Help me find cheapest travel to Northern Ireland please

shelovestobuystuff

This post is on behalf of my mum who is an absolute technophobe and will not post although she is registered on MSE and does read the forum posts so advice for my mum please re fares to Ireland.
She wants to travel over there at the end of this week and stay for about a week coming home probably next Thursday.Help needed with finding the best deals to get her from Glasgow to Newry,Northern Ireland and back.
No passport although someone has advised mum that her photo I.D. bus pass can be used as I.D. for travel in UK in place of a passport,doesnt sound right to me, so please can anyone confirm this.If that advice is not correct then we are looking for ferry travel deals only.
Thank you.

Incapuppy

Where in NI?

shelovestobuystuff

Sorry.She is going to Newry.

shelovestobuystuff

I found a search site www.opodo.co.uk and they have a return flight 27th Nov and back on 4th Dec for £81.93 all in.Thats with easy jet.
Went to easy jets own site and found even cheaper flights,outward 3rd and return 10th dec for £53.98 all in.
http://www.easyjet.com/en/book/step3.asp#x

shelovestobuystuff

For ferry the best I can find is stena line from stranraer to belfast.Leaving about 10am on 27th Nov and returning teatime on 4th Dec total cost is £50.Thats a really fast ferry taking about 2.5 hours each way.Hows that for you mum?
Free bus travel using the bus pass between glasgow and stranraer but that will take ages.Train travel I am having trouble finding for this journey.

Francophile

Going Out

Adult11.99 GBPMon, Dec 01
Flight FR143409:00
09:45Depart
ArriveGlasgow (Prestwick) (PIK)
Belfast (City) (BHD)Coming Back

Adult0.00 GBPMon, Dec 08
Flight FR143918:15
19:00Depart
ArriveBelfast (City) (BHD)
Glasgow (Prestwick) (PIK)

Pricing

Going Out (Web Fare)1 Adult@ 11.99 GBP11.99 GBPTaxes/Fees details18.74 GBPComing Back (Web Fare)1 Adult@ 0.00 GBP0.00 GBPTaxes/Fees details10.00 GBPTotal Cost of Flight40.73 GBP
Excluding handling fee (if applicable)
click here for information on handling fees

I'm sure someone else will know about buses to Newry.

shelovestobuystuff

Ryanair are doing £10 fares,thats all inclusive of tax etc.The cheap fares start on 9th Dec I think but they suspend them during the busiest times.So she could get there and back for £20 if the advice we got re passport was valid.
Update on the passport situation,aparantly flyb allow pensioners with a photo I.D. buspass to travel on domestic flights without a passport,I didnt think that was legal but thats what I have heard.
The cheap flights though are with ryanair so no good for mum as she wants to travel this week and has no passport yet.
Must look for ferry travel deals.

TrishaM

Shelovestobuystuff, I live in N.I. so I would go via easyjet which flies to the international Airport, then take the Airport bus to Belfast (Great Victoria St) and pick up another bus to newry or the bus link to the train station and take the train. The bus from the airport to belfast runs every 10 mins and I think it is £9 return or thereabouts. Oh and you do not need a passport to come to N.I. we are part of the UK. Easyjet only want photo id eg driving licence etc. Hope this helps.