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Sail Rail and the 57 hauled Pendolino

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laird

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I was thinking of using a Sail Rail ticket to travel from Dublin to Reading (RDG) (or London Euston if it makes it easier).

I'd very much like to travel on the 57 Hauled Pendolino on a Saturday in June
(1438 service from Holyhead to London Euston via Crewe).

That means leaving either on the Irish Ferries Swift Service from Dublin Port (DFP) at 0845 or the Stena also from Dublin Port (DPS) at 0820 to connect at Holyhead.

The fares I am offered are:
DFP to RDG, Sailrail Advance £41.00
DFP to RDG, Sailrail Single £46.00
DPS to RDG, Sailrail Advance £37.00
DPS to RDG, Sailrail Single £42.00

I can get the Virgin Trains website to offer me Dublin Port Stena (DPS) to Reading (RDG) on the 1438 departure from Holyhead changing at Crewe.

If I want to travel on the Irish Ferries Swift service leaving Dublin (DFP) at 0845 I am unable to persuade the website to offer me an opportunity to wait at Holyhead for the connection.

I guess that rules out the Sailrail Advance from DFP but if I bought a Sailrail Single can I then just ignore the reservations on the rail legs and wait at Holyhead?

A second question is should I choose a DFP or DPS origin ticket can they be exchanged for one another given an administration fee?
 
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wintonian

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I was thinking of using a Sail Rail ticket to travel from Dublin to Reading (RDG) (or London Euston if it makes it easier).

I'd very much like to travel on the 57 Hauled Pendolino on a Saturday in June
(1438 service from Holyhead to London Euston via Crewe).

That means leaving either on the Irish Ferries Swift Service from Dublin Port (DFP) at 0845 or the Stena also from Dublin Port (DPS) at 0820 to connect at Holyhead.

The fares I am offered are:
DFP to RDG, Sailrail Advance £41.00
DFP to RDG, Sailrail Single £46.00
DPS to RDG, Sailrail Advance £37.00
DPS to RDG, Sailrail Single £42.00

I can get the Virgin Trains website to offer me Dublin Port Stena (DPS) to Reading (RDG) on the 1438 departure from Holyhead changing at Crewe.

If I want to travel on the Irish Ferries Swift service leaving Dublin (DFP) at 0845 I am unable to persuade the website to offer me an opportunity to wait at Holyhead for the connection.

I guess that rules out the Sailrail Advance from DFP but if I bought a Sailrail Single can I then just ignore the reservations on the rail legs and wait at Holyhead?

A second question is should I choose a DFP or DPS origin ticket can they be exchanged for one another given an administration fee?


No, Reservations are now compulsory on all rail and ferry legs for both the Advance and STNDBY (buy on the day) tickets.

Restriction codes are 6K, 6I, 6L & 6J - Irish Ferries
6C, 6R 6D & 6S - Stenna

The PDF of codes is here

regarding changing the carrier, Irish Ferries have a destination of; DUBLIN FYPT I.F. and Stena; DUBLINPORT STENA or DUBLIN CITY (CIE for Dublin as the destination so this is not possible, however a return is twice the price of a single so 2 singles could be bought each with a diffrent carrier.

you can however ask for a refund minus £10 admin free and buy a new ticket, be warned though that tickets bout here canonly be refunded here, likewise tickets bought from Iarnród Éireann can only be refunded by and the same applies to Translink.

Also tickets bought at Dublin Connolly do not have these new restrictions with reservations and can be bought on the day of return, but you do need to specify Stena or Irish Ferries.
 
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pkkelly

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I would avoid the Swift if possible as it is cancelled often for weather and other reasons
 

laird

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Thanks Wintonian and pk,

The PDF raises perhaps more questions than it answers sadly, does anyone have a pdf with the codes 6I, 6L & 6J described or an equivalent?

And if buying at Dublin gets round the problem what about buying in Euros on the Irish Ferries website/telephone number?
 

wintonian

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I would avoid the Swift if possible as it is cancelled often for weather and other reasons

If it is I believe you get carried on the Stena sailing.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2

Edit: looks like the Irish Ferries website diagrees with me and says you will end up on the next Ulysse sailing, although she is a fine ship and to reccomended it means a few hours wait.
 
