Rail & Sail

[sonic2009]

Is there any availability anywhere for

Crewe - Rosslare
Crewe - Dublin

I can't seem to book anything anywhere.

I did wonder whether they are still suspended, so any advice is appreciated.

 

[bangor-toad]

Hi there,
It's possible to book either route on the TFW website.

However, for the first time ever I'm seeing many ferries show up as "fully booked" on certain days throughout the summer. I think a *lot* of people aren't flying somewhere for thier holidays this year and are travelling by car or public transport. It may just be that you're looking on days that are already full.

eg: (From the TFW site)
SailRail Stanby Single £50
Outward Journey (28 Jul 2021)

Depart	Arrive	Travel by	Train company	Duration
06:06 Crewe	07:10 Birmingham New Street	Train	West Midlands Trains	01h 04
07:30 Birmingham New Street	09:25 Cardiff Central	Train	Crosscountry	01h 55
09:42 Cardiff Central	10:34 Swansea	Train	Great Western Railway	00h 52
11:01 Swansea	12:30 Fishguard Harbour	Train	Transport For Wales	01h 29
13:10 Fishguard Harbour	16:25 Rosslare Europort	Ferry	Transport For Wales	03h 15

Good luck funding something suitable.
Mr Toad

 

[sonic2009]

Hi there,
It's possible to book either route on the TFW website.

However, for the first time ever I'm seeing many ferries show up as "fully booked" on certain days throughout the summer. I think a *lot* of people aren't flying somewhere for thier holidays this year and are travelling by car or public transport. It may just be that you're looking on days that are already full.

eg: (From the TFW site)
SailRail Stanby Single £50
Outward Journey (28 Jul 2021)

Depart	Arrive	Travel by	Train company	Duration
06:06 Crewe	07:10 Birmingham New Street	Train	West Midlands Trains	01h 04
07:30 Birmingham New Street	09:25 Cardiff Central	Train	Crosscountry	01h 55
09:42 Cardiff Central	10:34 Swansea	Train	Great Western Railway	00h 52
11:01 Swansea	12:30 Fishguard Harbour	Train	Transport For Wales	01h 29
13:10 Fishguard Harbour	16:25 Rosslare Europort	Ferry	Transport For Wales	03h 15

Good luck funding something suitable.
Mr Toad

Thanks for this Mr Toad, I'm looking at the night ferries if possible. I might have to keep looking.

 

[berneyarms]

Thanks for this Mr Toad, I'm looking at the night ferries if possible. I might have to keep looking.

You do realise that the night ferry from Fishguard to Rosslare arrives in Rosslare at 04:00?

Not exactly a time I'd want to arrive there as a foot passenger!

Also, the night ferries at Holyhead have very poor rail connections heading towards Ireland, and non-existent ones in the opposite direction.

 

[Wallsendmag]

We were told a few days ago that Trainline has exclusive rights to book the rail sail via Holyhead. Something we really didn't believe but we're still trying to clarify it .

 

[Alex365Dash]

We were told a few days ago that Trainline has exclusive rights to book the rail sail via Holyhead. Something we really didn't believe but we're still trying to clarify it .

Interestingly, this doesn’t appear to apply to Transport for Wales (TfW), London Northwestern Railway (LNWR) or Trainsplit - these three (as well as Trainline) are offering the 20/08/2021 14:10 Irish Ferries sailing from Holyhead to Dublin with tickets for the journey available.

Avanti (who also operate some services from Holyhead) can find an itinerary matching the 14:10 sailing, but is unable to find any tickets for the journey available despite seats being available that are being sold by TfW, LNWR, Trainline and Trainsplit.

 

[Watershed]

Interestingly, this doesn’t appear to apply to Transport for Wales (TfW), London Northwestern Railway (LNWR) or Trainsplit - these three (as well as Trainline) are offering the 20/08/2021 14:10 Irish Ferries sailing from Holyhead to Dublin with tickets for the journey available.

Avanti (who also operate some services from Holyhead) can find an itinerary matching the 14:10 sailing, but is unable to find any tickets for the journey available despite seats being available that are being sold by TfW, LNWR, Trainline and Trainsplit.

TfW and LNR's booking sites are run by Trainline. If you look in the T&Cs you'll see that your contract is actually with Trainline.

