AnnaSteffens
Traveller
13 comments
Posted 10 months ago
Hello everyone,
I am gonna be starting my first Interrail adventure in July and I, therefore, have some questions about the kind of transportation between the UK and Ireland. The app does not show any train available, but there are ferries. Can I only use the ferries? I would be pleased to be able to read a report of someone who has already been on a ferry like that.
Thanks for you help in advance!
Anna
argon
Traveller
353 comments
Has you note that between UK and Ireland is sea ? Irish Ferry accept Interrail also at the Holyhead - Dublin and Pembroke - Rosslare . I link you the Interrail site therefore , https://www.interrail.eu/en/plan-your-trip/tips-and-tricks/trains-europe/ferries . Unfortunately i know nothing about where you find an Blog or something about that . However i hope i can help u a bit !
Baldie
Traveller
15 comments
The ferry operator from both Northern and Southern Ireland to the UK (Also Southern Ireland to Cherbourg, if that could be helpful, if you don't wish to travel through the UK in both directions is Stena Line. You may find their website helpful, www.stenaline.co.uk
AnnaSteffens
Traveller
13 comments
Thank you for answer. I knew the website before and I do know that there is water in between, but I had hope that there would be a tunnel like the Eurotunnel as well, but thanks:)
AnnaSteffens
Traveller
13 comments
Thank you for the link, it was really helpful:)
argon
Traveller
353 comments
That with the sea between UK and IE was a joke ^_^ I think North Ireland are too small for a tunnel (UK and IE are really not the best friends !)
MisterSteve
Traveller
916 comments
In fact there was a project for a "fixed link". Ireland looked at one in the late 90s, based on the Øresund Link between Denmark and Sweden. It was technically possible but the traffic levels would have been too small and if built the railway in North Wales would have need upgrading as well on top of the cost of the Link so the whole idea fell flat. A couple of years ago the idiot Boris proposed a link from Scotland to Northern Ireland but that wasn't technically possible. And GB and IE are friends, which is why we don't need passports (neither country has ID cards) to enter each others countries, even during the height of lockdown Irish citizens could enter the UK with the same rights as UK citizens and their truck drivers were passing from Dover to Holyhead as usual. Which does sometimes bring problems to others as for them passport and visa rules do apply at the borders, even you can't see the border and there's nobody there to check!
There are two ferry companies from Holyhead to Dublin (and from south Wales to the far south of Ireland) - Stena and Irish Ferries compete on both. Be wary about planning to use the Irish Ferries fast craft, even during summer the sea can be so rough that it is cancelled and passengers have to use the slower ordinary ferry, Stena gave up on their fast craft a long time ago.
Stena also has competition (from P&O) on routes to Northern Ireland but not all of these take pedestrains and they aren't well connected for rail travel
AnnaSteffens
Traveller
13 comments
Thank you for your long answer and the information you provided:)) I think I am gonna use IrishFerries because they offer the 30 percent discount, I sincerely hope that they won’t cancel my trip tho:)
AnnaSteffens
Traveller
13 comments
Sorry argon, sometimes I don’t get jokes if you don’t put a “:)” or something like that behind it, but never mind:) Thanks for your help!
argon
Traveller
353 comments
No problem , if you have any other question feel free to ask in the forum !