When we decided to visit Ireland after England I wanted to try a different route than flying. I got the idea of taking a train across England to Holyhead and jumping on a ferry there to Ireland on a Facebook travel page that I follow. Our tickets were 38 GBP each (around $64 each). It was another long day but the train ride through the countryside of England was really breathtaking. We saw beautiful castles, fields of horses, cows and sheep and the beach! I recommend to sit on the right side of the train and when you book ask to have a table. We had a whole table to ourselves and the train (and ferry) had wifi and plugs so we could charge our electronics.
Here is a great site with more info on the train/ferry tide from London to Dublin.
We arrived in Holyhead after our 3 1/2 hour train ride and walked over to board the ferry to Dublin. The ferry was huge and had so many awesome things! They have rooms you can rent out but we decided to just hang around on the main floor. They have a cafe, a cafeteria, a bar, a movie theatre, a kids playing area and numerous lounge areas. It was like a mini cruise ship. The ride was around 3 hours long and we flew through customs when we arrived in Ireland. Right outside the port are buses that take you into Dublin for a few euros. We took the bus into the city and walked to our hotel, The Charles Stewart Guesthouse.
Our hotel was in a great location (right down the street from O'connell street) and breakfast was included. The owners were super friendly and very helpful... they also loved Rand.
train ride through England
on the ferry
