irish ferries free trip to britain

Hate airports but need to get to London? Here’s a calmer, cheaper, greener way to go

A beginner’s guide to travelling from dublin to britain by ferry and rail.

Sail-rail: taking trains and a ferry is a lower-carbon way to travel between London and Dublin. Photograph: Michael Pidgeon

I love getting the ferry. Compared with air travel, it’s a calmer, cheaper, lower-carbon way to go.

Over the past decade I’ve taken more than 20 “sail-rail” journeys, mainly from Dublin to London but also on to Brussels, Paris, Prague, Oxford, Edinburgh and Cambridge, among other places. It’s a less polished way of travelling than by air – although perhaps recent airport events have shifted that balance – but if you love trains and hate airports, it’s definitely something to try.

The process is nowhere near as easy as it should be, though, and I often get asked how to go about it. With luck, these tips and tricks will help future sail-railers have an easier time. (Some of the rail routes I mention are temporarily being affected by a reduction in services from Holyhead, so please factor these into your plans.)

Where can you go?

The basic idea is that you can buy a single sail-rail ticket to get a ferry from Dublin Port to Holyhead, in north Wales, and then take the train from there to anywhere in Britain. The ticket is good for as many train changes as you need in one day. It also works in reverse: a sail-rail ticket could be a train journey from any British rail station to Holyhead and then on to a ferry to Ireland.

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You can go to London on this ticket and then get a separate Eurostar ticket, which can take you direct to a variety of European cities (Paris and Brussels most frequently). This isn’t always that cheap, and there can be tight connections, but it’s doable – especially if you have an obliging friend in London willing to host you on their couch for the night.

There are, of course, ferries going from Northern Ireland to Scotland, and from Rosslare and elsewhere. I only have recent experience with the Dublin Port to Holyhead route, however, so I can’t offer advice on the others.

How much does it cost?

Sail-rail tickets range from about €40 to €60. It’s a fairly fixed price range, so there are no big savings to be made by booking a long way in advance. This means it can be a good last-minute option. But be warned: the tickets do get booked out. You pay a bit extra (about €6) if you book a fast ferry or if you book on the day of travel.

A fare of €60 or so will take you to London or Edinburgh; the cheaper tickets are for destinations that are closer to Holyhead.

How long does it take?

My typical sail-rail trip involves leaving Dublin Port at 8.15am and arriving in London, at Euston Station, at 4.07pm. Coming home from London, I’d leave Euston at 9.10am and arrive in Dublin Port just before 5.30pm.

Obviously, the times can vary depending on your route or when in the day you want to travel. The train timings work out easier coming from London rather than going to London. On a recent trip to Edinburgh, I left at 8.20am and arrived just after 5pm.

In comparison with air travel, it’s obviously a much longer journey – but it’s not quite as big a gap as you think. Airports typically require you to arrive several hours before departure, and getting to and from the airports can add more hours to your day.

Sail-railing from London, for example, you only need to get to the station about 10 minutes before departure – or two minutes if you fancy a panicked sprint. You’re leaving from the well-connected city centre rather than from an airport that’s a big journey away.

Passing Poolbeg Lighthouse, at the end of the Great South Wall, in Dublin Bay. Photograph: Michael Pidgeon

On a recent trip it took me 15 minutes to get to Euston Station, where I waited 10 minutes before departure. Travelling by air would have meant leaving three hours or more before my flight. It’s worth judging the length of the journey door-to-door, not just the speed of the main section.

That said, getting to and from Dublin Port can be a bit of a pain, especially if you’re coming from outside Dublin. The port area is much bigger than you think, and walking to the ferry terminal isn’t a good option.

There are a few ways I’ve gone:

• Buses from Connolly (both the 53 Dublin Bus and Nolan Coaches ) straight to the port – sometimes free, inexplicably, but sometimes €3.
• A Luas to the Point and a quick taxi from there (about €10).
• A taxi to the port terminal directly – it recently took 20 minutes (and cost €17) from Inchicore, Dublin to the terminal.
• If you’re bringing your bike (more on that later), you can just cycle there direct.

Another option is the Eurolines bus from Busáras, in Dublin city centre, all the way to London overnight (8pm to 8am), for €39. It might suit people who want to leave one evening and arrive the next morning in London. It’s also easier to start a journey at Busáras instead of Dublin Port. Personally, though, I’m not a huge fan of long bus journeys, so I’ve never done it.

Train and ferry times change, so while these details are up to date at the moment, you should double-check times with the providers.

