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Take a train to Holyhead in North Wales, then sail to Dublin Ferryport with Irish Ferries, aboard either their luxurious cruise ferry 'Ulysses' (3 hour 15 minute crossing) or their high-speed 'Dublin Swift' catamaran (1 hour 49 minute crossing).  Train+ferry tickets routed via Irish Ferries are valid on both the Ulysses and the Swift.  Some people prefer a fast crossing on the 'Dublin Swift', with reclining seats and refreshments.  Others prefer the leisurely voyage on the 50,000-ton 'Ulysses', the world's largest car ferry, with cruise-liner-style lounges, bars, restaurant and cinemas.  The Ulysses has open decks where you can take in the sea air and watch the coast of Ireland approach.  Private cabins with toilet & shower are available for an extra charge if you want a snooze, some privacy, or a place to freshen up.  Why not go one way by cruise ferry and the other on the Dublin Swift?  The choice is yours!

Irish Ferries' superb cruise ferry 'Ulysses' from Holyhead to Dublin...		A private cabin aboard the Ulysses.		The 50,000-ton Ulysses is the world's biggest car ferry...

London ► Dublin  (via Irish Ferries):

Mondays-Fridays

Saturdays

Sundays

1. Train...        Change trains at:

Crewe

Direct

Crewe

Direct

Crewe

Crewe

Crewe

Crewe

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------

------

Crewe

London Euston depart by train:

06:46

09:00

11:28

19:38

06:14

07:55

10:17

18:17

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------

------

18:58

Holyhead arrive by train:

11:30

13:03

15:30

00:52

11:30

12:55

15:30

23:26

------

------

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00:26

2.  Ferry...                Ferry type:

Swift

Ulysses

Swift

Ulysses

Swift

Ulysses

Swift

Ulysses

Swift

Ulysses

Swift

Ulysses

Holyhead depart by ferry:

12:00

14:10

17:15

02:40

12:00

14:10

17:15

02:40

12:00

14:10

17:15

02:40

Dublin Ferryport arrive by ferry:

13:49

17:25

19:15

05:55

13:49

17:25

19:15

05:55

13:49

17:25

19:04

05:55

• Ulysses = Cruise Ferry 'Ulysses', with cabins, restaurant, bars, cinema.

• Swift = 'Dublin Swift' fast catamaran, with reclining seats & refreshments.  Can be cancelled in bad weather, and passengers transferred to the all-weather Ulysses.

• Direct = This train is a direct 125mph 'Virgin Voyager' train between London & Holyhead.

• Crewe = On this service, you must change trains at Crewe.

• Birmingham = On this service, you must change trains at Birmingham New Street.

• At Holyhead there is a free courtesy bus between the railway station and the Irish Ferries ship.

• At Dublin Ferryport there is a shuttle bus (2.50 euros adult, 1.25 euros child, pay on bus) to Dublin city centre and main railway stations (Connolly & Heuston).

• Please double-check times before you travel, especially at weekends as times can vary from those shown above.

• Map of Dublin showing the Ferryport (far right, at the end of Tolka Quay Road) & Dublin Heuston railway station.

Dublin ► London  (via Irish Ferries):

Mondays-Fridays

Saturdays

Sundays

1.  Ferry                   Ferry type:

Ulysses

Swift

Swift

Ulysses

Ulysses

Swift

Swift

Ulysses

Ulysses

Swift

Swift

Ulysses

Dublin Ferryport depart:

08:05

08:45

14:30

20:55

08:05

08:45

14:30

20:55

08:05

08:45

14:30

20:55

Holyhead arrive by ferry:

11:30

10:45

16:30

00:20

11:30

10:45

16:30

00:20

11:30

10:45

16:30

00:20

2.  Train         Change trains at:

Direct

Crewe

Crewe

Birmingham

Crewe

Crewe

Crewe

------

Crewe

Crewe

Crewe

Birmingham

Holyhead depart by train:

