Train from London to Dublin

Train from London to Holyhead...

Ferry from Holyhead to Dublin

Ferry from Holyhead to Dublin...

Train from Dublin to Belfast

Enterprise express from Dublin to Belfast...

London to Belfast for £58

It's a secret!  You can buy a combined train+ferry SailRail ticket between Belfast & any station in Britain in either direction via Cairnryan or Holyhead, see the route map below.  It's the traditional way, through the countryside by train and across the Irish Sea by ferry, the eco-friendly alternative to a flight.  Bring a bottle of wine with you on the train (try that on Ryanair), sit back with a good book & enjoy the ride.  This page explains routes, timetables, fares & how to buy tickets.

small bullet point  Which route to choose?

small bullet point  Option 1:  London to Belfast via Holyhead/Dublin

small bullet point  Option 2:  London to Belfast via Cairnryan

small bullet point  Option 3:  London to Belfast via Liverpool - time-effective overnight service

small bullet point  Belfast to Londonderry

small bullet point  Belfast to the Giant's Causeway

small bullet point  Belfast to Dublin by train

small bullet point  City breaks to Belfast

small bullet point  Hotels in Belfast

Which route to choose?

small bullet point  Option 1, London to Belfast via Holyhead & Dublin

Take a morning train from London to Holyhead in Wales then the afternoon Irish Ferries sailing to Dublin, for just £51.10, or £57.50 when the cheaper tickets sell out.  Then take an evening Enterprise express from Dublin to Belfast for only €15.99.  A SailRail ticket gets you from any station in Britain to Dublin, train+ferry all on one ticket.  See schedules, fares, how to buy tickets.

small bullet point  Option 2, London to Belfast via Cairnryan

London to Belfast for £58, any day, any date.  Leave London on an early morning train to Glasgow, take an onward train to Ayr and the Stena Line transfer bus to Cairnryan for the ferry to Belfast.  One ticket covers the whole journey, any station in Britain to Belfast.  See schedules, fares, how to buy tickets.

small bullet point  Option 3, London to Belfast via Liverpool - the 'sleeper' service!

Leave central London after 5pm, Birmingham or Manchester after 6pm by train to Liverpool, sleep in a comfortable private cabin with shower & toilet on the overnight Stena Line ferry from Birkenhead and arrive in Belfast in time for breakfast!  This makes eco-friendly business trips or weekends away feasible without the pain of the plane.  See schedules, fares & how to buy tickets.

Route map   Click for detailed map

Britain to Ireland train & ferry route map


 

London to Belfast via Dublin

Watch the video

 

Virgin Trains' Pendolino from London to Holyhead

 

Leave central London on Avanti West Coast 09.02 Irish Mail to Holyhead (08:15 Sundays). It's a scenic journey along the North Wales coast.

 

The Irish Ferries Ulysses  Photo courtesy of Irish Ferries

At Holyhead, you board the luxurious 50,000 ton ferry Ulysses for the sea crossing to Dublin. 

 

On board Irish Ferries ship 'Ulysses' from Holyhead to Dublin

The crossing takes 3h15, arriving Dublin 17:25.

 

In the Club Class Martello Lounge on the ferry Ulysses to Dublin

On board the ferry, it costs £18 (€21) to upgrade to the Martello Lounge on 11 deck, with complimentary red & white wine, tea & coffee, cheese & crackers, olives, smoked salmon canapés, muffins & fruit juice.  The lounge is directly above the ship's bridge, giving a superb forward view of the Irish coast approaching.

 

Dublin-Belfast Exterprise, 2nd class seats.

Transfer from Dublin Ferryport to Dublin Connolly station & board the Enterprise Express to Belfast.  Dublin to Belfast is 2 hours by train.

 

Dublin-Belfast Exterprise, 2nd class seats.

Spacious seating, a buffet car for tea, coffee & hot meals, and great Irish scenery.  You arrive Belfast Lanyon Place at 21:10.  4 countries in 1 day!