Upcoming high-speed-rail works in the UK may also cut these journey times substantially, possibly to as little as 4½ hours from Dublin Port to central London.

Stena Line or Irish Ferries?

Stena Line and Irish Ferries, the two companies on the Holyhead to Dublin route, both offer the same sail-rail ticket, but you have to choose which company you’re going with when you book.

They have different terminals in Dublin Port, but there is only one terminal in Holyhead, which is, handily, also the train station.

They typically sail at similar times; both offer a slow sailing (about 3¼ hours); Irish Ferries also offers a fast sailing (about two hours). In my experience, Irish Ferries often has to cancel the fast sailing because of bad weather (especially in winter), but it has always accommodated me on the big slow ferry instead. If the fast ferry is cancelled, they’ll usually email and text you in advance.

Both companies are fine, but I slightly prefer Irish Ferries. It is the only one to offer the fast ferry, you can book online, and its terminal in Dublin lets you walk directly on to the boat. Stena Line drives you on via a bus, but its ferries are slightly nicer, so it’s a bit of a coin toss.

Michael Pidgeon on the Holyhead-Dublin ferry

When do the ferries go?

Sail-rail passengers aren’t really a big moneymaker for the ferry companies. The boats are timed around people who are bringing their cars and for truck cargo. There are sailings from Dublin roughly at 2am, 2pm, 8pm etc, but in practice for sail-rail you’ll likely be going for a Dublin to Holyhead sailing at 8am or 8.15am.

Coming to Ireland, it will depend on the train you take, but you would usually aim for the Holyhead to Dublin sailing at 2.15pm or 2.45pm, depending on the ferry company.

The companies ask that you check in about 40 minutes before the sailing. I once arrived 10 minutes beforehand and just about got on. Apparently the ferry companies have become more strict about this in recent years.

I often book the fast ferry but bear the time of the slow ferry in mind, in case of cancellation.

How do you book?

I’ve found the easiest ways by far are:

Dublin to UK: Book direct via Irish Ferries or Stena Line . Irish Ferries lets you book on its website , while Stena still, bizarrely, asks you to phone. You then just pick up your ticket at the relevant check-in desk at the terminal. This is fairly handy. If you want, you can book a return ticket here too.

UK to Dublin: If you haven’t booked a return ticket, I recommend booking via the Trainline . It’s a handy, UK-based rail-ticket site. Booking this way also allows you to book a seat on your rail journey.

Much like Irish Rail, you book online and receive a reference code and you can collect your ticket from a machine at any UK rail station. You shouldn’t use this site to book journeys from Dublin: you’ll have to pay for the tickets to be posted to you, as you can’t collect them from an Irish station or ferry terminal.

If booking via the Trainline, you effectively choose the ferry company by your choice of destination port: “Dublin Ferryport” is Irish Ferries, “Dublin Port-Stena” is for Stena Line.

Recommended journey

The options can be bewildering. There are loads of destinations you might want to go to in the UK, and the Trainline website is a good way to plan the simplest routes.

But if you’re going to London, my favourite option is the 8.05am Irish Ferries sailing from Dublin Port, arriving in Holyhead at 11.30am. You then grab a coffee or lunch in Holyhead and get the 12.53pm direct train to London, arriving at 4.37pm. No train changes; nice and simple. There are faster ferries and earlier trains (you could leave Dublin at 7am-ish and be in London by 3.30pm, I think), but I find this route is quite reliable, taking the slow ferry and allowing plenty of time to get the train. It’s a nice, direct service, so you can really get comfortable and enjoy the lovely views along Colwyn Bay – a really beautiful spot.

For coming from London, I recommend getting the 9.10am train from London Euston to Holyhead. It arrives at 12.49pm, with a slow ferry at 2.10pm. That gets you to Dublin Port at 5.25pm. This route is as good as sail-rail gets, I think, and I’ve done it many times. I know some people who fly to London and get this route back, as a way to relax and read or work on the train.

Again, there are faster ways of doing it, but this is a nice, direct train, with plenty of time for transfers, so there’s no stress if delayed.

Luggage, bikes and pets

You can carry bags on to the ferry – they’re not fussy about allowances. There is an option to check in larger bags, but really the limit is whatever you can reasonably carry or wheel on to a train. It’s all fairly flexible – no messing about with liquids at airport security.

I took my bike by sail-rail a few years ago. They charged me an extra €10 and put it on the car deck of the ferry. It was very easy, and then I just brought it on the train.

