Newcastle to Belfast via Cairnryan

[Steddenm]

I'm looking to book the train from Newcastle to Belfast and have been given the following route:

0806d Newcastle
0928a Carlisle (Northern)
0954d Carlisle
1152a Kilmarnock (ScotRail)
1204d Kilmarnock
1226a Ayr (ScotRail)
1245d Ayr
1400a Cairnryan Port (Stena Bus)
1530d Cairnryan Port
1745a Belfast Port (Stena Line)
1800d Belfast Port
1825a Belfast Grand Central (Translink)

Now I'm fine with the itinerary but what does "Lifeboat" mean for a ticket type?

 

[MrJeeves]

That's listing the facilities available for your journey, hence "facility details" below it.

Scroll down to see ticket options.

 

[Steddenm]

That's listing the facilities available for your journey, hence "facility details" below it.

Scroll down to see ticket options.

View attachment 181118

View attachment 181117

Just seems strange that it announces it has a lifeboat!

 

[MrJeeves]

Just seems strange that it announces it has a lifeboat!

You prefer your ferries without lifeboats?

It was a little joke I added in when I was developing the feature to display this information within the app, hoping it might make someone chuckle if they saw it.

 

[High Dyke]

You prefer your ferries without lifeboats?

It was a little joke I added in when I was developing the feature to display this information within the app, hoping it might make someone chuckle if they saw it.

Then you have achieved a result.

 

[Steddenm]

You prefer your ferries without lifeboats?

It was a little joke I added in when I was developing the feature to display this information within the app, hoping it might make someone chuckle if they saw it.

Well done - you have achieved that!

 

[Egg Centric]

Factually, do they all have lifeboats? Some of them look like they only have liferafts...

 

[signed]

Factually, do they all have lifeboats? Some of them look like they only have liferafts...

All of the Stena SuperFast lineup photos (VI, VII, VIII) I can find show lifeboats, at the very least on port (left) side

 

[MrJeeves]

Factually, do they all have lifeboats? Some of them look like they only have liferafts...

Well, the system I derived was "boat = has lifeboats", no matter what boat it was... so it will also say your Isle of Wight hovercraft has them.

 

[Egg Centric]

Well, the system I derived was "boat = has lifeboats", no matter what boat it was... so it will also say your Isle of Wight hovercraft has them.

Since we're drifting a bit, here's an Isle of Wight hovercraft "pro tip" - it does occasional "experience trips" where it shows off. More details here. Well recommended apparently (I've been on it but only on shecduled flights).

 

[signed]

Since we're drifting a bit, here's an Isle of Wight hovercraft "pro tip" - it does occasional "experience trips" where it shows off. More details here. Well recommended apparently (I've been on it but only on shecduled flights).

And there are 2 special experience flights with goodie bags and pilot signed certificates on August 4th for the 60th anniversary of Hovertravel

Hovercraft Experience | Hovertravel Isle of Wight Ferry

Our hovercraft experience flight gives you a chance to experience all the unique capabilities and manoeuvrability of our hovercraft. Book now!

www.hovertravel.co.uk

(Though I agree that is very much off-topic)

 

[John R]

Since we're drifting a bit, .

Now that would worry me on any type of ferry...

 

[Egg Centric]

Now that would worry me on any type of ferry...

But not a hovercraft on an experience flight

 

[Wallsendmag]

If you take Easyjet you'll be in Belfast before the train gets to Hexham and when we went it was cheaper too. No mention of parachutes though.

 

[MrJeeves]

If you take Easyjet you'll be in Belfast before the train gets to Hexham and when we went it was cheaper too.

I maintain the ferry via Cairnryan is worth trying if you haven't before, and is definitely a beautiful journey (even if it is rather long!).

I've done both, and would rather take the ferry if time isn't a constraint!

No mention of parachutes though.

 

[Porty]

If you take Easyjet you'll be in Belfast before the train gets to Hexham and when we went it was cheaper too. No mention of parachutes though.

Fares by plane are very variable though - and often you may need to pay a hefty amount for hold baggage. When I did this ferry route from Edinburgh it was a very enjoyable journey. I never think this about any plane journey - it's just a matter of enduring it. It's very much personal preference and how much time you have available.