 

Belfast City Hall and wheel

Welcome to Belfast!  No planes, no airports.

London to Belfast via Dublin

The route via Holyhead takes you through Dublin, why not stop off for a while?  The Holyhead route takes about the same time as the Cairnryan route, see which timetable suits you best.  By all means go out one way, back the other!

London ► Belfast

Belfast ► London

How much does it cost?

How to buy tickets

Dogs, cats, bikes...

What's the journey like?

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London to Belfast via Cairnryan

The traditional, historic route to Belfast was always via the Scottish port of Stranraer.  It takes about the same time as the Holyhead & Dublin route, and shows you a lot of wonderful Scottish scenery on the way.  Until 2011, you took a train from Glasgow to Stranraer in southwest Scotland and walked straight onto the Stena Line ferry to Belfast in Northern Ireland.  In 2011 Stena Line moved their port from historic, rail-connected, integrated Stranraer to a new port at Cairnryan with a 1h15 coach connection to Ayr for trains to & from Glasgow and the rest of the country.  See the journey in pictures & watch the video guide.

Timetable northbound

 London & Glasgow ► Belfast  by train+ferry

 By 125mph train..

Mondays-Fridays

Saturdays

Sundays

 London Euston depart

05:31

06:05

-

 Glasgow Central arrive

10:39

10:59

-

 By ScotRail train

 Glasgow Central depart

11:34

11:34

11:34

 Ayr arrive

12:35

12:35

12:35

 By Stena Line connecting bus

 Ayr depart

12:45

12:45

12:45

 Cairnryan port arrive

14:00

14:00

14:00

 By Stena Line ferry

 Cairnryan depart

15:30

15:30

15:30

 Belfast Stena Line arr.

17:45

17:45

17:45

How to read these timetables:  Each column is a service you can take, and you read downwards.  You change trains at each of the grey bars.

You take a 125 mph Avanti West Coast Pendolino train from London to Glasgow.  In 2011, Stena Line stopped using Stranraer and switched to Cairnryan, so you now need to take a train from Glasgow to Ayr, then a special Stena Line connecting coach from Ayr to Cairnryan to connect with the Cairnryan-Belfast ferry.  Times may vary on Saturdays & Sundays due to engineering work, so always check train & ferry times for your date of travel using tfw.wales or www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Belfast Port Stena Line terminal is at the far end of West Bank Road, see map showing Stena Line terminal.  A taxi from central Belfast costs around £15.  Translink's Metro 96 bus links Belfast Upper Queen Street with the Westbank Road Stena Line terminal for £2.20, see www.translink.co.uk click 'Routes & timetables', 'Metro' and search for Metro 96.  The bus is connects with most ferry arrivals and departures, but not the 07:30 departure on Sundays, so you'll need a taxi for that.  Note that Stena Line has two terminals in Belfast, one for Cairnryan and one for Liverpool, the Cairnryan terminal is slightly further from Belfast city centre than the Liverpool one.

Edinburgh to Belfast?  Edinburgh to Glasgow takes 51 minutes with a train every 15 minutes, then use the Glasgow-Belfast timetable here.  Simply book Edinburgh - Belfast Port at tfw.wales.

Timetable southbound

 Belfast ► Glasgow & London  by train+ferry

 By Stena Line ferry

Mondays-Fridays

Saturdays

Sundays

 Belfast Stena Line depart

11:30

11:30

11:30

 Cairnryan port arrive

13:52

13:52

13:52

 By Stena Line connecting bus

 Cairnryan port depart

14:15

14:15

14:15

 Ayr arrive

15:30

15:30

15:30

 By ScotRail train

 Ayr depart

15:37

15:37

15:37

 Glasgow Central arrive

16:37

16:37

16:37

 By 125 mph Avanti West Coast pendolino

 Glasgow Central depart

17:30

17:30

17:38

 London Euston arrive

22:27

22:55

22:53

From any other station in Britain to or from Belfast, simply use tfw.wales to find train+ferry times for your date of travel.