The only pet I’ve ever taken on-board was a goldfish, which was very easy! From friends who have taken dogs and cats, I understand the process is easy enough. Trains in the UK are fairly tolerant of well-behaved pets, but no harm to double-check in advance. They can usually just be on a lead, as far as I have seen. On the ferry, the official policy is they should be put in a crate on the car deck, but you often see people bringing their dogs on-board.

Swim-sail-rail: Michael Pidgeon’s goldfish

Kids and accessibility

I’ve never travelled with kids, but you see quite a few large families on-board. If your kids are happy on a train, then the ferry should be much easier, and I think it would be reasonably workable. There’s plenty of space on the ferry, certainly.

In terms of accessibility, I don’t have personal experience of travelling on these services with friends with disabilities, but from what I can see the ferry is reasonably good in that regard. There can be a few steps on the ferry, but if you contact them in advance you can take lifts easily enough. However, as I don’t have a lot of knowledge about this, I don’t want to offer advice that may be unreliable.

What’s it like on-board?

The ferries are a bit dated, but essentially it feels like you’re waiting for a few hours in a hotel lobby. There’s a decent bar, some okay-if-overpriced carvery-like food, and a premium lounge (for €19) that offers free food, drink and wifi. I’ve never tried the lounge but will definitely book it next time to see what it’s like. There is also some kind of cinema for kids on-board.

You can also go out on deck, which is beautiful on a sunny day, and can always be relied on to windily blow out any sea sickness you have.

The wifi on the ferry has never worked for me. You can also use the boats’ At Sea mobile network – but I would strongly recommend not connecting to it, or just putting your phone in flight mode. Data roaming on the At Sea network is incredibly expensive. It’s best to wait until you arrive in Britain, where you can roam without much extra cost.

The wifi and phone signals are usually excellent on the direct train to London. If you need to, you can work efficiently throughout the journey.

Choosing the direct London to Holyhead train means you get a good-quality train with tables, plugs and internet access, similar to the Intercity trains in Ireland. The routes with more changes and transfers sometimes mean you’re on less comfy trains that are more like the Dart. This can have a big impact if you want to work or snooze.

Going to mainland Europe

I used sail-rail a lot when living in Brussels and, later, in London. It’s fairly straightforward from London, but Brussels is a little trickier. Eurostars don’t always go sufficiently early – or, when they do, they can be prohibitively expensive.

It can be done in one day (I’ve done it twice, both ways), but it takes a bit of research. Spending a night in London can be a good way to break up the journey.

Eurostars mainly go to Brussels and Paris, and the price varies a lot. Planning these journeys can be a bit of a maze, but I recommend a site like the excellent Man in Seat 61 to work out travel options.

Does it actually save much carbon?

I sometimes fly, but I personally dislike air travel. I also love trains, so I’m not totally motivated by climate concerns in choosing to sail and rail. I just prefer this as a way to travel when I can. I love the view from the train along Colwyn Bay, or the feeling of cruising on the open deck of the ferry by the Pigeon House into Dublin Port. After moving back home after eight years abroad, this is a memory that really sticks with me.

It’s tricky to calculate exactly how much carbon is involved in the ferry aspect. Most of the ferry is a combination of cars and cargo; foot passengers barely make a dent in it.

The Grantham Institute at Imperial College London found that sail-rail from Dublin to London emitted about 4kg of carbon, versus 74kg for a flight. That’s a saving of about 95 per cent. The Man in Seat 61 calculated a saving of about 73 per cent.

I have no expertise to judge the exact figures, it no doubt depends on how you count it. But I think it’s fairly clearly a big environmental saving.

Would I recommend sail-rail?

Absolutely, yes. It’s less polished than air travel, can be prone to delays, and is much less flexible. It could be so much better with a few changes – such as better train times, easier access to the port, and better information on the routes – but as it remains fairly niche it suffers from there being a relatively small number of people who use it.

If you’re hesitant about giving it a go, I’d recommend doing the London to Dublin route I recommended as a trial run. It often goes easiest.

When I lived in London a group of us used to get sail-rail home for Christmas and, despite some stiff hangovers, generally had a good laugh. The pub on-board is nice, and you can really take your time.

Sail-rail can be messy and frustrating. It’s not for everyone or for every journey. But I like it, I think it’s criminally underused, and suspect it’s for more people than you’d think. It is worth doing!

