Irish Rail Rip Off

taato

I can't believe the prices charged by Irish Rail. I travelled from Carrick-on-Shannon to Dublin on Friday and was charged €29.50 for a ONE WAY ticket. I asked yer man selling the tickets how much would it be for a return and he said €30.50!!!!! Only a euro extra for taking up a prime-time seat on a friday evenint train......Had I known that in advance I would have bought the return and given it some random stranger in connolly that evening just to save some other poor victim from being ripped off by these shower. I wouldn't mind only I had looked up the price on the website a week before and the same journey was €14.99!!!! I didn't book because I wasn't sure if the meeting was definately going ahead. I knew I would have to pay extra on the day but seriously tho.........almost double!!!! GRRRRR. Needless to say I won't be using their services again anytime soon even though I will be travelling to Dubln regularly over the coming months. I'm not surprised that more than half the punters on the train that I could see are those with the free travel pases from social welfare and a few students. They seem to be the target audience for Irish Rail.

keithclancy

Its been like that for as long as I can remember.

reprazant

They obviously want you to book it earlier than on the day. They also want you to use the internet rather than buying the ticket there and have made it cheaper to entice you. I am pretty sure they state that on their website. It is the same with getting flights. You wouldn't leave it to the day to book a flight unless it was absolutely necessary. There has been a minimum difference between single and return for years now.

taato

Yeah I guess thats true - I just don't use the train that often...... I'm not sure if I understand the rationale behind charging nearly the same for a single as a return though. Using the airline example - they still price per leg of journey. Ah well lesson learned - they'll not make much out of me.

keithclancy

taato wrote: »

Yeah I guess thats true - I just don't use the train that often...... I'm not sure if I understand the rationale behind charging nearly the same for a single as a return though. Using the airline example - they still price per leg of journey. Ah well lesson learned - they'll not make much out of me.

The majority of the main airlines charge double for a single than what a return costs.

E.G. KLM - Amsterdam - Berlin
120 return or 400 euros one way.

The budget airlines, e.g. Aer Lingus, Ryanair, Easyjet do one way fares.

sandin

Try taking a train bin uk at last minute without booking online. Birmingham to London - about the same distance - £85 ONE WAY!!!!!

Irish rail is dirt cheap in comparison.

keeponhurling

29.50 Carrick to Dublin is actually cheaper than I would have expected.
I recall paying around 70 euro one time, Dublin to Limerick.

Cowboys Ted, Cowboys!

taato

I'm totally shocked at €70 Dublin to Limerick....was that single or return? Sacre Bleu! Cowboys indeed Ted. I think more 'paying customers' would use the train if they were more reasonable - but that's just me I guess.

road_high

Yea believe it or not Irish rail fares are very reasonable especially compared to the UK.

jack747

not as bad as bus eireann, its cheaper for me to buy an adult ticket as apposed to a student one from mullingar to dublin. It make's no sense there an absolute joke and its a rip off aswell, wish i didn't have to go with them but I've no other choice.

taato

I agree - the UK rail system seems very expensive but is quite efficient compared to the Irish system, with much more frequency. Also the distances in the UK can be deceptive - it may not be much more expensive per KM or per Mile. I'm not qualified to comment on that.

I know that I've recently used trains in Spain and Belgium and they weren't expensive at all. In the case of Spain - a 'one way' ticket was half the price of a 'return' as it should be, I can't say for Belgium because I bough a return ticket.

keithclancy

taato wrote: »

I agree - the UK rail system seems very expensive but is quite efficient compared to the Irish system, with much more frequency. Also the distances in the UK can be deceptive - it may not be much more expensive per KM or per Mile. I'm not qualified to comment on that.

I know that I've recently used trains in Spain and Belgium and they weren't expensive at all. In the case of Spain - a 'one way' ticket was half the price of a 'return' as it should be, I can't say for Belgium because I bough a return ticket.

The system in the UK is stupid.
Getting a ticket to travel further is sometimes cheaper.
Or even buying a sail rail ticket is cheaper than just the train.

Compared to the Dutch and German Rail operators the UK rail system is crap.

Belgium isn't great either, that Fyra thing is a total joke.

xpletiv

Balbriggan to Laytown - 6.20. SINGLE. Biggest rip off in the country and as far as I know its the most expensive stretch of track per mile in Europe. 8 minutes on the train, including a stop at Gormanston.

Laytown to Dublin - 13 euro single. Talk about scum. They use the 'its over the county border' excuse yet the same for Bray, Maynooth, and Kilcoole. So just a rip off.

Geuze

keithclancy wrote: »

Belgium isn't great either, that Fyra thing is a total joke.

Fyra is (mainly) Dutch, although of course the trains should run to Bruss.

I found Belgian railways good value, frequent.

7.50 max for any journey in Jul/Aug - "Summer Ticket" promotion.

reprazant

That is done here as well with the tenner for August promotion that has been going the last few years.

Dudda

I get the train about once a month. It's not bad if you book online more than a week in advance. I'd avoid buying a single on day of departure if possible. One thing to note though is their transfer system doesn't work that well. I remember going to Electric Picnic eg from Galway to Portlaoise which requires a change in Portarlington check for a single to Poartloaise and a single from there to Portarlington as it can be cheaper. To be fair though it's the same with flights. If you are going from Shannon to London to Italy as an example it's usually cheaper to look around and buy the flights individually rather than one flight with a stopover.