Holyhead to London train

veryangryman · 22-05-2015 09:55PM #1

Spotted alot of the hometovote crowd taking photos on this. Who is still getting this in this day and age? Is there any advantage of using this over driving, time or flights? I don't get it.

The Backwards Man · 22-05-2015 09:57PM

veryangryman wrote: »

Spotted alot of the hometovote crowd taking photos on this. Who is still getting this in this day and age? Is there any advantage of using this over driving, time or flights? I don't get it.

Trains can't fly and they aren't allowed on the roads.

percy212 · 22-05-2015 09:59PM

Its cheap

my teapot is orange · 22-05-2015 09:59PM

It's about £30 each way I think. A last minute flight will be anything up to £300 depending on how last minute. But yeah, it does waste a whole day travelling.

silverfeather · 22-05-2015 09:59PM

veryangryman wrote: »

Spotted alot of the hometovote crowd taking photos on this. Who is still getting this in this day and age? Is there any advantage of using this over driving, time or flights? I don't get it.

I looked it up it's 50 euro. I don't know if it's much cheaper than flying when you take in to consideration trains or whatever from the airport. I think it's probably similar.

But you don't have to leave a car at the airport etc?

silverfeather · 22-05-2015 10:03PM

Actually my Godmother lives in the UK and has done this. It works out better for some people. Plus some people might not like flying. I hate boats!
It can be cheaper for people though and I get that.

P_1 · 22-05-2015 10:05PM

It's cheap and a lot less stressful than using the pits of hell known as Stansted, Luton, Gatwick and Heathrow

Addle · 22-05-2015 10:07PM

P_1 wrote: »

It's cheap and a lot less stressful than using the pits of hell known as Stansted, Luton, Gatwick and Heathrow

Cheap, stress free and scenic.

Capt'n Midnight · 22-05-2015 10:21PM

You don't have to pay for excess baggage.

And you just can rock up to any mainline station on the morning and buy a ticket to Dublin Ferryport or Dun Laoghaire.

chops018 · 22-05-2015 10:23PM

Interesting.

How long is a train from Holyhead to London?

Also, out of interest, has anyone ever got the ferry over to England with their car and drove across Europe and back for a few weeks?

theteal · 22-05-2015 10:28PM

If booking last minute, its cheaper than flights. Its a long auld journey but if travelling with few mates and a good stock of drink it can be a bit of craic

mackerski · 22-05-2015 10:28PM

chops018 wrote: »

Also, out of interest, has anyone ever got the ferry over to England with their car and drove across Europe and back for a few weeks?

Yes. I sense that you'd like more information than this, but it's hard to know what to add. It was fun?

Sir Osis of Liver. · 22-05-2015 10:28PM

Got a CIE bus to London via Rosslare a few times as a youngster in the late '80s.

Hell on earth.

silverfeather · 22-05-2015 10:29PM

mackerski wrote: »

Yes. I sense that you'd like more information than this, but it's hard to know what to add. It was fun?

We need a raconteur, stat!

chops018 · 22-05-2015 10:30PM

mackerski wrote: »

Yes. I sense that you'd like more information than this, but it's hard to know what to add. It was fun?

Yes. Was it fun?

Costs, stress, live out of a car, did you book into hotels?

Stay anywhere for a few days or just keep driving etc.

Dexter Bip · 22-05-2015 10:35PM

chops018 wrote: »

Interesting.

How long is a train from Holyhead to London?

Also, out of interest, has anyone ever got the ferry over to England with their car and drove across Europe and back for a few weeks?

Yes. Irish Ferries have a Landbridge thing that lets you book both ferries at the same time.
You need to call them rather than book online if I remember correctly but my experience was with at motorhome so I may be wrong on that. It's the best part of full day's drive from Pembroke/Holyhead to Dover (or Folkestone if you use the tunnel) so you might want to plan a stopover somewhere along the route. Mind you with sterling the way it is at the moment it might make more sense to go directly to Europe. Pity as rural England is so pretty and hugely under rated.

scudzilla · 22-05-2015 10:38PM

chops018 wrote: »

Interesting.

How long is a train from Holyhead to London?

The Virgin direct train is about 8 carriages, so probably about 7-800ft, if it's the ariva trains wales then prob 2 carriages up to chester, so maybe 200ft

Hope that helped

kildarecommuter · 22-05-2015 10:42PM

chops018 wrote: »

Interesting.

How long is a train from Holyhead to London?

Also, out of interest, has anyone ever got the ferry over to England with their car and drove across Europe and back for a few weeks?

Yep done that but it's a long boring drive from Holyhead or Fishguard down to Dover although depending on where your going in Europe Calais can be better than Cherbourg/ Roscoff on the direct ferry from Rosslare/ Cork

renegademaster · 22-05-2015 10:44PM

veryangryman wrote: »

Spotted alot of the hometovote crowd taking photos on this. Who is still getting this in this day and age? Is there any advantage of using this over driving, time or flights? I don't get it.