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wintonian

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Thanks Wintonian and pk,

The PDF raises perhaps more questions than it answers sadly, does anyone have a pdf with the codes 6I, 6L & 6J described or an equivalent?

And if buying at Dublin gets round the problem what about buying in Euros on the Irish Ferries website/telephone number?

Booking through Irish Ferries for trips starting in Ireland might work but they still carry the no break of journey restriction.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2
 

bkhtele

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/http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/SailRail/FAQs*********[/QUOTE]
Interestingly the Arriva Official Rail Sail website states in their FAQ that only the ferry reservations are compulsory for the standby/walk on tickets, rail reservations are recommended. Seems you can buy the walk on fare in Uk.
 
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wintonian

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Interesting, and they haven’t forgotten to change it as that is a completely new website for this year and so maybe where it says "Reservations are compulsory on all legs" in the restrictions this just means you must make some reservations but you don't have to stick by them.

However it does appear that you may no longer be able to book for 1 sailing and end up getting ad different one with the same company as used to be the case although not strictly allowed IIRC.

Anyway "No break of journey except for connection purposes " achieves what they are trying to, although unenforceable at Holyhead (unless they do have a block on but that very unlikely) and on the other side of the Irish Sea, no restriction is going to stop me popping into Molloy's for a Guinness on the way to Belfast.
 

John @ home

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Do I need to book in advance?
SailRail tickets are available in 12 weeks in advance and up to 2 hours before the departure time of your train. It’s best to purchase your SailRail ticket as soon as possible to ensure you have a reservation for Stena Line and Irish Ferries services.

For online and telephone sales, SailRail tickets must be purchased by 4pm the day before travel.

For ticket office sales, SailRail tickets must be purchased at least 2 hours before the departure time of the train.

Is the ticket subject to availability?
Yes. SailRail is subject to availability based on ferry capacity only.

Do I need to make a reservation?
Yes. Reservations are compulsory on Stena Line and Irish Ferries services. A place will be booked on the ferry for you at time of purchase.

Failure to obtain a reservation may result in you not being allowed to board the vessel.

Reservations are not required for the train journey but advisable.

http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/SailRail/FAQs/
 

wintonian

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Ah I've got it now:

Advance – Travel must be booked by 18:00 the day before travel. Reservations are mandatory on the rail and ship legs and no break of journey is permitted. The restrictions for Advance are

SailRail STNDBY – Available on day of travel – Reservation is compulsory for the ship leg, and tickets can be purchased up to departure time of connecting train.:

and indeed the restrictions for the STNDBY tickets do say

Reservations are compulsory on the ship leg

I assumed it was the same for both new ticket types with the only diffrence being one could be bought on the day.

However I will stress that nither tiket type now permitts any break of journey.
 

bkhtele

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According to the Arrivia site Sailrail reservations to Southern Ireland are open until 31/4/12, which could explain your online problem. They are making this difficult!

National rail website is asking people to book online via Stena "the only way to book tickets" which is clearly wrong especially for Irish Ferries! (use journey planner & click on status to see the message)
 

wintonian

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Well the advances are available up to 12 weeks (engineering works permitting) in advance as per the norm, but I had a feeling the standby ones may only be available on the day, but that would be silly as none would be able to buy a ticket after 18:00 the day before so suspect I may be wrong.
 

bkhtele

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May be best to buy standby at main station. If the advances are available you can buy the standby. The only excuse for not selling is the ferry reservations, if they are available for advance there will be no problem.

Last Feb for a return portion Dublin Connelly were able to sell the tickets but were recommending buying them port side to guarantee the ferry journey. Not much use if you are in Belfast.