TrainSplit is a completely independent booking site and is able to offer lots of tickets and itineraries that other sites struggle with. So this doesn't surprise me.

 

[Flying Snail]

Irish Ferries are currently not taking foot passengers on many sailings to/from Holyhead, only the 14.10 from Holyhead and 08.20 from Dublin are currently open for foot passenger bookings.

Also beware they have been playing foul with the fast ferry, it is open for booking but they keep cancelling it's return a week or two out and pushing it forward like that, personally I doubt it will run at all again this year but until it is confirmed to be returning I would suggest avoiding booking on 1040, 16.45 ex Holyhead and 08.20 14.40 ex Dublin.

Stena are open for foot passengers on all sailings on Holyhead and Rosslare routes.

I expect with restrictions they are releasing very few reservations to the rail booking system which is why they are showing as booked out.

I checked the next 30 days and every single sailing to/from Holyhead is available for foot passengers booking directly with Stena, the difficulty as usual is the way the reservations are handled on the Rail database.

Buying in Ireland directly from Stena in person or over the phone is unlikely to be as problematic but it is probable they may not issue tickets originating in GB or provide any means to get them to you. Even if it is not possible to get your outward journey this way you can always use it to book your return and collect the ticket at Dublin or Rosslare port.

The phone number is not listed on the UK Stena site but it is a standard Irish geographic number 00 353 1 9075388.

 

[sonic2009]

Thanks all, i've booked just a ferry option between Holyhead and Dublin now.

 

[danm14]

Does anyone know if the current unavailability of SailRail Advance tickets in mid-August is a case of them being sold out, not yet on sale, or only SailRail Standby tickets being sold?

Related question: is there any retailer which allows a fee-free refund on SailRail Standby tickets in the event that SailRail Advance tickets later become available? I believe the Covid-related "Book with Confidence" scheme offered by many retailers is only for Advance fares.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Doing some test bookings for SailRail with Stena from Holyhead this week I found availability on Trainline with the connecting trains I expected (Avanti to connect with the 0900 sailing).
However TfW and Avanti web sites weren't offering connections into the 0900.
I'm actually aiming to travel in September, but you can't book that far ahead for SailRail.

Ireland has only just opened up for leisure travel of course, and there are still restrictions.
You have to book intercity in Ireland online via irishrail.ie to be sure of a seat (75% occupancy).
Stena have been sailing Holyhead-Belfast instead of Dublin at weekends because of Brexit disruption, but have now reverted to the normal Dublin schedule.

 

[krus_aragon]

Stena have been sailing Holyhead-Belfast instead of Dublin at weekends because of Brexit disruption, but have now reverted to the normal Dublin schedule.

I believe that was Covid related: The Republic had introduced travel restrictions that would still have applied to people travelling onward to Northern Ireland. Sailing direct to Belfast avoids this.

Operator Stena Line will operate a Holyhead to Belfast leisure and freight route between 25 June and 18 July.
UK travellers to Northern Ireland are not required to take a Covid test or quarantine, something that's needed if you travel to the Republic of Ireland.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-57487563

 

[berneyarms]

I believe that was Covid related: The Republic had introduced travel restrictions that would still have applied to people travelling onward to Northern Ireland. Sailing direct to Belfast avoids this.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-57487563

Actually, Irish travel restrictions did not change between the start of the year and 19th July.

It was simply that the freight loadings had dropped off between Dublin and Holyhead sufficiently that they had spare capacity, and they decided to use the ship on a Holyhead-Belfast route for four weekends which also co-incided with the annual 12th July holidays in NI.

Freight is the lifeblood of the ferries on the Irish Sea, and that's what dictates service levels.

 

[krus_aragon]

Actually, Irish travel restrictions did not change between the start of the year and 19th July.

It was simply that the freight loadings had dropped off between Dublin and Holyhead sufficiently that they had spare capacity, and they decided to use the ship on a Holyhead-Belfast route for four weekends which also co-incided with the annual 12th July holidays in NI.

Freight is the lifeblood of the ferries on the Irish Sea, and that's what dictates service levels.

I think I'd gotting it into my mind that the isolation requirements were applying to freight drivers too, for some reason.

 

[berneyarms]

I think I'd gotting it into my mind that the isolation requirements were applying to freight drivers too, for some reason.

Mercifully not!