Michael Pidgeon is a Green Party councillor for Dublin’s South-West Inner City; a version of this article appears on his website

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Enjoy a car-cation by ferry to Britain!

How about an adventure?

If you’re looking to escape everyday life, then travel to Britain and experience breath-taking landscapes, mouth-watering food, and awe-inspiring culture that will stop you in your steps.

Fancy an escape to the city?

London is a city that never stops, packed with delicious restaurants, bustling nightlife, and shops that you can get lost in. What better way to see the city than to jump on an open-top tour bus and see the sights or travel like a pro and take the underground with all your destinations within easy access. Get lost in the art and culture of the Tate Museum and one place for the movie lovers to discover, particularly Richard Curtis fans, is the world-famous bookshop from ‘Notting Hill’ in Portobello Market.

Head to Liverpool, home of The Beatles, Liverpool Football Club, and the silver screen.  Yes, that’s right, outside of London, Liverpool is one of the most filmed cities in the UK and has appeared in ‘Peaky Blinders’, ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1’ and ‘The Crown’ to name but a few. Once you’ve spotted everywhere you recognise from the silver screen, you can enjoy some of the finest museums in the United Kingdom. Visit the World Museum and enjoy thousands of exhibitions with plenty of hands-on activities, travel through the ages with the British Music Experience, and study the wonder of contemporary art at the Tate Liverpool. Give your legs a rest from walking and explore Liverpool the best way with a Mersey Ferry.

If you enjoy amazing landscapes and heritage, then a visit to the National Trust sites which are dotted across Britain make for wonderful days out. Stroll through vast gardens of blooming flowers and discover historical buildings, The National Trust has something for everyone. 

Whether you’re looking for a city adventure or fancy exploring the rural landscape, Scotland is the place to go. Discover the culture and history of Glasgow and Edinburgh or why not delve a bit deeper and venture to Loch Ness and see if you can spot the famous sea monster yourself!

With over 600 castles, Wales is most certainly a majestic place to explore. Home of award-winning beaches, amazing gardens, and the world’s fastest zip line at Zip World Penrhyn Quarry.

Packed with history, culture, and delicious shops and restaurants to explore, a visit to Britain is an adventure just waiting to happen!

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Port Locations

Loch Ryan Port, Cairnryan is located in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland and from here you have a choice of up to 6 daily sailings to Belfast. Cairnryan is a small village with a shop and a couple of B&B’s. Within easy reach of Cairnryan, there are a number of hotels, guest houses, B&B’s as well as shops, cafes, restaurants and petrol stations.

The Stena Line Liverpool Port is located at 12 Quays Terminal, Birkenhead, offering easy access to Liverpool and beyond. The terminal is within 10 minute of the M53 motorway and approximately 7 minutes from the Mersey tunnel leading to Liverpool city centre.

Holyhead Port is located in Anglesey, North Wales. The port is conveniently situated at the end of the A55 dual carriageway.

Visit our Duty Free Shop at the port

If you’re travelling by car, not only can you look forward to great savings onboard but you can also buy in bulk in our Duty Free port shops ! Located in Holyhead, Fishguard and Harwich, you can find special bulk deals that are exclusively available at the ports.

Simply park your car, buy your Duty Free allowance and let your car do the heavy work so you don’t have to! Our Duty Free port shops are always open for passengers.

View Duty Free allowances here  or ask a member of staff who will be happy to help. 

Happy shopping!

Fishguard Port is situated 1 mile north west of Fishguard town centre. Fishguard is situated in the south west of Wales and is reached via the M4 and A40 from the east or the A497 from the north.

There are 2 daily ferry crossings to Rosslare all year round on the Stena Nordica.

Our International Port in Harwich is located 85 miles north-east of London on the Essex coast.  It is easily accessed by car, via the the A12 & A120, and by rail.

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Free travel in Ireland

What is the free travel scheme, how to use free travel, where can i use free travel, how to qualify for free travel, how to apply for free travel, where to apply for free travel, senior smartpass for travelling in northern ireland.

The Free Travel Scheme allows you to travel, free of charge, on public transport and some private bus and ferry services.

Everyone aged 66 and over, living permanently in Ireland, can get the Free Travel Scheme.

People with disabilities and carers aged under 66 may also qualify for Free Travel.

If you qualify for Free Travel and you are married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting, your partner may travel with you for free if you meet certain criteria (see ‘Spouses, civil partners and cohabitants’ below).

If you can’t travel alone for medical reasons, you may get Free Travel for a companion. This allows a person aged over 16 to travel with you for free.