How much does it cost?

 SailRail fares via Cairnryan

 via Stena Line Cairnryan-Belfast

One-way

fare

 London to or from Belfast

£58

 UK zone A (e.g. Glasgow) ► Belfast  

£35

 UK zone B (e.g. Edinburgh) ► Belfast

£35

 UK zone C (e.g. Fife) ► Belfast

£39

 UK zone D (e.g. Perth) ► Belfast

£39

 UK zone E (e.g. Inverness) ► Belfast

£46

 UK zone F (e.g. Aberdeen) ► Belfast

£46

 UK zone G (e.g. Cumbria) ► Belfast

£43

 UK zone H (e.g. Manchester) ► Belfast

£50

 UK zone I (e.g. Newcastle) ► Belfast

£50

 UK zone J (e.g. Leeds) ► Belfast

£50

 UK zone K (e.g. Birmingham) ► Belfast

£50

 UK zone L (e.g. Oxford) ► Belfast

£58

 UK zone M (e.g. Plymouth) ► Belfast

£58

These are Advance fares, you must book by 18:00 the day before travel, only valid on the specific trains booked.  Only Advance fares exist on this route now.

From Edinburgh, Glasgow & some other stations there are also flexible Anytime fares which can be bought on the day, at the same price as these Advance fares.

Return fares are simply two one-ways.

Check fares at the Stena Line website by selecting Rail & Sail and then using the journey planner.

 Which station is in which zone?

 UK zone A:    

Any station in the Glasgow area, Strathclyde, Dumfries & Galloway

 UK zone B: 

Any station in the Edinburgh area, Lothian, Borders

 UK zone C: 

Any station in Fife.

 UK zone D: 

Tayside

 UK zone E: 

Inverness & Highlands

 UK zone F: 

Grampian

 UK zone G: 

Any station in Cumbria

 UK zone H: 

Any station in Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside.

 UK zone I: 

Any station in Northumberland, Tyne & Wear.

 UK zone J: 

Any station in Yorkshire, Humberside, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire.

 UK zone K:

Any station in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Gloucestershire, Hereford & Worcester, Derbyshire, Gwynedd, Clwyd

 UK zone L: 

Any station in Greater London, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Bedfordshire, Wiltshire, Avon, Hampshire, Sussex, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, South Wales.

 UK zone M:

Any station in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset.

How to buy tickets

What's the journey like?

An Avanti West Coast pendolino train between London and Glasgow   Standard class seats on an Avanti West Coast pendolino

Take a 125 mph Avanti West Coast Pendolino train from London Euston to Glasgow Central in 4h20.

Cumbrian mountains seen from the train

The train skirts the Lake District, passing through the Cumbrian hills and into Scotland.

Glasgow Central station

Glasgow's beautifully restored Central Station.  The best place for a beer between trains is in Champagne Central (behind the camera) on the 1st floor of the Grand Central Hotel.

The Scotrail train to Ayr   On board the ScotRail train

Hop on an air-conditioned ScotRail local train to Ayr.

Stena Line transfer bus outside Ayr station   Stena Line transfer bus at Cairnryan ferry terminal

...where the train is met by the Stena Line transfer bus to the ferry terminal at Cairnryan.  The bus follows the scenic coast road for much of the way.

Ferry terminal at Cairnryan   Stena Line ferry at Cairnryan

Boarding the ferry at Cairnryan is easy, via the passenger gangway.  Your bags are checked in, so you can use the ferry's bars, restaurant, and Stena Plus lounge unencumbered.

Cairnryan to Belfast by Stena Line ferry

Crossing the Irish Sea from Scotland to Ireland.

Lounge on board the ferry to Belfast   Stena Plus lounge on the ferry to Belfast

On board the ferry there are bars, a restaurant, cinema & free WiFi.  It's so much more relaxed than air travel.

 

It's well worth paying the extra to use the Stena Plus lounge with complimentary red & white wine, tea, coffee & snacks and a great forward view.  Highly recommended.

