Best ( cheapest ) car ferry

cj maxx

I'm looking at taking the car over to England for a week/10 days this summer. The plan is to head to Lancashire from and returning from southern England, Brighton. Again to probably Dublin, though NI is also an option as I'm close to the border.

Liverpool would be one option, maybe Heysham? . With P&O gone , what's my best option? I've never taken the car before, cheers

L1011

The price is hugely variable based on the dates your going; and you'll really have to check each operator. NI only makes sense to Scotland, you wouldn't backtrack there to go to Liverpool unless you valued your time at zero.

P&O will almost certainly return in some form.

XsApollo

Liverpool or Holyhead I suppose?

Liverpool is 6-7 hour ferry , Holyhead can be quick on the fast ferry 1.40 mins if I remember correctly and 3 Hours on the standard ferry.

depends what you wanna do really?

you wanna drive a few hours or you wanna spend it on the boat, probably make it to your destination near enough the same time taking the 3 hour Holyhead or the longer Liverpool.

cj maxx

Oh , I'd rather be driving. Anytime I've taken a ferry I was getting a lift, no beer this time !

AndyBoBandy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118803199#Comment_118803199

Dublin to Holyhead then is the best option, Irish Ferries & Stena Line are the operators.

Big Ferries take about 3 hours 30 minutes, fast ferry takes about 1 hour 40 minutes, but the fast ferry is only seasonal, and prone to bad weather cancellations (however if this happened, you’d me moved to the bigger slower ferry which go in almost any weather).

cj maxx

Then Holyhead it is. I just checked Google maps and it only a 2 1/2 hour drive to where I want to go first. Cheers

cj maxx

I was a bit picky about ferries. The 2nd drive when I get there is bloody 5 hrs , nonstop.

XsApollo

I don’t think you would be making lancashire - Brighton in 5 hours unless you are going at night.

on a perfect day you might do it in 5-6 hours , can easily double that on a not so good day and treble it on a s*it day,

if you are going down the motorway network during a work day and at peak time forget it.

cj maxx

It was only Google maps that said that. I'd plan to be stopping off for a piss/meal. But looking at the map I've loads of cousins / elderly relatives in the Midlands to visit. I'm really looking forward to it now.

XsApollo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118803884#Comment_118803884

Yea was just a heads up if you are not familiar with driving up and down the Uk it can go south pretty quickly 😁

zg3409

One way you can reduce cost is converting tesco clubcard points into ferry credits.

Shop around and a times ferry companies have special offers

https://www.irishferries.com/ie-en/special-offers-from-britain-to-ireland/tesco-tokens/

cj maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118804979#Comment_118804979

Cool. When they run again I should have a decent batch of tesco points built up.

Cape Clear

AXA insurance offers discounts for Stena line I think it's 10% for policy holders