Train and Ferry between Britain and Ireland – combined Rail Sail tickets

Here's our guide to the handy all-in-one ticket for combining train and ferry travel between Britain and Ireland. It covers train travel from/to any mainline railway station in Britain to/from:

a) Holyhead in North Wales combined with a ferry ticket across the Irish Sea to/from Dublin

b) Fishguard in Southwest Wales combined with a ferry ticket across the Irish Sea to/from Rosslare (Southeast Ireland)

c) Cainryan in southwest Scotland combined with a ferry ticket across the Irish Sea to/from Belfast from where you can travel onwards by train to Dublin.

The combined ticket is known as Rail Sail (don't be confused if you see it referred to as Rail & Sail and the other way round Sail & Rail) – they all refer to the same all-in-one ticket.

The Holyhead to Dublin route is offered by both ferry companies that operate across the Irish Sea – Stena Line and Irish Ferries – in collaboration with train companies in Britain, while the two other Rail Sail routes (Fishguard-Rosslare and Cainryan-Belfast) are offered by just Stenaline.

The transfer at all three ports from train to ferry (and vice versa) is pretty seamless - just a short walk within the terminal from the railway station to the ferry departure point. For onward public transport bus transfers/express services from the port to the city centre's see the section below:

Public transport links from the ferry ports

Rail Sail Ticket Price

Tickets cost about £50 one way – yes that the inclusive price for both the train and the ferry all the way from whichever railway station you board the train in Britain to the ferry ports at Holyhead, Fishguard and Cainryan and across the Irish Sea by ferry to Dublin, Rosslare and Belfast. This is regardless of whether you need to change trains within Britain - the Rail Sail ticket covers the entire train journey as well as the ferry crossing.

That's one ticket for the entire journey: railway journey in Britain and ferry across the Irish Sea.

The Rail Sail ticket can also be purchase for the one-way journey in the other direction, e.g. from Dublin/Rosslare/Belfast across the Irish Sea by ferry and the onward journey by train to whichever railway station you want to go to in Britain (again, regardless of whether you need to change trains within Britain to reach your final railway station).

The ticket prices are categorised into five zones A–E depending on the railway station in Britain that you travel from/to. Here's the list of prices for each zone:

Any rail station in Zone A: £45.70

Any rail station in Zone C: £48.60

Any rail station in Zone C: £48.60

Any rail station in Zone D: £51.10

Any rail station in Zone E: £53.40

For instance:

London is in Zone E, which costs £53.40 one-way from London to Dublin

Greater Manchester and Liverpool & Merseyside are in Zone B, which costs £48.60

Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lancashire, Yorkshire are in Zone C, which costs £48.60.

Here's the link to a PDF of the full list of railway stations and their corresponding zones

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Photos: Stagecoach, Catherine Mack, Stenaline, Irish Ferries.

Where to buy Rail Sail tickets

You can buy online at Stena Line Rail Sail and Irish Ferries Rail Sail. One of the distinct advantages of this all-on-one ticket is that the fares come at a fixed price which don’t increase with peak travel periods or depending on how far in advance you book. Passengers travelling on the Stenaline services can book into its 'Stena Plus Lounge' and enjoy "relaxed seating, complimentary snacks and drinks, a dedicated menu with waiter service and convenient charging points". To upgrade, you'll need to get in touch with its contact centre before you travel, with details of your travel date, time and route.

Rail Sail tickets travelling from Ireland

If you're starting off from Ireland, you can buy similarly buy a one-way rail and sail ticket from Dublin, Rosslare and Belfast to any mainline railway station in Britain.

An important thing to consider at Holyhead

The terminal at Holyhead is closed between 0300 and 0545, so if the ferry is delayed and you have to spend any time during these hours waiting for a ferry or train then make sure you plan ahead for this.

Train travel in Ireland. Photo: Catherine Mack

Public transport links from the ferry ports

Dublin Ferry Port to/from Dublin city centre and railway station

There's a handy Express Bus Transfer operated by Nolan Coaches seven days a week between Dublin ferry port and Dublin city centre. It costs €3 charge each way (nb it's a cashless service) - you can pay the driver by card when you board. There's also a regular public bus service between the port and the city centre – it's the Number 53 bus that stops at Talbot street for the main central railway station (Dublin Connolly). Here's the link to a PDF of the timetable for the 53 bus between Dublin Ferry Port and Dublin city centre. It's a 2-3 minute walk from Dublin central bus station (Busáras) to Dublin's central railway station (Dublin Connolly).

Belfast Ferry Port to/from Belfast city centre

Translink operate the Metro 96 service from Upper Queen Street (near Belfast City Hall in the city centre) to the ferry terminal daily for the 07:15, 11:15, 15:30 & 19:30 (sometimes 19:45) departures. The return service from the terminal drops you off at Donegall Place in Belfast City Centre. Journey time is approximately 22 minutes. Here's the link to the timetable for buses to and from the Stenaline ferry terminal in Belfast to/from Belfast city centre. From Upper Queen Street, it's about a 10-minute walk to/from the city's main railway station (Belfast Grand Central Station).

Rosslare Ferry Port to/from Rosslare

There are hourly bus services from outside the terminal building at Rosslare ferry port (known as 'Rosslare Europort') to Waterford and Dublin - see Bus Eireann for the latest timetables. There's also Rosslare's railway station that's about a 10-minute walk from the Rosslare Europort, with rail connections to Dublin - for the latest timetables, see Irish Rail.

The Cliffs of Kerry, Photo: Tourism Ireland