The ferry arrives at Belfast Port   Belfast Stena Line terminal

Arrived at Belfast Port.

 

Belfast Stena Line Terminal.

Video guideBelfast to Glasgow & London via Cairnryan

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London to Belfast via Liverpool

Overnight in comfort with private cabin with shower & toilet

Stena Line offer a time-effective overnight ferry from Liverpool (in fact, Birkenhead) to Belfast with comfy en suite cabins making an eco-friendly business trip or weekend away feasible without the pain of the plane, see the photos below & watch the video guide here.  There's also a leisurely daytime service.  Brand new energy-efficient ships Stena Embla and Stena Edda were introduced on this route in 2020-2021.

Timetable northbound

 London & Liverpool ► Belfast

 

Day boat

Night boat

 By train - change at Liverpool Lime St.

Tues-Sat 

Sunday

Monday

Tues-Sat

Sunday

 London Euston depart

05:27

-

17:33

18:33

17:23

 Birkenhead Hamilton Square arrive

09:05

-

20:10

21:10

21:02

 By ferry

Tues-Sun 

 

Daily

   

 Birkenhead Twelve Quays depart

10:30

10:30

22:00

22:30

22:30

 Belfast Stena Line VT2 terminal arrive

18:30

18:30

06:30

06:30

06:30

Timetable southbound

 Belfast ► Liverpool & London

 

Day boat

Night boat

 By ferry

Tues-Sat 

Sunday 

Monday

Tues-Fri

Saturday

Sunday

 Belfast Stena VT2 terminal depart

10:30

10:30

22:00

22:30

22:30

22:30

 Birkenhead Twelve Quays arrive

18:30

18:30

06:30

06:30

06:30

06:30

 By train - change at Liverpool Lime St.

Tues-Sat 

Sunday 

Tuesday

Wed-Sat

Sunday

Monday

 Birkenhead Hamilton Square depart

19:26

20:06

07:31

07:31

08:11

07:31

 London Euston arrive

22:09

23:54

09:56

09:56

11:37

09:56

How much does it cost?    How to buy tickets   See map showing ferry terminal, Hamilton Square & Lime Street stations

If you're coming from Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds or anywhere else, simply look up train times to Birkenhead Hamilton Square at www.nationalrail.co.uk, with an arrival at least 90 minutes or so before the ferry sails.

You can double-check ferry times at www.stenaline.co.uk.  Train times are guides only, even the ones shown on the Stena Line site are a guide only, always check them for your date of travel at www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk.  You usually need to change at Liverpool Lime Street for Birkenhead Hamilton Square. 

How much does it cost?

  • There are no SailRail tickets on this route now, so you buy separate tickets for the train and ferry.

  • London to Liverpool by train starts at £21 each way if you book ahead, only good for the specific train you book.

  • Liverpool to Belfast by ferry costs from £36 each way per person, check fares at www.stenaline.co.uk.

    Cabins are optional, but typically cost around £60 per cabin for a 4-bed inside cabin with shower, toilet & free WiFi, rising to £90 for a Comfort Class outside cabin with shower, toilet, satellite TV, tea & coffee making facilities, complimentary fruit bowl & soft drinks, free WiFi.

    On the day boat, treat yourself to the privacy of a cabin with shower & toilet at a reduced rate from £30 per cabin, or to the Stena Plus lounge with complimentary tea, coffee, snacks & red or white wine for £25 extra.

How to buy tickets

  • Step 1, book the ferry with cabin at www.stenaline.co.uk.

    Or call Stena Line on 03443 350 027, lines open 08:30-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00 Saturdays, 09:00-17:00 Sundays.  In the Republic of Ireland call 01 204 7744.

  • Step 2, book a train from your local station to Birkenhead Hamilton Square (if taking local train & transfer bus from Liverpool to the ferry terminal) or to Liverpool Lime Street (if taking a taxi from Liverpool to the ferry terminal) at any train operator website such as tfw.wales (no booking fee) or www.thetrainline.com (small booking fee, but also checks for split ticket savings).

