largely hassel free. Just always prebook as there is an extra charge for booking on the day and the fast ferry frequently gets booked out during the summer and bank holiday weekends.

pclive

Im looking into coming back from Manchester on a Sunday in November

Trains arrive in Holyhead at 16:57 and 17:30 with a sailing at 17:15 pity they arent a bit better scheduled as id have to arrive on an earlier train at 15:57

LXFlyer

seanmacc wrote: »

Just be careful with the 08:05 sailing, it rarely meets the 11:27 train. The 08:45 Swift (when its running) will make it. Getting off the Ulysess or Stena Adventurer in Holyhead is a good long hike off the ship to a holding area where you get bused the rest of the way to the main terminal where there is immigration, baggage reclaim and then a very short walk to the train platform. Off the 08:05 Ulysess you're more likely going to get the 12:38 train.

Likewise the 14:30 Swift arrives into Holyhead for 16:30 but there is no garauntee that you'll make the 16:50 train. The 17:30 train is the more likely.

Sail Rail is a great way to travel that's largely hassel free. Just always prebook as there is an extra charge for booking on the day and the fast ferry frequently gets booked out during the summer and bank holiday weekends.

Why would anyone expect that if travelling on the 08:05 sailing that you would arrive in time for the 11:27 train given that the ship is not due to arrive until 11:30? Or are you expecting to be able to travel in time?

The recognised weekday train connections are:

To Holyhead

Irish Ferries:
08:05 Sailing - 12:32 train
08:45 Swift Sailing - 11:27 train
14:30 Swift Sailing - 17:30 train
20:55 Sailing - 04:25 train

Stena Line
02:15 Sailing - 06:28 train
08:20 Sailing - 12:32 train
15:10 Sailing - 19:21 train
21:15 Sailing - 04:25 train

From Holyhead the latest advertised connections are:

Irish Ferries:
02:40 Sailing - 00:48 arrival
11:50 Swift Sailing - 10:36 arrival
14:10 Sailing - 13:13 arrival
17:15 Swift Sailing - 16:15 arrival

Stena Line
02:30 Sailing - 00:48 arrival
08:55 Sailing - 08:23 arrival
13:50 Sailing - 13:13 arrival
20:30 Sailing - 19:16 arrival

To see all possible connections go to www.nationalrail.co.uk

Use: "Dublin Ferryport" for Irish Ferries and "Dublin Port - Stena" for Stena Line.

Hilly Bill

seanmacc wrote: »

Just be careful with the 08:05 sailing, it rarely meets the 11:27 train. The 08:45 Swift (when its running) will make it. Getting off the Ulysess or Stena Adventurer in Holyhead is a good long hike off the ship to a holding area where you get bused the rest of the way to the main terminal where there is immigration, baggage reclaim and then a very short walk to the train platform. Off the 08:05 Ulysess you're more likely going to get the 12:38 train.

Likewise the 14:30 Swift arrives into Holyhead for 16:30 but there is no garauntee that you'll make the 16:50 train. The 17:30 train is the more likely.

Sail Rail is a great way to travel that's largely hassel free. Just always prebook as there is an extra charge for booking on the day and the fast ferry frequently gets booked out during the summer and bank holiday weekends.

I have 11.27 as the arrival time in Holyhead not the departure time of the train.

Hilly Bill

pclive wrote: »

Im looking into coming back from Manchester on a Sunday in November

Trains arrive in Holyhead at 16:57 and 17:30 with a sailing at 17:15 pity they arent a bit better scheduled as id have to arrive on an earlier train at 15:57

Whats wrong with arriving around and hour and 15 minutes before your boat leaves?

Bogger77

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Whats wrong with arriving around and hour and 15 minutes before your boat leaves?

you spend an hour too long in Holyhead Ferry terminal, it is I believe, the worst place to have to spend any time!!

was there in August, arrived around mid night, there was literally nothing left in the vending machines, and the coffee machine had only 1 or 2 options working!

Hilly Bill

Bogger77 wrote: »

you spend an hour too long in Holyhead Ferry terminal, it is I believe, the worst place to have to spend any time!!

was there in August, arrived around mid night, there was literally nothing left in the vending machines, and the coffee machine had only 1 or 2 options working!

Holyhead is alright. If you arrive there in the afternoon off a train and your boat leaves in an hour and 15 mins then you dont have to hang around too much before you board the boat.
Arriving there at around midnight off the boat and having to wait around 4 hours for the first train out is a different matter.

Galactic Cowboy

Wow, didn't expect so many responses in the end. Thanks SO much everyone. Very helpful!

