Man_in_seat_61

This is a heads-up on a new online booking service, the first website to sell SailRail tickets from the Ireland end, very useful if you need to get from ireland to London or anywhere else in Britain cheaply, whilst actually seeing the countryside!

Irish ferries have (at long last!) launched online ticket sales for the amazingly cheap 'SailRail' train & ferry tickets from any rail station in Ireland (Dublin, Galway, Cork, wherever) to any rail station in Britain (London, Brighton, Bath, Oxford, York, Edinburgh, wherever). It's at www.irishferries.com/ie/sailrail.asp

You can leave Dublin at 08:05 by luxurious superferry 'Ulysses', switch to an air-condiitoned 125mph Virgin Voyager train at Holyhead for the scenic run along the North Wales coast, arriving London at 17:38 Mon-Fri, 18:38 Sats, 18:15 Suns. A civilised and enjoyable alternative to the hassle of a stressful flight!

It costs 40 euros (ship) or 46 euros (Swift fast ferry) from Dublin to London, Brighton, Edinburgh, Plymouth, Norwich, etc. Dublin to Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool is slightly cheaper. Galway, Limerick, Cork, Trallee, Sligo to London costs 60 euros (ship) or 66 euros (Swift fast ferry).

The fare includes the Irish train (if coming from west of Dublin), the ferry from Dublin Ferryport to Holyhead, and onward British trains to your UK destination, all in one ticket. The fare is fixed, this is what you pay even on the day of departure, no baggage fees, no surcharges.

Tickets can be collected at Dublin Ferryport at the Irish Ferries desk (free, and ideal if you're booking from overseas), posted by registered post to any Irish address or sent overseas by normal post (but at your own risk) for a small fee.

My personal top tip: You can upgrade your ferry crossing for an extra 18 euros to Club Class with complimentary tea, coffee, red or white wine and canapés, you'll actually travel in superior comfort to any budget flight!

Journeys in the other direction (i.e. starting in Britain) can be booked at www.seat61.com/Ireland.htm

bilboburgler

At last they have recognised the opportunity now all they have to do is connect into Europe and its a go

Poconolady

bookmarking

TheFlannerpooch

It's a swizz.

The Boss is taking me on my first trip to the Old Country. And they won't let me on this SailRail "for hygiene and safety reasons". So we've still got to drive, which costs a fortune and probably takes longer.

That Richard Branson lets me on his trains without any nonsense about "hygiene and safety reasons" (Are those boat people calling me unhygienic? They wouldn't dare say that to my face, if they wanted to keep theirs). So do Isle of Wight Ferries.

So what have the Irish got against us? I bet they make an exception for Irish Terriers

Tony2phones

If they start giving free tickets then I might just change from Stena line who have always taken telephone bookings an provided a far friendlier and customer focused service. Did I say free? No they would have to pay me.

PalenQ

ttt

Howdey

bbb

Man_in_seat_61

Oh, and now www.thetrainline.com have done the same at the Britain end.

You can now buy a SailRail ticket online from any station in Britain to any station in Ireland, train, ferry and train all included in one ticket.

London to Dublin for £33.
London to Galway, Cork, Limerick, Sligo, Tralee, £50.50.
Inverness to Cork £50.50.
Dover to Galway £50.50.

Centre to centre. Any day, any date, at these fixed prices even if you need to travel tomorrow.

Not a bad deal at all...

£5 more if you use the Swift fast ferry rather than the luxury superferry Ulysses.

Cowboy1968

I don't mean to pour water in your environmental-friendly way of travel, but when I look for a way to get from London to Cork I get a total travel time of THIRTEEN hours.

What exactly is civilized in dragging myself and a suitcase on a train in London (well, first to Euston station of course), off the train in Holyhead, shlep my stuff on board a ferry, off the ferry in Dublin. Then in Dublin harbour you can find out how to get to Heuston station for your westbound trains.. bus, taxi? Then again on the train to Cork.

Sorry, but as much as I hate airport security and all that nonsense of liquids in plastic bags and surcharges for breathing air on an airplane, I would rather fly.

Man_in_seat_61

13 hours, OMG, rush, rush, rush....

Slow down, relax, take the journey slowly, the way it was traditionally supposed to be savoured, the English countryside, the Welsh countryside and coastline, the Irish Sea and the misty Wicklow Hills slowly approaching dead ahead, a glimpse of Dublin then lush Irish countryside, with a glass of red wine to hand and your feet up...

You're not travelling on business, paid by the hour, surely..?

Cowboy1968

To each his own.

I personally don't think that the inconvinience to handle luggage from one train to a ferry to a taxi to another train is more relevant than the hours spent in total. Unless you travel with your personal man servant (like it was done traditionally), who took care of those mundane tasks.
But if someone likes it that way, why not.

You can also take the Eurolines buses from Britain to Ireland or vice versa if you want. Which let you buy tickets from anywhere UK to anywhere Ireland since ages, with usually just one simple transfer at Dublin Busaras.

Speaking about traditions: If you revisit the commentaries on the introduction of the iron horse, you will find the same judgements as yours on air travel LOL.

GeoffHamer

In the days when people travelled with a personal man servant, they took a pile of trunks and suitcases. They are not needed now. I travel with one bag which I can easily carry. I am always amazed to see the quanties of heavy luggage some tourists drag around. Perhaps they're fashion models who need dozens of outfits, or iron-ore salesmen, or do they just want to make life hard?