 

[Steddenm]

I maintain the ferry via Cairnryan is worth trying if you haven't before, and is definitely a beautiful journey (even if it is rather long!).

I've done both, and would rather take the ferry if time isn't a constraint!

I use the route quite a lot, and prefer the train than the plane. Sometimes I use Hannon's excellent coach service from Glasgow direct to Belfast as well as there's no luggage restrictions on it and the coach goes direct.

I used to use SailRail between Dublin and London via Holyhead but the fares went up considerably and the connections were horrific. Same for the Fishguard to Rosslaire Europort route. The TfW train does connect nicely in Fishguard Harbour, yet the Iarnród Éireann service the other end at Rosslaire Europort is a heck of a wait in the cold.

 

[MrJeeves]

I used to use SailRail between Dublin and London via Holyhead but the fares went up considerably and the connections were horrific. Same for the Fishguard to Rosslaire Europort route. The TfW train does connect nicely in Fishguard Harbour, yet the Iarnród Éireann service the other end at Rosslaire Europort is a heck of a wait in the cold.

I learnt a similar tough tale when doing the Cairnryan ferry when I saw the Translink bus leave as I was waiting for Stena to return my suitcase to me at Belfast!

 

[Steddenm]

I learnt a similar tough tale when doing the Cairnryan ferry when I saw the Translink bus leave as I was waiting for Stena to return my suitcase to me at Belfast!

That happened to me once and I called Translink as there were a couple of us who missed the bus because of it, and they sent us a ValueCabs taxi to take us into the city. They apologised and said the driver should've waited until the security at the port said it was clear. Translink are really good when it comes to things like that.

 

[MrJeeves]

Oh wow. I just took a taxi!

 

[Steddenm]

Oh wow. I just took a taxi!

If you ever go again and you get stuck just give Translink a call.

 

[A S Leib]

I know that the ticket specifies "no break of journey except to change trains"; would it be allowed to go by train to Stranraer rather than Ayr, provided purchase of an Ayr to Stranraer ticket as well, then to get a bus to Cairnryan and the ferry rather than having to go via the route specified when booking?

As an example itinerary,

Newcastle 06:20
07:57 Carlisle 08:09
09:57 Kilmarnock 10:03
10:42 Maybole 11:47
12:57 Stranraer

Stranraer 13:40
13:57 Cairnryan ferry terminal 15:30
17:45 Belfast port

 

[Steddenm]

I know that the ticket specifies "no break of journey except to change trains"; would it be allowed to go by train to Stranraer rather than Ayr, provided purchase of an Ayr to Stranraer ticket as well, then to get a bus to Cairnryan and the ferry rather than having to go via the route specified when booking?

As an example itinerary,

Newcastle 06:20
07:57 Carlisle 08:09
09:57 Kilmarnock 10:03
10:42 Maybole 11:47
12:57 Stranraer

Stranraer 13:40
13:57 Cairnryan ferry terminal 15:30
17:45 Belfast port

I should think so. Stena don't check tickets on the bus as it's not reserved. And as long as you are on the correct ferry then it shouldn't be a problem. The Stagecoach bus though from Stranraer is known for being cancelled at the last minute though to the port. It goes on somewhere else but if it's late getting to Stranraer it sometimes terminates and turns at the Port rather than go into the town. The coast road to the port can be very busy during peak ferry arrivals/departures.

 

[MrJeeves]

Stena don't check tickets on the bus as it's not reserved.

The Stena coach driver certainly checked each of our tickets before letting us on, but they wouldn't prevent you taking the ferry if you didn't take the coach which is the bigger point to make.

 

[Steddenm]

The Stena coach driver certainly checked each of our tickets before letting us on, but they wouldn't prevent you taking the ferry if you didn't take the coach which is the bigger point to make.

Sorry what I meant is they didn't have a list of who was meant to be on the coach. They do a cursory check and that's about it.

 

[Killingworth]

100 years ago my grandfather regularly travelled from Newcastle to Belfast by train and ferry from Stranraer. In my loco spotting days in the late 1950s I think there was still a direct boat train. There were a lot of people with Irish ancestry in the north-east to make that viable. It's a long way to drive today.

In 1956 his daughter and son-in-law took their car by plane from Castle Kennedy near Stranraer to Newtonards. Easyjet were a long way ahead.


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