Holyhead to London train

rainbowtrout · 23-05-2015 12:33AM

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?

Doing it next week. Driving to Scandinavia. Have brought the car to Switzerland/Austria/ Italy before. Don't see too many Irish cars south of Paris.

crockholm · 23-05-2015 02:06AM

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Doing it next week. Driving to Scandinavia. Have brought the car to Switzerland/Austria/ Italy before. Don't see too many Irish cars south of Paris.

Went the opposite way recently,would reccommend that if you are staying overnight in Germany to book first.A plethora of motorway motels in Holland and Denmark,but scarce as hens teeth in deutschland ime

Dexter Bip · 23-05-2015 02:08AM

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Doing it next week. Driving to Scandinavia. Have brought the car to Switzerland/Austria/ Italy before. Don't see too many Irish cars south of Paris.

The main people you see south of the Loire are Dutch with Caravans. Watch for the yellow number plates. Great people and best of fun to meet with for a few beers. The caravsns don't go south empty.

KatW4 · 23-05-2015 06:04AM

We sometimes did this coming home from London if we were short on money/emergency trips home. My god it was awful! It took a whole day and then practically a whole week to recover from the tiredness. Waiting for hours for connecting trains used to drive me mad.

That said, we did have fun and saved a good bit of money. Can't imagine I'll ever do it again now that I've moved home.

Mint Sauce · 23-05-2015 06:23AM

Done it twice. Once as a kid, and once as an adult with my bike as didn't trust the airlines with it. Managed to get a direct train London to Holyhead, and a single change in Chester Holyhead to London. Only 2 problems is no connecting service at this end, at least if train delayed going to Holyhead, the Ferry will usally wait depending on time/numbers. Also line is electrified all the way to Chester, but Loco pulled the rest of the way, so a slower and not as smooth section of journey.

If ever to do again though would bring own car.

mocha please! · 23-05-2015 06:41AM

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?

My parents used to drive us to France for camping holidays when we were very young. I guess it was probably less stressful than flying with a few young children. Also flights were a lot more expensive back then. My dad loves driving, so he didn't mind the journey at all.

nokia69 · 23-05-2015 06:54AM

have got the ferry and the train plenty of times, I really hate airports and planes can be a pain too

trains are the best way to travel IMO

Capt'n Midnight · 23-05-2015 07:29AM

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Don't see too many Irish cars south of Paris.

They're easy to recognise. We're the only ones who stay in the overtaking lane when the driving lane is empty.

SEPT 23 1989 · 23-05-2015 07:40AM

Its a more civilised way to travel

charlietheminxx · 23-05-2015 08:04AM

I've done the Eurolines bus from Busaras to London and back a few times. It's tiring but I've mainly done it to music festivals so my baggage wasn't limited!

ninebeanrows · 23-05-2015 08:09AM

Addle wrote: »

Cheap, stress free and scenic.

You obviously didn't do this last night!

Train standing room only 3/4 of the way.

IF boat completely full, not a seat for the last 2 batches of foot passengers.

People were sprawled all over the floors!

Buona Fortuna · 23-05-2015 08:11AM

silverfeather wrote: »

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.

I hate flying - the whole experience from the get go. Rush to here, then wait. Rush to here then wait. Then sit next to somone obnoxious with your knees bent for nearly two hours. I find it just fcuks up my whole day.

And wasn't it that great thinker Mike Reid, who said "If the ship goes down, I can swim a bit. I can't fly at all." :pac:

Mushy · 23-05-2015 08:11AM

P_1 wrote: »

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

Holyhead has a special place in the pits of hell too though.

Still love the sailrail though. Had to use it last minute as missed a flight from London home on a Sunday evening. Great service if you don't mind spending the time travelling.

rainbowtrout · 23-05-2015 09:12AM

crockholm wrote: »

Went the opposite way recently,would reccommend that if you are staying overnight in Germany to book first.A plethora of motorway motels in Holland and Denmark,but scarce as hens teeth in deutschland ime

Ya I have accommodation booked. I did notice the lack of accommodation in Germany when I was organising it.

petrolcan · 23-05-2015 09:49AM

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.

When I moved over here I did the bus/ferry thing.

Left Letterkenny at 8am and arrived in London at 8 the following morning.

That *really* was hell on earth.

Firefox11 · 23-05-2015 11:36AM

Addle wrote: »

Cheap, stress free and scenic.

I absolutely love traveling by train.:)

stehyl15 · 23-05-2015 11:40AM

It would cool if was like the Sicily train where they put the actual train on the boat

stehyl15 · 23-05-2015 11:48AM

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.