Changes to the Free Travel Scheme in 2024

From July 2024, you will qualify for the Free Travel Scheme if you have:

• Never been able to drive due to a disability
• A driving licence and are medically certified as ‘not fit to drive’ for 12 months or longer.

If you qualify for Free Travel, your Public Services Card (PSC) will have FT (for Free Travel) in the top left-hand corner. The letter following it shows who can travel for free with you:

• FT-P - you can travel for free
• FT+S - your spouse, partner or cohabitant can travel with you for free
• FT+C - you can have a person (over 16) travel with you for free

You must show or scan your Public Services Card to the travel operator when you are travelling on public transport. Find out more about 'How to use your public services card for free travel' .

Paper travel passes are no longer being issued but you can still use your paper pass, if it is valid.

You can use your Free Travel on most Iarnród Éireann , Bus Éireann , Dublin Bus , DART and Luas Services and on certain private bus and ferry services (pdf) .

Free travel is also available on Dublin Bus Nitelink , Go-Ahead Ireland and TFI (Transport for Ireland) Local Link services .

Free travel does not include some special services such as Dublin Bus AIRLINK services .

You can find a full list of services where you can use Free Travel (pdf) on gov.ie.

There are no restrictions on the times you can use your Free Travel.

Living on the Aran Islands or Tory Island

If you are permanently living on any of the Aran Islands, you may get up to 12 single (or 6 return) air trips each year between the islands and Galway City.

People who live permanently on Tory Island (Co. Donegal) are entitled to 8 (or 4 return) free journeys on the seasonal helicopter service operating between the island and Falcarragh on the mainland.

If your public services card includes free travel for a companion, spouse, partner or cohabitant, they can also travel with you for free on the above services.

Going to Northern Ireland

You may also travel free of charge on certain cross-border services between Ireland and Northern Ireland. But to travel free in Northern Ireland, you must have a Senior Smart Pass – see ‘Senior SmartPass for travelling in Northern Ireland’ below.

To get Free Travel you must be living in Ireland and meet one of the following conditions:

• You are aged 66 or over
• You are getting Disability Allowance , Blind Pension , Carer's Allowance or an Invalidity Pension
• You are blind or visually impaired and meet the medical conditions for Blind Pension
• You have been getting Incapacity Supplement or Workmen's Compensation with Disablement Pension for at least 12 months
• You are a specified carer for a person getting Constant Attendance Allowance or Prescribed Relative's Allowance
• You are getting a social security invalidity payment (or similar payment) from a country covered by EU regulations or from a country with which Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement for at least 12 months

Widow or widower or a surviving civil partner

If you are a widow or widower or a surviving civil partner aged 60 or over, living in Ireland and your late spouse or civil partner had Free Travel, you can get Free Travel, if you are getting one of the following payments:

• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Partner's (Contributory) Pension
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension
• One-Parent Family Payment
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Partner's Pension under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme
• A similar social security pension or benefit from a country covered by EU regulations or a country with which Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement
• You are getting an ordinary Garda widow's pension

Spouses, civil partners and cohabitants

If you are entitled to Free Travel and you are married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting, your partner may be able to travel with you for free.

Your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant cannot travel with you for free, if you are under age 66 and getting Free Travel because you are:

• Getting Carer's Allowance
• The nominated carer for a person getting Constant Attendance Allowance or Prescribed Relatives Allowance

Your PSC card must have FT-S on it to allow your partner travel with you. To add your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant to your Free Travel - see ‘How to apply for Free Travel’ below.

If you can’t travel alone

If you are unable to travel alone , you can have a person, over 16 years of age, travel with you for free. Your PSC card must have FT-C on it. To add a companion to your Free Travel, see ‘How to apply for Free Travel’ below.

Free travel companion card for children

A child with a visual impairment can get Free Travel for a companion if they are under 18 and they either:

• Satisfy the blindness condition for a Blind Pension, or
• Are registered with Vision Ireland or the National League of the Blind of Ireland

The person they travel with (companion) must be age 16 or over.

Work and Free Travel

You can keep your Free Travel for 5 years, if you moved from one of the following disability payments to work:

• Disability Allowance
• Invalidity Pension
• Partial Capacity Benefit (from Invalidity Pension)
• Disablement Benefit paid along with Incapacity Supplement

You can also keep your Free Travel for 5 years if you transferred from Disability Allowance or Invalidity Pension to a Community Employment , SOLAS or a Back to Work scheme.

