Ferry/Rail Dublin to London - advice please

Dinarius

I'd like to travel to London Wednesday or Thursday of next week.

I don't want to fly and I've never gone via ferry/rail, so I'd like to give it a go.

What's the best way from Dublin?

Are certain times of the day better than others?

How can I get the best price?

Many thanks.

D.

zagmund

There's only one way as such - Dublin Port to Holyhead and train on from there. Both Stena & Irish Ferries do a similar "sail and rail" package - check their websites for details. There's no ferry from Dun Laoghaire.

http://www.stenaline.ie/ferries-to-britain/rail-sail
http://www.irishferries.com/uk-en/offers/sail-rail/

Time wise - both traditional ferries leave ~0815 and ~2100 (don't rely on my timings, check the official timetables). The Oscar Wilde fast ferry leaves later in the morning and earlier in the evening as far as I remember.

z

[edit] technically there's also the sail & rail from Rosslare . . . if you get the train from Dublin to Rosslare first.

LXFlyer

Take the daytime normal ferry at 08:05 (Irish Ferries) or 08:20 (Stena).

These have a direct rail connection from Holyhead to London by Virgin Trains at 12:52, which arrives into London Euston at 16:37.

Do NOT take the overnight ferries as these do not have connections at Holyhead.

Coming back, the 09:10 train from London Euston to Holyhead connects into the afternoon Stena and Irish Ferries sailings.

As above book an integrated SailRail ticket online with Irish Ferries or Stena from their websites.

Dinarius

Perfect!

Thanks to you both.

D.

hawkwind23

excellent website here

http://www.seat61.com/

Dinarius

I've just booked with Stena to travel next Thursday, returning next Saturday.

I would have returned next Sunday, but there is no train out of Euston on Sunday morning that will get me to Holyhead for the 13:50 sailing, and I don't want to wait for the evening sailing.

Interestingly, with Stena, you can't book online when booking from Ireland, I was told. You can only book online when booking from the UK. I don't know what the situation is with Irish Ferries. So, presumably, I paid a telephone booking fee that a UK traveler would not have paid.

Anyway, the total return cost was €94, with a €6 surcharge for the credit card.

D.

godtabh

I didn't last year as I was transferring a bike. Be wary of the weather. Delayed sailings can mess up everything.

Dinarius

Thanks.

At least by aiming for the lunchtime sailing on Sunday, I give myself a chance of making the later one too, if necessary.

D.

LXFlyer

godtabh wrote: »

I didn't last year as I was transferring a bike. Be wary of the weather. Delayed sailings can mess up everything.

There is still another direct Virgin Train an hour later, plus an hourly ATW service that connects with the London train at Chester.

Vic_08

Dinarius wrote: »

I've just booked with Stena to travel next Thursday, returning next Saturday.

I would have returned next Sunday, but there is no train out of Euston on Sunday morning that will get me to Holyhead for the 13:50 sailing, and I don't want to wait for the evening sailing.

Just to note for anyone else reading this that normally there is a connection to that sailing on Sundays, it is not possible on that specific date due to engineering works.

Dinarius wrote: »

Interestingly, with Stena, you can't book online when booking from Ireland, I was told. You can only book online when booking from the UK. I don't know what the situation is with Irish Ferries. So, presumably, I paid a telephone booking fee that a UK traveler would not have paid.

Anyway, the total return cost was €94, with a €6 surcharge for the credit card.

D.

It is possible to book journeys starting in Ireland online from many GB rail operator sites. Some require UK addresses to post or ticket collection from a rail sation which is no good for people in Ireland but Virgin and possibly others will also post them internationally with an extra postal fee. Although it will almost certainly be more expensive with the currency conversion and post charge the advantage is that you can reserve specific seats online for the rail portion and also you will get a standard printed UK rail ticket that can be useful for further connections such as cross-London connections via the tube if you book to a destination beyond London. Fares to any UK rail station not covered in the cheaper zones are the same price as London; Dover, Penzance, Inverness or Wick in the far north of Scotland can be purchased for the same price on Sailrail which in many cases is a fraction of the best fare starting from Holyhead without the ferry travel.

godtabh wrote: »

I didn't last year as I was transferring a bike. Be wary of the weather. Delayed sailings can mess up everything.

Only the Irish Ferries Swift sailings are a risk for delays due to weather, all other vessels on the route are capable of keeping to schedule in all but very extreme storms.

Realistically if planning or booking Swift sailings it is a very good idea to have an alternative plan as back-up. For all Swift sailings bar the 08.45 from Dublin the best alternative may be a Stena sailing which Irish Ferries will not offer to passengers who have already bought IF tickets.