The Nir travel agent in Belfast Great Victoria Street told me they could sell them easily, but I did not try.
If you can travel via Euston have you tried the overnight sleeper to Glasgow and the on to Cairnryan/Belfast good value at £49 plus sleeper. I will be doing this in May. Supplement if you want £57.20 solo or a little cheaper if you wish to share? (book this in UK as StenaBelfast Anytime ticket appears not to be valid on the sleeper- according to Stena Belfast & Scotrail Glasgow....
 

smckane

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Well the advances are available up to 12 weeks (engineering works permitting) in advance as per the norm, but I had a feeling the standby ones may only be available on the day, but that would be silly as none would be able to buy a ticket after 18:00 the day before so suspect I may be wrong.

Standby is available at any time up to 2 hours before departure on the day of travel. The reservation is only for the ferry on this ticket and trains are not reserved automatically (but if purchased in advance, you can ask) so you can purchase up to 2 hours before departure, it falls outside the 18:00 the previous day rule for (all?) advance sales tickets (including Sail Rail advance).

Or at least, that's what the lady at Euston Ticket Office explained to me when I asked...
 

laird

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It certainly explains why the Sailrail Single ticket is always £5 more expensive than the equivalent Advance. Coincidentally the same value as the websites note as being the supplement for buying on the day. Sailrail Single therefore = Standby?

So in my case I could take the Swift service (risking delay as pkkelly suggests) then pick up the interesting train at Holyhead.

There is as Wintonian has picked up a risk in that break of journey on the rail leg is not permitted but I guess I could argue that the rail leg only commences when I board my first train.

The Arriva Trains Wales Sailrail website is wrong about the date to which reservations have been opened as other websites are offering reservations and ATOC's travel agent website says they have been opened to late June. Probably an oversight on the sailrail website.
 

Cundy66

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Where would I be able to find prices for Sheffield to Dublin return as I wouldn't mind doing this and would rail cards be accepted?

This seems really interesting and would be different to my ryanair outtings to ireland
 

wintonian

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It certainly explains why the Sailrail Single ticket is always £5 more expensive than the equivalent Advance. Coincidentally the same value as the websites note as being the supplement for buying on the day. Sailrail Single therefore = Standby?

So in my case I could take the Swift service (risking delay as pkkelly suggests) then pick up the interesting train at Holyhead.

There is as Wintonian has picked up a risk in that break of journey on the rail leg is not permitted but I guess I could argue that the rail leg only commences when I board my first train.

The Arriva Trains Wales Sailrail website is wrong about the date to which reservations have been opened as other websites are offering reservations and ATOC's travel agent website says they have been opened to late June. Probably an oversight on the sailrail website.

The by on the day fares are called standy bys the others are advances.

It's hard to how the rail leg can start before you board a train or maybe ATOC just don't care if you jump ship? :p
 

bkhtele

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Where would I be able to find prices for Sheffield to Dublin return as I wouldn't mind doing this and would rail cards be accepted?

This seems really interesting and would be different to my ryanair outtings to ireland

Single via Stena from £32 to £37, via Irish Ferries £36 to £44, no rail cards child discount 50% up to 15. Standby fast ferries are the most expensive, Information on Arriva Sail Rail website. Return is twice single price
 

wintonian

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Where would I be able to find prices for Sheffield to Dublin return as I wouldn't mind doing this and would rail cards be accepted?

£36.00 - Ulysses
£39.00 - Swift

£32.00 - Stena ship
£36.00 - Dun Laoghaire

Standbys are £5.00 more and there are no railcard discounts.
 

Eire Sprinter

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I would second the suggestion to book the return part separately with Irish Ferries.

It happened me in recent months that the 08.45 Swift was cancelled and the 08.05 Ulysses (which I was booked on) was delayed 15/20 minutes to process all the extra passengers.

In recent days a public Dublin Bus service (route 53) has been extended to serve the Irish Ferries Terminal. It starts at Talbot Street and also stops opposite Connolly Station.

Fare: €1.25 adult single - half the price of the special connecting bus that Irish Ferries contract Dublin Bus to provide.

Timetable here:http://dublinbus.ie/en/Your-Journey1/Timetables/All-Timetables/53/
(The 08.00 would be too tight for the 08.45 Swift)

Timetable of dedicated connecting bus: http://dublinbus.ie/en/Your-Journey1/Timetables/Ferry-Connections/
 
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