If you are aged 66 or over and are getting a State pension, your Public Services Card (PSC) will be issued showing that you have Free Travel automatically.

If you are under 66, you will get Free Travel automatically issued on your PSC if you get one of the following payments:

• Blind Pension
• Carer’s Allowance

If you are married or in a civil partnership, your PSC will be issued with FT-S on it. If you are cohabiting, you must fill in Part 1 and 2 of the Free Travel application form FT1 (pdf) .

If you are not getting one of the payments above but you are eligible for Free Travel, you must fill in the Free Travel application form FT1(pdf) and send to the Free Travel Section in the Department of Social Protection.

If you can’t travel alone and need a companion

If you are unable to travel alone, you can apply for Free Travel for a Companion, using either of the following forms:

• Over 70 Companion pass form (pdf)
• Under 70 Companion pass form (pdf)

You can get an application form for Free Travel from the Department of Social Protection. The form is also available at your local post office and Citizens Information Centre .

Lost or damaged Free Travel pass or PSC

There are currently 2 types of Free Travel Pass:

• A paper Free Travel Pass
• A Public Services Card with Free Travel (with F-T written in the top left-hand corner)

Paper passes are no longer being issued so if you need a replacement for a lost or damaged paper pass, you must undergo SAFE registration and get a Public Services Card .

If your Public Services Card Free Travel is lost, stolen or damaged, you should telephone 0818 837 000 to request a replacement card.

Free Travel

Social Welfare Services College Road Sligo Ireland

If you are 66 or over and have Free Travel, you can travel free of charge on all bus and rail services within Northern Ireland using a Senior SmartPass card.

If you are 66 or over and have Free Travel, you do not need to meet the residency condition in Northern Ireland to apply for a Senior SmartPass card.

How to apply for a Senior SmartPass

To get a Senior SmartPass, you must fill in an application form (FTNI1). You can get this form from your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office. It is not possible to get this form online .

You should not use a photocopy of the form as each form is barcoded. The application form must be filled in with black ink only and returned in person (not posted) to your Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.

You must bring each of the following items with your application form to your Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office:

• Your Irish Free Travel pass/Public Services Card
• Proof of your address, (for example, a gas, electricity, phone bill or bank statement)
• Proof of your identity, (for example, your driving licence, passport or another form of photo identification)
• A recent passport standard colour photograph

It may take up to 6 weeks to process your application. There is further information on the extension of the Free Travel Scheme .

Travelling with a partner or companion

A spouse, civil partner, cohabitant or companion cannot travel with you for free on public transport within Northern Ireland.

However, your Irish Free Travel allows your spouse, civil partner, cohabitant or companion to travel for free on certain cross-border services between Ireland and Northern Ireland. For example, a cross-border train journey that starts in Ireland and ends in Northern Ireland or vice versa.

Renewing and replacing a Senior SmartPass

Your Senior SmartPass will expire after 5 years.

• If you have electronically used your card within the last 2 years, you will get a new card automatically in the post from Translink when your card expires.
• If you have not used your card in the last 2 years, you will be sent a renewal application form to fill in. The renewal form is not the same as a first-time application and you do not need to supply a photograph.
• If you have never used your card, you will not hear from Translink at all. If you wish to get it renewed, you must contact Translink by email at [email protected] , or telephone 00 44 289 075 9129 or 028 90 66 66 30 and they will send you a renewal application.

If you lose or need to replace your Senior SmartPass for travel in Northern Ireland, you can fill in form (FTNI 2) (pdf) .

Brexit and the Senior SmartPass

On 31 January 2020 the UK exited the EU . Senior SmartPass holders can continue to travel in Northern Ireland on the bus and train.

Related documents

• Tax-free purchases for non-EU travellers The Retail Export Scheme, allows visitors to Ireland (from outside the European Union) to buy goods in Ireland to take home with them and benefit from tax relief. 2861.0872
• Customs regulations for travellers to Ireland Find out about the important rules in place regarding customs regulations for people travelling to Ireland. 2638.2876
• Travelling from Ireland for healthcare in Europe Introduction to the options for Irish residents who wish to access healthcare in other countries in Europe. 2556.9595

If you have a question about this topic you can contact the Citizens Information Phone Service on 0818 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm).

You can also contact your local Citizens Information Centre .