I've done London to Galway by train, I is cheap enough and the scenery is savage

Dexter Bip · 22-05-2015 10:47PM

chops018 wrote: »

Yes. Was it fun?

Costs, stress, live out of a car, did you book into hotels?

Stay anywhere for a few days or just keep driving etc.

Lots of pubs do B&B cheaply in England.

If you are travelling on to France just turn up at the Office de Tourisme in any town and ask them to book somewhere for you to stay for the night - they used to charge a fiver for the service which they provide as a matter of course.
Language is never a problem and you usually end up in a small hotel of B&B at a reasonable cost.
Or, you could bring a tent and slum it in one of the thousands of municipal campsites - very cheap and always available and usually very pleasant.

Years ago we did the Normandy beaches (Bayeux) and then Dinan by car and it was problem free and great fun.
Driving in France is easy.
Definitely do it if you have the chance.

Grandpa Hassan · 22-05-2015 10:48PM

Dexter Bip wrote: »

Pity as rural England is so pretty and hugely under rated.

Underrated by the Irish maybe. Not by the English. Probably 2/3 of my co-workers are countryside bound this weekend....Chilterns, Cotswolds, the Dales, the Lakes....

But back to the sail-rail. The beauty of it is that the price is fixed, even if you just rock up. Try just rocking up to the ryanair desk!

mackerski · 22-05-2015 10:49PM

chops018 wrote: »

Yes. Was it fun?

Costs, stress, live out of a car, did you book into hotels?

Stay anywhere for a few days or just keep driving etc.

It's a bit pricey, both the crossings and the fuel (because you cover distances that don't exist in Ireland). In my case I had a bunch of places I wanted to go and no fixed schedule, so it gave me a freedom I was happy to pay for. What you'll find with the crossing tariffs is that short return fares can be cheap, but if they see you spending a good while away, they know that you will be willing to pay more (and no, you can't game the system by booking a short return, then not coming back).

I very much prefer doing the GB-Continent leg via the Eurotunnel "Le Shuttle" service, since the crossings are frequent and really hassle-free.

As to accommodation, I mostly stayed with friends. I found that a good approach, but I wouldn't recommend you try doing the same - I mean, they barely know you...

Amirani · 22-05-2015 10:54PM

I like the train journey. North Wales has some very nice views, and it's a perfect chance to catch up on a few hours of reading. So hassle free compared to airports.

The Backwards Man · 22-05-2015 10:56PM

Mr.S wrote: »

Out of interest I checked how much a flight to London would cost tomorrow, pretty cheap @ 54 euro with Ryanair. Aerlingus is only about 20euro more. That's pretty decent for last minute at the weekend!

Bank Holiday weekend, everybody is going the other way.

Grandpa Hassan · 22-05-2015 10:59PM

Mr.S wrote: »

Out of interest I checked how much a flight to London would cost tomorrow, pretty cheap @ 54 euro with Ryanair. Aerlingus is only about 20euro more. That's pretty decent for last minute at the weekend!

It's not a normal weekend. British bank holiday so people off to Dublin.

Try looking at a Monday afternoon flight....

Just looked, out of interest. Most flights are sold out and the rest are €250. That's when sail rail comes into it's own

loalae · 22-05-2015 11:28PM

Funnily enough I'm sitting in Holyhead after getting the train and waiting for the ferry right now! I've only got another 3 hours to wait now, the train was only packed for the first 90 mins and sitting on the floor between carriages with a dog drooling on my foot is grand for that length of time. All in all I think I prefer going home through Gatwick.

GreatDefector · 22-05-2015 11:30PM

P_1 wrote: »

It's cheap and a lot less stressful than using the pits of hell known as Stansted, Luton, Gatwick and Heathrow

None of which are really in London

Cool Mo D · 22-05-2015 11:44PM

GreatDefector wrote: »

None of which are really in London

Well, Heathrow is.

Dexter Bip · 22-05-2015 11:58PM

Grandpa Hassan wrote: »

Underrated by the Irish maybe. Not by the English. Probably 2/3 of my co-workers are countryside bound this weekend....Chilterns, Cotswolds, the Dales, the Lakes....

But back to the sail-rail. The beauty of it is that the price is fixed, even if you just rock up. Try just rocking up to the ryanair desk!

Couldn't agree more. I think lots of people either go to the cities or to Wales ( grand in itself and I'm off there on the motorbike next month) but there is so much unspoilt countryside and historic villages in the places that you mentioned. I've been to them all and they are a treasure. It always makes me think when I return and see the way we manage our planning and heritage here - topic for another day.. / Back to original thread.

SCOOP 64 · 23-05-2015 12:00AM

GreatDefector wrote: »

None of which are really in London

Heathrow not London ?

Grandeeod · 23-05-2015 12:14AM

Sir Osis of Liver. wrote: »

Got a CIE bus to London via Rosslare a few times as a youngster in the late '80s.

Hell on earth.

And smelly!

Holyhead to London train

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