14:14

11:40

17:27

02:00

14:13

11:40

17:35

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13:14

13:14

16:48

02:15

London Euston arrive by train:

18:21

16:27

21:51

07:09

19:03

17:05

23:36

------

18:08

18:08

22:23

07:09

Regular flexible fares	One-way	Return	Child 5-15 one-way	Child 5-15 return
London ► Dublin Ferryport	£27	£54	£13.50	£27
Any UK station in zone A ► Dublin Ferryport	£23	£46	£11.50	£23
Any UK station in zone B ► Dublin Ferryport	£24	£48	£12	£24
Any UK station in zone C ► Dublin Ferryport	£25	£50	£12.50	£25
Any UK station in zone D ► Dublin Ferryport	£27	£54	£13.50	£27

• At certain peak times, slightly higher fares apply (about £4 more each way).

• Apart from this, these fares are valid on any day, any date, any train and any Irish Ferries sailing.

• There's unlimited availability at these prices, you can even buy tickets at these prices on the day of travel.

• Unlike a cheap flight, the date of return can be left open.   Tickets include a reserved place on the ferry (so if you leave the return portion open, you'll still need to make a ferry reservation before your return journey).  And unlike a cheap flight, they are from central London, or even your local station, not from an airport miles away.

• Returns are valid for one month.

• Stop-overs are not allowed in either direction, you must complete your journey to Ireland in one go.  As they are so cheap anyway, there's no additional discount for young person's or senior railcard holders.

• You can check these fares using the RailEasy online system below or at www.sailrail.co.uk.

• If you live in Ireland, fares in euros for tickets bought in Ireland can be found on the rail+sail brochure on the Irish Ferries website.  Dublin to London costs 44 euros each way.

Which UK station is in which zone..?  You can buy a train+ferry ticket from any mainland UK railway station to Dublin or any Irish railway station.
Zone A:	Gwynedd North, Clwyd
Zone B:	Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Cheshire
Zone C:	Lancashire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, West Midlands, Warwickshire, Hereford & Worcester, Gloucestershire, Powys, Gwynedd South.
Zone D:	Cumbria, North Yorkshire, Humberside, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Greater London, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Avon, Gwent, South Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan, West Glamorgan, Dyfed, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall.

• Dublin City Centre:  There is a shuttle bus from the Ferryport to the city centre & main railway stations, fare about £1.50, pay on the bus.

• Children:  Children aged 5 to 15 travel at 50% off the fare.  Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.  Unaccompanied children 16-17 years old must have written authority to travel from their parent or guardian.

• Taking a bicycle?  Bicycles go for £5 each way on Irish Ferries, no reservation required, you simply pay at the ferry terminal.  Bikes are carried on trains to Holyhead, but reservations are usually required and a small fee (£3-£5) is payable per journey.

• Dogs:  Unfortunately, foot passengers cannot take dogs on Irish Ferries.

• Better value than flying...  Unlike many cheap flights, these train+ferry fares are flexible - you need a reserved place on the ferry, but you can change your travel plans as you like, and leave your return open, making the ferry reservation for the return journey in Dublin when you know when you want to come back.  These fares are also centre-to-centre, not airport to airport.  When comparing with the cost of a flight, remember that it will cost £13 one-way or £26 return for the train ride from central London to or from Luton, Stansted or Gatwick airports, in addition to the air fare.

Buy a ticket to Dublin online... London or almost anywhere in Britain to or from Dublin, with a cheap combined train+ferry ticket... London to Dublin from £27 each way... Norwich to Dublin from £27 each way... Oxford to Dublin from £27 each way... Manchester to Dublin from £24 each way... Canterbury to Dublin from £27 each way... Just enter your local station and then either: 'Dublin Ferryport' for Dublin via Irish Ferries or 'Dun Laoghaire' for Dublin via Stena Line.  A small (£1.50-2.61) booking fee applies. This system can book you via both the Ulysses and the Swift to Dublin Ferryport (Irish Ferries) and the HSS to Dun Laoghaire (Stena Line) but it won't say which ferry is which. If the Holyhead-Dublin crossing takes 3+ hours, it's the Ulysses, if it takes 2 hours it's the Swift, if it goes to Dun Laoghaire rather than Dublin Ferryport it's the HSS! CO2 offsetting:  RailEasy will offset the CO2 emissions from each train journey they sell via UK offsetting agency The Carbon Company.  More information

