Holyhead to Belfast via Dublin for 1 night for twin brothers stag do!!!

mrblue_3

Looking for some help here!! I have managed to book a family holiday in Angelsey the weekend of my twin brothers stag do (he moved the dates!!) which will be in Belfast. Obviously I don't want to miss it so I am planning on getting across for it by leaving Holyhead on the Saturday and getting the ferry to Dublin. I will then need to get train (i'm guessing) to Belfast and do the return journey on the Sunday.

Does anyone have advice on this journey? I've found a ferry as foot passenger for £25 so thats no problem but then I've looked at trains on some websites and I'm lost. Its not as simple as it seems to be over here. I've found trains from Dublin to belfast and have the times but can't seem to be able to book it in advance. Is there a specific website I should be looking at?

Also how far is the ferry port from a train station etc?

Any advice would be great.

Thanks

Mike

mrblue_3

Can anyone help???

lufcgirl

In Ireland the trains are called Enterprise for some reason. It's quite a journey Dublin to Belfast! Something like 200 miles and the train station isn't exactly in either town centre. Have you tried seeing if theres any ferrys direct to Belfast from Holyhead as they're practically opposite each other?

And the ferry port is in Dublin is about two miles from the airport, so you'd need to get down the motorway to get to the airport to get a bus to get a train...confusing huh?! It's about 20-40 euro return. I think Conolly train station if your best bet for trains.

Anyway the website is http://www.irishrail.ie/home/ for bookings if thats any help.

beccam

Hi, yes the train service in Ireland/Northern Ireland is pretty poor in comparrison to England.
If you check Translink website http://www.translink.co.uk/enterprise-web-fare.asp?source= you can book and prepay tickets.

Also worth checking out the bus service on this site and also on http://www.aircoach.ie/table.routes.belfast.php this one to see if anything suits.

Hope you enjoy a good night out in Belfast!!

weeowens

Are you going to use Irish Ferries or Stena.The reason i ask is one goes to Dublin port and the other goes to Dun Laoghaire.
From Dun Laoghaireyou would get the DART(local train) to Dublin city and then gat a train to Belfast.
From Dublin port you'd probably need to get a taxi to the station.

bobby9205

I had a similar problem a few years ago when we flew into knock airport (its in the middle of nowhere!!!) and we had to get to Galway, after much messing around looking at bus timetables etc we hired a car!

This is something you could look at, as I remember is didnt cost to much to do but be careful re driving the morning after having a skinful !!!

Also take your sat nav, its easy to get lost!

beccam

The other thing to think of is driving to Liverpool and flying from there to Belfast. Usually some cheap flights going and give you a more direct route into Belfast.

mobby-2554

It might be quicker & cheaper to drive from Holyhead to Liverpool?

Ryanair have flights to Belfast £10.00 each way.
I know you will also have fuel cost to Liverpool.
The journey from Dublin to Belfast will not be cheap & it ill be in Euros.
Quite a journey.
The ferry port is quite out of the way so you've got cost of getting to the station.

mobby-2554

Ryanair have flights on now £10.00 & it's Belfast city airport so very near where you'll want to be.
So your main journey will only be getting to the airport.

mrblue_3

Thanks for your replies guys. I need to go from Holyhead really as I'll be leaving the wife and 2 young kids with the car, Holyhead is just down the road from where we stay. Irish Ferries is the one that seems to have the best times and fare but I will have a look at the sites you've mentioned. Any further though great appreciated.