Ferry to Ireland

[D15VRS]

Does anyone use this service, looking for advice on bookings, times, how to get the best price available. Options are Fishguard to Rosslare, Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire.

[mac11irl]

Stenaline direct on website tbh is usually the best rate anytime ive gone looking...

where in ireland are you travelling too? Reason being its not a big countey but routes are ****e...

[devonutopia]

Don't do Swansea Cork.  Nightmare crossing

[seboni121]

Come to Holyhead excellent crossing to dun loaghaire

[moley]

Holyhead will be a lot easier to get to than Fishguard from Mansfield. 

[StevesTruck]

Don't do Swansea Cork.  Nightmare crossing

Takes forever by all accounts. I worked in Belfast with a bloke from Devon, and he drove up to Stranraer to get the ferry as it was quicker than going out of swansea

[mac11irl]

Dunno about yere side but really does depend where ultimate destination is over here as to which may be best option...

[7029bob]

Think you will find the Swansea - Cork route no longer exists unless it has restarted in the last few months.

[devonutopia]

Think you will find the Swansea - Cork route no longer exists unless it has restarted in the last few months.

 

I did it as a foot passenger with a uni mate to have a little break in Cork - back in 1999/2000 I think.  16 hours+ on a crappy ferry and it was 6 nations time so the ferry was full of welsh rugby fans going over for the Ireland game.  Not pleasant!  It was rough as well!  

[skomaz]

Do it regularly as have family in Belfast. Usually go Birkenhead Belfast but have done cairnryan larne and also cairnryan Belfast. Trying Holyhead run laoghaire in a few weeks though.

Of those the Birkenhead to Belfast one has been a favourite as its overnight and we get a cabin but times can be a pain with small kids.

[preston334]

Does anyone use this service, looking for advice on bookings, times, how to get the best price available. Options are Fishguard to Rosslare, Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire.

Where in the UK are you to? I live in Pontypool and I use Pembroke to rosslare all the time to travel back to Derry . I did look at Fishguard but the timings and costs are roughly the same but would take longer to get to Fishguard from my place. I did do the seacat crossing from Dublin to holyhead one year, and I rather have the mother of all hangovers for eternity, than do that crossing again, plus the drive down from holyhead to south Wales was a complete nightmare.

The departures from rosslare or Pembroke are around 2.30am or 2.30pm,so will get in around 7am/7pm or later depending on delays, weather issues, etc. So if you are travelling further a field than Dublin, you have to consider your travel time in Ireland as well. I usually leave at 11.30 pm and I can be in derry for 1 ish. Also they waz constructing a new motorway arklow to wicklow last year and they wasn't hanging about

[Auric Goldfinger]

I'd go on this Ferry

 

http://www.irishferries.com/uk-en/ships/ulysses/

 

Dont think she has never been held up by rough weather, especialy built for the Irish Sea.

 

If other ferries/ships are confined to port because of rough seas she will sail

[7029bob]

I'd go on this Ferry

 

http://www.irishferries.com/uk-en/ships/ulysses/

 

Dont think she has never been held up by rough weather, especialy built for the Irish Sea.

 

If other ferries/ships are confined to port because of rough seas she will sail

 

I'll second that ,we go out on the fast ferry (midday ish ) and return on the slow (Ulysses) 9.00pm.

Its well worth taking out club class on the return for about £15 extra your sure of getting 3 hours kip as the club lounge is always practically empty.

If you are still in the midlands Holyhead is pretty well the best to get too travel wise.

Both mentioned ferries dock in Dublin which now has a tunnel under the city which takes you onto the M50 ring road and cuts out all traffic congestion and all parts of Ireland can be reached off this road.

Both slow and fast ferries are run by "Irish Ferries" and its as cheap as anywhere to book direct online and print off your ticket.

Prices vary with holiday seasons its cheaper in May/June/Sept/October than in peak times of July/August.

If you can travel mid week its also quite a bit cheaper.

Be aware if you do go to Dun Laoghaire rather than Dublin as it can be a bit of a bottleneck getting out of the docks.

[mannyo]

From my experience Dun Laioghaire is a nightmare port to get out of, its right on the edge of Dublin so if you catch it wrong you drive straight into rush hour traffic. Last time I used to the ferry to there, it took 45 mins of queuing to get out of the port (there are a set of traffic lights at the port exit) and then another hour or more to clear Dublin.

 

I've always used Pembroke to Rosslare since, Rosslare is a much better port to get out of. No traffic lights, no big cities and straight onto the national road network.

[Blue flash]

I'm from Nottingham and use Holyhead to Dublin ( Stena or Irish Ferries fast ferry ) whichever is cheapest. It's a nice drive to Holyhead takes me 3hrs with the wife and 4hrs with the in laws ( breakfast and pee stop )

[D15VRS]

Yes in Mansfield area, and will be visiting Wexford. We did Holyhead last time and no bother, but that was to Rathfarnham (spelling). As we checked the websites it asked for promotions, I wonder where you get them from ?.

[7029bob]

Yes in Mansfield area, and will be visiting Wexford. We did Holyhead last time and no bother, but that was to Rathfarnham (spelling). As we checked the websites it asked for promotions, I wonder where you get them from ?.

 

I take it you mean the ferry companies promotions.

If you register with their mailing list they send you promotions once or twice a year  e.g. 15% off if you book before a certain date.

Also you can convert any Tesco vouchers to get so much off the price of the ferry.(but they do bump up the initial price before taking off your vouchers)

If you book accomodation through a travel agent say "Shamrock Cottages" they give you a discount on the ferry also.

Personaly going to Wexford I would stick to Holyhead - Dublin and drive down on the Irish side rather than drive down to Pembroke to go into Rosslare ,

This is bearing in mind your in the Midlands.

[D15VRS]

Dun Laoghaire. This service is no longer available, not sure why. Stopping with family a few days, might then do a couple of days else where.

[mac11irl]

Dun Laoghaire. This service is no longer available, not sure why. Stopping with family a few days, might then do a couple of days else where.

****e yeah, forgot that. Stena decided it was longer economically viable.. moved operations down to dublin.. if going to wexford dublin or rosslare is irrelevent, distance difference isnt much really compared to travel reqd your side, rosslare is closer but roads from dublin are fine. Just may want to check on eflow website re the m50 toll paymebt. Its barrier free, by anpr, byt i dunno if it picks up and can charge uk plates.. 3.10 by 2000hrs day following travel or a penalty notice for double being issued...

[preston334]

****e yeah, forgot that. Stena decided it was longer economically viable.. moved operations down to dublin.. if going to wexford dublin or rosslare is irrelevent, distance difference isnt much really compared to travel reqd your side, rosslare is closer but roads from dublin are fine. Just may want to check on eflow website re the m50 toll paymebt. Its barrier free, by anpr, byt i dunno if it picks up and can charge uk plates.. 3.10 by 2000hrs day following travel or a penalty notice for double being issued...

They do serve a penalty notice as last year I forgot about the 2 times I used the M50, about 6 weeks later a penalty notice arrives here in wales and was totally shocked by what I had to pay- a grand total of just over £10

Edited 17 July, 2015 by preston334

[mac11irl]

Yep. 6.20e doubled and convert would be about a tenner sterling. I set up an account with them for free, put my car, swmbo, mil and fil cars all on it. Saves 50c per trip and its direct charged to m credit card at the end of the month. Sont use it terribly often but its easier not have to remember when heading to the airport...