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Irish Ferries - Lack of availability on Sail and Rail

  • 25-04-2025 12:03PM
    #1
    fergalfrog
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 356 ✭✭


    Hi,

    I have emailed Irish Ferries 3 times (without response) and having tried another forum I am turning to the good people of boards to get an answer to an Irish Ferries puzzle.

    I am trying to find out why certain Irish Ferries services to Holyhead cannot be booked as Sail and Rail tickets despite there being availability for foot passengers on these ferries.


    When I contacted Irish Ferries by phone the reason given was that there were no connecting services but this make no sense as there are plenty of connecting trains available. In any case if I should decide to hang out at Holyhead that should be my decision.

    You can test this with Saturday July 5th as per attached screenshots. There is availability for foot passengers on the 08:05 ferry but not if I want to do Sail and Rail. It is a slower ferry but I want to book this service so I can get a cabin for my kids and so we don't need to leave Dublin as early. We will still get in to Holyhead in plenty of time to get a train.

    Also it is not because rail tickets are not yet available. I have been told Irish Ferries manage the ferry booking and then issue an open train ticket so it should not be dependent on train companies opening reservations or loading timetables anyway. Even for next week there are ferries available to book as a foot passenger but they are not available for Sail and Rail bookings (see Dublin-Holyhead 13:45 service on Wednesday April 30th).

    Any insights would be appreciated. I don't want to book ferry and train separately as it will increase the cost for a family of 4 by a minimum of €150. We are going from the west of ireland to northern Holland and trying to do this for the first time without flying.

    Thanks

    july-5th-foot-passenger.png
    july-5th-train-times.png
    july-5th-ferry-times.png
    Tagged:


Comments

  • #2
    interlocked
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 516 ✭✭✭interlocked


    I had this issue last month.

    The problem is that the Sail Rail train connections are based on the old defunct sailing times that have changed since the Holyhead incident.

    This means that even though trains can make the connection with the revised sailing times they are not bookable as Sail Rail tickets because the National Rail timetable has not revised them as such.

    I rang both Transport for Wales, who manage Sail Rail tickets for all rail companies, and Irish Ferries. Both are aware of the anomaly but cannot do anything about it until it's changed at a national level. (Sail Rail tickets require specific train connections. They are not open tickets and the journey cannot be broken, apart from connections)



  • #3
    fergalfrog
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 356 ✭✭fergalfrog


    Thanks for the insight @interlocked

    At least I know why this is like this now - much appreciated.

    That's bonkers. I assume they gave no indication of when this will be fixed? I thought about booking this and then if they have fixed by when I am going (July) I might be able to change my ferry time. However the cancellation charge is 100% (no refund) so I am guessing changing an existing booking will be equally as restrictive.



  • #4
    mondeoman72
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,030 ✭✭✭mondeoman72


    There could well be truth to this. I contacted stena a while back about a sail and rail and the dope tried to tell me there was no stop in Chester but I could transfer in London Euston on way to Chester. (Holyhead to Chester via London LOL)

    Hello?

    I next rang the customer care line and explained what they were telling people and they booked it where the sail and rail number said they couldnt.



  • #5
    D8 boy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 77 ✭✭D8 boy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123388332#Comment_123388332

    Sail Rai tickets issued in Ireland ARE open tickets. They are simple old-school CIV handwritten tickets, and breaks of journey are permitted in both directions. This is just as well as when we travelled from Dublin to London last summer, Avanti services were all over the place so we had to do a lot of replanning en route.

    IMG_1938.jpeg


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