    If you buy a train-specific Advance ticket for the return leg from Liverpool to home, make sure you allow plenty of time between ferry and train in case of delay.  If you buy a flexible Off-Peak or Anytime fare you can of course take a later train if you need to.

About the journey to Belfast

About the journey from Belfast

The journey in pictures

Take a fast train from London to Liverpool

Take an Avanti West Coast Pendolino from London to Liverpool.  This is a pendolino at London Euston.

1st class seats on an Avanti West Coast pendolino   Standard class seats on an Avanti West Coast pendolino

1st & standard premium class seating.

 

Standard class seats.

Liverpool Lime Street station

Liverpool Lime Street station, in central Liverpool.

Stena Line's Birkenhead ferry terminal   Inside Stena Line's Birkenhead terminal

Stena Line's ferry terminal in Birkenhead, a 20-minute walk from Birkenhead Hamilton Square station or 15-minute taxi ride from Liverpool Lime Street station.  Photos courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.

The Liverpool-Belfast ferry Stena Embla at Birkenhead

The brand-new Stena Embla at her terminal in Birkenhead, seen on the walk from Birkenhead Hamilton Square to the ferry terminal.  Photos courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.

Lounge on the Liverpool-Belfast ferry Stena Edda

Lounge on the Stena Edda.  Photo courtesy of Ivor Morgan.

En suite toilet & shower on the Stena Embla, Liverpool-Belfast ferry   Outside cabin on the new Liverpool-Belfast ferry

All cabins have en suite toilet & shower.  Larger photo.

Standard outside cabin with shower & toilet.  Larger photo.

Video guide:  Belfast to London overnight

The video shows how good the journey can be.  Since the video was made, Avanti West Coast have taken over from Virgin Trains and Stena has introduced new and even better ships on this route.

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  Tailor Made Rail

Holidays & breaks to Belfast


Hotels in Belfast

More history than most hotels 3 times its age: The Europa

Opened in 1971, Belfast's famous Europa Hotel has more history than most hotels three times its age.  It was the hotel used by journalists such as Trevor MacDonald, Kate Adie, John Simpson during the Troubles in the 1970s and 80s, when it earned the title of Most Bombed Hotel in Europe.  Indeed, it suffered so many bomb attacks and had so many windows boarded it up, it was also known as the Hardboard Hotel.  Yet it stayed open in spite of everything, a true survivor.  And today it's a fabulous place to stay, ideally located next to Great Victoria Street Station and across the road from the famous Crown Bar.  You'll find a book about the history of the hotel in your room for you to read, and a display case on the first floor near the piano with some hotel memorabilia.  There's also a railway connection, as it was built on the site of the Great Northern Railway terminus, the ancestor of today's Great Victoria Street station.

Europa Hotel, Belfast, exterior   Suite at the Europa Hotel, Belfast

The Europa Hotel, Belfast.

 

The Moselle Suite, room 911.

Superior room at the Europa Hotel, Belfast   Glass cabinet on first floor of Europa Hotel   Europa Hotel, Belfast

Superior room, 915.

 

The history cabinet, first floor.

Find hotels at Booking.comMy favourite hotel search: www.booking.com

Booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site and I generally use it to book all my hotels in one place.  I've come to trust booking.com's review scores, you won't be disappointed with any hotel that scores 8.0 or more.  Crucially, booking.com usually lets you book with free cancellation, which means you can confirm accommodation risk-free before train booking opens and/or you can hold accommodation while you finalise your itinerary and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all the time when planning a trip.  I never book hotels non-refundably!

Other hotel sites worth a look

www.tripadvisor.com is a huge resource, a good place to browse independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels in Belfast & NI.

Hostelworld logoBackpacker hostels

If you're on a tight budget, don't forget the hostels.  For a dorm bed or an ultra-cheap private room in backpacker hostels in Belfast and most European cities use www.hostelworld.com.


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