How to buy tickets if you're in the UK:

If you're in the UK, you can buy London to Dublin train+ferry tickets:

• online, using the RailEasy online booking system on the right.  A small (£1.50-£2.61) booking fee is charged.  If you have any problems using it, just book in person or by phone instead.

• in person at most British railway stations, either in advance or on the day of travel.

• by calling the SailRail booking line, 08450 755 755.  Lines are open 08:00-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 0900-1700 Saturdays & Sundays.  See www.sailrail.co.uk for more information.

• by calling Virgin Trains on 0845 7 222 333

How to buy tickets if you're in Ireland:

From Dublin to London, the one-way train+ferry fare is 44 euros, see the rail+sail brochure on the Irish Ferries website.  If you're in Ireland, you can buy these cheap rail+sea tickets:

• by calling Irish Railways on (01) 703 1884 or Irish Ferries on 0818 300 400. 

• in person at Irish Rail's travel centre at 35 Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1.

• by e-mail to europeanrail@irishrail.ie. 

How to buy tickets if you're overseas:

• You can book the special combined train+ferry tickets to Dublin online, using the RailEasy online booking system on the right.  Non-UK credit cards are accepted, just do whatever it takes to get the system to accept your non-UK address, as the drop-down box on the enter-your-address page currently only lists 'United Kingdom' (they're going to fix this soon!).  They won't send tickets overseas, so simply select the option to collect your tickets from the self-service ticket machines located at most major British stations, including London Euston (but not Dublin).  If you have any problems, book in person or by phone.

• Or you can simply wait till you get to the UK and book at the station.  Remember, the cheap flexible fares have unlimited availability, so there's no need to book a place weeks ahead.

• Alternatively, you can call Virgin Trains telesales on +44 870 9080 107.  Tickets can only be posted to UK addresses, but you can ask to pick them up at many UK railway stations, including London Euston, or have them sent to your hotel.

Train & ferry times from other UK cities to Dublin...

• Just go to www.nationalrail.co.uk;

• Enter any station you like in the 'From' box, such as Birmingham, Cardiff, Newcastle, Norwich, your own local station, whatever...

• Enter 'Dublin Ferryport' in the 'To' box for Irish Ferries, enter 'Dun Laoghaire' for Stena Line;

• Enter your dates of travel and hit 'search'.  Easy!

• When the results appear, it doesn't distinguish between the Ulysses ship and the Swift fast ferry to Dublin Ferryport, it just says 'ferry'.  If the ferry takes 3 hours or more than it's the Ulysses, if it takes 2 hours or less it's the Swift.  All ferries to Dublin Ferryport are run by Irish Ferries.  All ferries to Dun Laoghaire are run by Stena Line.

• Click 'fares' to see the fare for that journey.

• You can't buy the ticket online, but buy them at the station either in advance or on the day of travel (the prices doesn't vary) or buy by phone, calling the sailrail booking line, 08450 755 755.  Lines are open 08:00-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 0900-1700 Saturdays & Sundays. 

This is the fastest option, though not now the most frequent, with a 1 hour 40 minute sea crossing and a ferry terminal right next to the station in Holyhead.  The Stena Line HSS has bars, restaurants, lounges and a cinema.

125mph Virgin Voyager train.  Photo courtesy of Virgin Trains		The Stena Line HSS from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire...		In one of the the lounges on board the HSS.

London ► Dublin  (via Stena Line HSS):
	Mondays-Fridays		Saturdays		Sundays