Rabbitt

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Holyhead is alright. If you arrive there in the afternoon off a train and your boat leaves in an hour and 15 mins then you dont have to hang around too much before you board the boat.
Arriving there at around midnight off the boat and having to wait around 4 hours for the first train out is a different matter.

If you get in to Holyhead at 00:30 on a Sunday morning the first train ain't till 8:45. It's a pity there is no way to get off the island at that time .
It's such a grim place.

Does anyone know if there are other options when arriving that late?

Hilly Bill

Rabbitt wrote: »

If you get in to Holyhead at 00:30 on a Sunday morning the first train ain't till 8:45. It's a pity there is no way to get off the island at that time .
It's such a grim place.

Does anyone know if there are other options when arriving that late?

Get a later boat. Think there is an extra one at 02:15.

LXFlyer

Rabbitt wrote: »

If you get in to Holyhead at 00:30 on a Sunday morning the first train ain't till 8:45. It's a pity there is no way to get off the island at that time .
It's such a grim place.

Does anyone know if there are other options when arriving that late?

Bus Eireann Eurolines is it.

Why would anyone do that trip, particularly as there is no advertised connection, and there is a Stena sailing at 0215 that at least arrives closer to the train departure time?

Rabbitt

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Get a later boat. Think there is an extra one at 02:15.

Your still left with a three hour wait though . Just saying its crap how there is not even a bus at that time

LXFlyer

There is a bus.

Bus Eireann Eurolines.
http://www.buseireann.ie/inner.php?id=250#Dublin_-_Birmingham_-_Milton_Keynes_-_London

Hilly Bill

Rabbitt wrote: »

Your still left with a three hour wait though . Just saying its crap how there is not even a bus at that time

Its sunday morning. Either get the eurolines bus or get an earlier sailing or the 08:05 sunday morning.

Vic_08

Rabbitt wrote: »

Your still left with a three hour wait though . Just saying its crap how there is not even a bus at that time

Have you actually checked?

Obviously not as there are three.
Eurolines to Birmingham and London.
Eurolines to Bangor, Chester, Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds
Megabus to Manchester with connection to London

Although for all three, particularly Eurolines, it would be cheaper to book through from Ireland it is possible to board all of them at Holyhead after arriving as a foot passenger or indeed not as a ferry passenger at all.

markpb

I got the bus to London two years a go just to avoid the overnight wait in Holyhead. We reached Milton Keans around 7am, the outskirts of London (some tube station that I don't know the name of) around 8am and didn't get to Victoria bus station until almost 10:30, several hours later than expected. Wasn't very impressed.

LXFlyer

That doesn't sound representative - there must have been some serious traffic problems.

It would have been Golders Green. It shouldn't take several hours from there to Victoria.

Fratton Fred

Rosslare to Fishguard is the way to go if you need to be in London early. The train service is excellent.

devnull

Holyhead is indeed grim, done sailrail once since it was last minute and thankfully did not have to wait long for a train, but the whole place is run down and very depressing, the station itself is one of the most depressing places I've ever seen.

Also annoys me that the way rail tickets are done the Irish end is very poor, handwritten paper, no seat reservations and in my case the handwritten was wrong (which caused me some fun later). I booked a sailrail online from the UK and it was a far better experience, proper tickets, proper reservations.

Rabbitt

devnull wrote: »

Holyhead is indeed grim, done sailrail once since it was last minute and thankfully did not have to wait long for a train, but the whole place is run down and very depressing, the station itself is one of the most depressing places I've ever seen.

Also annoys me that the way rail tickets are done the Irish end is very poor, handwritten paper, no seat reservations and in my case the handwritten was wrong (which caused me some fun later). I booked a sailrail online from the UK and it was a far better experience, proper tickets, proper reservations.

Grim probabaly doesn't do it justice. The thoughts of spending a few hours there waiting on a train are horrible .

LXFlyer

Rabbitt wrote: »

Grim probabaly doesn't do it justice. The thoughts of spending a few hours there waiting on a train are horrible .

Well then don't travel on the two evening sailings - use the daytime ones, or the 02:15 sailing Monday-Saturday.

Rabbitt

lxflyer wrote: »

Well then don't travel on the two evening sailings - use the daytime ones, or the 02:15 sailing Monday-Saturday.

Do you think if that was an option I'd be posting here?

Alun

Holyhead itself is indeed a bit of a dump, but if you want to stay somewhere overnight there are a few places within a very short taxi ride from the terminal that are much nicer. I've stayed in Trearddur Bay a couple of times for example, see http://trearddurbay.com/anglesey/accommodation/

LXFlyer

Rabbitt wrote: »

Do you think if that was an option I'd be posting here?

Well I've twice given you the only option that there is - the bus.