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Irish Ferries

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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IRISH FERRIES: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

• (1.39 mi) Clontarf Castle Hotel
• (1.60 mi) Aberdeen Lodge
• (1.46 mi) Sandymount Hotel
• (1.86 mi) Roxford Lodge Hotel
• (1.82 mi) Intercontinental Dublin
• (1.24 mi) KHUSHEE - Modern Indian Cuisine
• (1.53 mi) Ryleigh's
• (2.39 mi) PI Temple Bar
• (1.17 mi) Kinara
• (2.20 mi) Bloom Brasserie

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From UK 🇬🇧 to ireland 🇮🇪

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From Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 to ireland 🇮🇪

From Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 to Ireland 🇮🇪

• Ferry to Northern Ireland
• Ferry to Ireland from France
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• To Spain from Ireland
• To Germany from Ireland
• Scotland from Belfast
• Ferry to the Netherlands from Ireland

Ferry map Ireland

Ferry routes to and in Ireland

As you can see on the map there are several route options if you want to ferry from Ireland to Europe. The ferries leave from Ireland to Wales, Scotland, England, Spain and France from where you can travel further inwards Europe to for example Germany and the Netherlands.

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Rosslare-Dunkirk

Liverpool-Dublin

Holyhead-Dublin

Rosslare-Bilbao

Fishguard-Rosslare

Pembroke-Rosslare

Information for ferry travellers.

About the ferry routes in and around Ireland

You can reach Ireland by ferry from England , from Wales , France , and Spain in Europe . These are often large ferries that sometimes also include an overnight stay. The major ferry companies operate on 6 different routes to Ireland.

There are also sailings with fast catamaran ferries. The  Holyhead-Dublin ferry, therefore only takes 2 hours and 15 minutes . Ireland is also easily accessible via the ferries from Scotland to Northern Ireland. 

Are you departing from Ireland? 

Then you can go in many directions to Europe with a ferry. There are ferries from Ireland to the UK, to France and  Spain . The Isle of Man is also easily accessible. In the summer, you can also take small, fast ferries to Islay or to the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland. Popular crossings to France from Ireland are Dublin-Cherbourg and Rosslare-Dunkirk. The ferry to Spain from Ireland is the route from Rosslare to Bilbao.

From Ireland you can also take the ferry to France first and then travel further to for example Germany, The Netherlands, Scandinavia and so on.

What people like to know

The ferry companies that you see most often when you book a ferry to Ireland are DFDS, P&O, Irish Ferries, and Brittany Ferries. 

The cheapest ferry to Ireland we found is the Holyhead-Dublin crossing with Stena Line. You pay £32 / €36 as a foot passenger. 

It is smart to book far in advance and compare multiple crossings. The shorter the crossing, the cheaper it usually is. Skip the ferries with a cabin and travel on unpopular times and days. 

Depending on which ferry you book and in which season prices can vary a lot. If you're looking for the cheapest options then you'll have to look into the shorter crossings between the UK and Ireland. From either Holyhead, Fishguard, Liverpool and Cairnryan ferries are leaving for Ireland. From around €45,- you can book a ferry from the UK to Ireland.

The longer ferries are a bit more expensive, the ferry from Liverpool to Dublin (8 hours) is around €114 for a crossing.

Yes , it is usually possible to take the dog on board the boat to The United Kingdom. On the longer crossings, kennels can often be booked or the dog is allowed in the cabin. On short crossings, the four-legged friend can remain in the car. There are some formalities. For example, the dog must have an animal passport, a microchip, timely rabies vaccination, and treatment against tapeworm.

If this is not followed, there is a risk that the dog, cat, or ferret will have to be quarantined for four weeks. More info regarding bringing pets on ferries .

Read our latest news and blogs

• Historic ferry crossings from the UK to Scandinavia

• Project Brave: New Ferry Rosyth-Dunkirk

Why you should visit Amsterdam in winter time

Ferry talk: share your questions and opinions.

Ask, answer, and explore Irish ferry routes with the community's expertise!

I really like to sail on modern / new ferries, any input on this if I want to travel from the UK to Ireland? What's the most modern ferry on this country connection?

The MS Oscar Wilde from 2006 connects Rosslare with Pembroke and could be a good option for yoU: https://ferrygogo.com/route/pembroke-rosslare/

It's quite a modern ship, don't mistake it with the MS Oscar Wilde Cruise. That's not really a Seaworthy Ship!

Ferry Go Go, I have been using your site for some while and would love to see an article on Dublin! Touring Dublin, Ireland, is a delightful experience filled with a rich blend of history, culture, and vibrant city life. The capital city of Ireland offers a wide array of attractions for visitors to explore! It is perfect for couples for a romantic break, would love to see some destinations which are couple friendly on here! Shout out some couple destinations to me if anyone has suggestions?

