Re: Holyhead to London

In message <gA53g.11862$4k5.1711@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Marcus Fox <please-reply-via-newsgroup-th@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes

"JMM" <johnmallo@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:BB43g.4$hT1.1@xxxxxxxxxxx
My family of 5 is taking the ferry from Dublin to Holyhead. Can anyone
suggest a good site to arrange rail or bus to London. Is this the best
method?

It will be easier and cheaper to fly Dublin to Gatwick, via Ryanair and
booked in advance.

Have travelled by ferry from the UK Midlands to Dublin and back before.
Cheapest would be a combined ferry and rail ticket, via early morning
sailing of Irish Ferries, which you should be able to buy from any staffed
railway station.

For London, you will need to take a train to Crewe and then a fast train via
Birmingham New Street.

Huh? The fast trains between Crewe and Euston DON'T go through Birmingham, and there are 5 direct trains a day from Holyhead to London, anyway.

But first you need to get across north Wales. It will
take you 4 or 5 hours to get to London from Holyhead. I suggest taking
something by Dostoyevsky. And something for the younger kids if you have
them too or they will get very bored and play hell. North Wales is very
beautiful, but there is a lot of it. As you cross over from Anglesey, don't
miss the number one sight of the journey, the Menai bridge.

Try to plan arriving a while before the ferry departs, it won't wait if you
miss it and there are only a few sailings per day.

Most ferries require you to check in at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time.

I recommend getting the
Jonathan Swift Irish Ferries catamaran (actually built in Australia). It is
a lot quicker than the cruise ferry, and the ride will be smoother. Usually
more expensive though.

Or the Stena HSS from Dun Laoghaire, 99 minutes to Holyhead.

Not including waiting time and boarding, the journey time for crossing on
the cat is just under 2 hours, whereas on the cruise ferry it's just over 3.
If you want to sleep on the ferry and don't have a cabin booked, get on
early and bag a nice spot for your sleeping bag. Beware of the loud, always
on televisions! These ferries also have quite a few bars. Do not travel at
times when either Wales or England are playing any sport in Dublin. You will
hate the experience.

From Newark, both my brother and I were travelling to Dublin. He set out on
the 1705 from Newark Castle and travelled over by rail and ferry, as he
didn't have his passport (a requirement set by the airlines, not the
Government) to travel. I left from East Midlands Airport on a 0800 flight
the next day, granted I had to get there from Newark and there was a lot
more waiting for train/ferry connections for him at night, but arrived in
Dublin to meet him off the ferry! His SER cost him £46. My flight out cost
me just over £12 one way with 14 Euros for the flight back, plus petrol to
and from EMA.

So anything upwards of 7 hours cross country or just over an hour on the
plane. You should be able to get the whole trip one way for under £80 if you
book early and travel at the right time on the plane. Examples: A single
ticket for five seats on Ryanair DUB-LGW travelling Wednesday 3rd of May
including taxes and charges is 103.90 Euros or £72. Also add train fares and
an hour travelling time via Southern to London centre. A saver single from
Holyhead to London for two adults and three children is £229.25. Mind you,
that's on the next available train, you should get cheaper if you book in
advance, but you need to add on the cost of the ferry crossing too. Sources
are www.ryanair.com and www.nationalrail.co.uk

On the other hand Virgin offer 14-day advance purchase tickets between Dublin and London for £16 single (limited availability).

--
Arwel Parry
http://www.cartref.demon.co.uk/
.

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