Well good luck driving into central London

AndonHandon · 23-05-2015 12:04PM

Those arts degrees aren't paying as much as they would have liked; at least it gets them hospitality jobs though.

MadYaker · 23-05-2015 12:12PM

That train looked like some craic though...

purplepanda · 23-05-2015 12:19PM

Went to a funeral in Longford during the winter snow before Xmas a few years back by train after Ryanair cancelled my flight due to conditions. Left Euston 07.20 & was in Longford at 5PM by train & ferry! That was with the fast ferry at noon from Holyhead to Dublin Port!

Seems the fast ferry has gone nowadays so that adds 2 hours to the sea journey, I often used to be in Dublin by 3PM via fast ferry. As I live a 15minute bus ride from Euston it's a much better option than traveling to a faraway airpot!

I also get the ferry Paddington to Rosslare Wexford as flights to Waterford are crazy prices, although I think the Southend - Waterford route have been withdrawn.

I think the SailRail need to get their timetables sorted out as there still is a potential market for them to exploit. Personally I prefer rail & ferry / Eurostar for shorter journeys & planes for further distances.

anto9 · 23-05-2015 12:23PM

Mr.S wrote: »

if your lucky to get the direct train to or from London, and not wait hours in hollyhead (AKA the worst place in the world)

--

I've taken it a few times, just because it was last minute and the flights where expensive and one year when a snowstorm hit and we had to get home for christmas as all the flights where cancelled.

I did it the other way 2 weeks ago .London to Dublin ,train and boat .Cost 49 sterling .Nice train and boat .Only problem the train arrived in Hollyhead at 10pm ,but the boat did not leave till 2.30 am ;-(
To pass some time went walk abouts in Grim Hollyhead .Had a pint in the best looking bar i could see from outside .Inside it was grim with strange as fcuk local people .They did not revert to their native tongue as i have come across before but made sarcastic remarks in English .lol

mackerski · 23-05-2015 12:26PM

stehyl15 wrote: »

Well good luck driving into central London

You've heard of the M25, right?

Grandpa Hassan · 23-05-2015 12:28PM

mackerski wrote: »

You've heard of the M25, right?

What's that got to do with anything? Sail rail drops you into the city

mackerski · 23-05-2015 12:30PM

Grandpa Hassan wrote: »

What's that got to do with anything? Sail rail drops you into the city

Fair point. I was thinking of non-London destinations. Because one of the big upsides of sail rail is how it reaches destinations that are nowhere near an airport.

afatbollix · 23-05-2015 12:39PM

mackerski wrote: »

You've heard of the M25, right?

The M25 is about 20 miles from the centre of London. It could also take you 3 hours on a good day to travel that distance!

AndonHandon · 23-05-2015 12:51PM

purplepanda wrote: »

Went to a funeral in Longford during the winter snow before Xmas a few years back by train after Ryanair cancelled my flight due to conditions. Left Euston 07.20 & was in Longford at 5PM by train & ferry! That was with the fast ferry at noon from Holyhead to Dublin Port!

Seems the fast ferry has gone nowadays so that adds 2 hours to the sea journey, I often used to be in Dublin by 3PM via fast ferry. As I live a 15minute bus ride from Euston it's a much better option than traveling to a faraway airpot!

I also get the ferry Paddington to Rosslare Wexford as flights to Waterford are crazy prices, although I think the Southend - Waterford route have been withdrawn.

I think the SailRail need to get their timetables sorted out as there still is a potential market for them to exploit. Personally I prefer rail & ferry / Eurostar for shorter journeys & planes for further distances.

It took you 8 hours to go from London to Longford and you say that's good?!?!

Capt'n Midnight · 23-05-2015 06:51PM

stehyl15 wrote: »

It would cool if was like the Sicily train where they put the actual train on the boat

I don't know, maybe it's because they don't have tides.

Oh and the difference in rail gauge 4' 81/2" vs. 1.6m Our railways went metric in 1843

Santa Cruz · 23-05-2015 07:03PM

Last time I travelled from Crewe to Holyhead the train went about 30 mph. When it came to small stations any prospective passenger put out their hands as if hailing a bus. Real 1950s stuff

Van Hoop · 23-05-2015 08:31PM

On the ferry now in Dublin Port. Wish I was getting train other side but only paid 20 English pound for ferry and bus to London, which is pretty good value I think. Seen same trip for 15 sterling if you book well in advance.

Holyhead to London train

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