Greetings, I want to ferry from Parknasilla, Kerry to Pullen or Droumark, Cork.

How can I go that (or something close)?

Hello Chris, We have not yet thoroughly examined this area, but it appears that there are no ferry services. Parknasilla Resort & Spa offers boat trips, so maybe that's something to inquire further about.

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Storm Kathleen to bring unseasonably wet and windy weather to UK and Ireland

Winds of up to 70mph may hit coastal areas this weekend as rain and snow could cause travel disruption in Scotland

Rain and wind weather warnings have been issued as much of the UK and Ireland is to be hit by Storm Kathleen.

Blustery conditions are due to arrive on Friday as the storm, named by the Met Eireann, the Irish Meteorological Service, rolls in.

Gusts of 50mph are “expected quite widely” on Saturday, while some exposed areas, particularly on the coast, will have 60 to 70mph gusts with large waves also likely, the Met Office said.

Kathleen will be the 11th named storm of the 2023-24 season, and becomes only the second to reach the letter K, after Storm Katie in March 2016.

Saturday will bring “unseasonably wet and windy” conditions, including heavy rain across parts of Scotland and potential outbreaks across western parts and north-east England, Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said.

Temperatures will remain mild despite the wind and rain. Burkhill added: “There is a good chance we could see highs of 20C which would be the first time we have seen 20C this year.”

Travel disruption is possible as heavy downpours are expected across central Scotland, with a Met Office yellow weather warning for rain on Friday between 2am and 9am.

The warning, covering the central, Tayside & Fife, south-west Scotland, Lothian Borders and Strathclyde areas, says there is likely to be “15-25mm of rain, much of this falling in around six hours with a few locations seeing up to 35mm overnight”.

A yellow warning for snow is in place on Friday from the early hours until 9am covering central, Tayside & Fife, Grampian, Highlands & Eilean Siar and Strathclyde, with downfalls particularly expected over higher ground.

There could be accumulations of snow of 10cm or more in places above 300 metres but “2-5cm of snow is expected fairly widely above 250 metres, with a chance that a few places within the warning area at lower levels could see a few centimetres settle”.

The forecaster has issued a yellow weather warning for wind in western areas, including parts of Scotland and Wales, and the north-west and south-west of England from 8am to 10pm on Saturday.

The Environment Agency had 12 flood warnings and 93 flood alerts in place in England on Thursday morning, largely in southern areas.

Looking ahead at the next 10 days, Burkill said: “There will be some wet weather around, could be quite heavy at times, but there are also some signs of something a little bit drier coming up later on.”

He said the end of next week could be “unseasonably windy [with] some heavy rain around at times particularly across northern and western parts”.

The RAC’s breakdown spokesperson, Rod Dennis, urged drivers to slow down, keep a firm grip on the steering wheel and be prepared for a buffeting effect if overtaking high-sided vehicles. He added: “This intense period of stormy weather is going to prove extremely challenging for anyone driving on the western side of the UK.

“We strongly urge drivers to avoid exposed coasts and higher routes where the impact of the very strong winds is most likely to be felt.”

England saw a record amount of rainfall in the 18 months to March.

Figures released this week showed that 1,695.9mm of rain fell from October 2022 to March 2024, beating the previous record of 1,680.2mm, which had been set only the month before and covered the 18 months from September 2022 to February 2024.

This is the highest level for any 18-month period in England since comparable data began in 1836, according to analysis by the PA news agency of Met Office provisional statistics.

More on this story

Storm Kathleen: Scotland hit by high winds, heavy rain and travel disruption

Storm Kathleen sweeps across west of UK and Ireland – in pictures

Dozens of flights cancelled as Storm Kathleen hits west of UK

UK at risk of summer water shortages and hosepipe bans, scientists warn

UK weather: rain disrupts Easter weekend events amid flood warnings

UK Easter weather and travel: ferries hit by winds as getaway begins for millions

Snow falls in Devon as UK prepares for ‘unsettled’ Easter weekend weather

UK weather warnings for wind and rain issued in run-up to Easter weekend

UK weather: Met Office issues yellow warning for snow in west of England

February was warmest on record in England and Wales, Met Office says

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"You can amend your booking online to an alternative sailing or route without any change fee or fare difference applied."

For further information check out the sailing updates on the ferry companies’ websites.

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