Ferry, Dublin

Take the Stena Explorer Seacat from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire at a speed of 45 knots. I had never gone on a Seacat before so this was an experience I didn`t want to miss. It certainly made the journey go a lot faster than it would have if we used a normal ferry.

Dublin has two ferry ports (Dublin Port and Dun Laoghaire), which are both served from Holyhead in North Wales. The ferry companies Irish Ferries and Stena Line operate services on this route. The port of Dun Laoghaire is located about 7 miles (11 km) south of Dublin city in a beautiful suburban setting.

I don't know if it's the best way to travel, but is the one we tried and we got to Dublin!! From GB you can travel by ferry and there are two companies going from Holyhead (Cardiff) to Dun- Laoghaire every day. When you arrive to Dun Laoghaire you can take the DART train and get off at the city centre station. We travelled by Stena Line, and we highly recommend it, as the ferry facilities are a lot and it's like travelling in a cruise. There are different types of restaurants (fast food, children, private lounge, etc) and very nice seating areas for you to choose. There's a duty free shop and if the weather is nice you can stay at a deck outside. But consider that it's quite expensive (the single journey ticket is around 60 p, Considering it is a 99 minutes trip, it's not so cheap...)
If you are keen on walking you will have no problem in getting everywhere, if not you can take cabs, which are quite expensive, but it depends on the length of your ride. Traveling by train is a good choice, especially if you are traveling long distances.

Arriving at Dublin airport you have the option of taking a taxi to the city centre, getting a bus or taking the DART which is a train (for which you will have to jump on a shuttle bus at the airport).

Arriving per ferry at Dun Laoghaire puts you right on the Dun Laoghaire DART station from where you can take the train to any other spot along the east coast of Dublin.

Plane, Ferry from France or England
We took the ferry from Cherbourg to Rosslare, 17 hours on sea and on our way back even more due to a heavy winter storm... The sea can be very rough in winter.......Trip has been boring.....
In Dublins city center you can walk from sight to sight. Or take a bus......

I travelled each way as a foot passenger on the overnight freight ferry operated by Norse Merchant Ferries from Liverpool. Since my trip, Norse Merchant have moved their departure point to a much more foot passenger-friendly terminal in Birkenhead, on the other side of the Mersey.

Well, you can fly into Dublin, of course. However, I came in from Wales by ferry, which I highly reccommend. It's a very nice ferry, with shops, eateries, and even a few slots! It only takes 99 minutes to across, according to them, but it's more like 2 hours, at least when I crossed). We took Stena Line from Holyhead, Wales, but you can also take Irish Ferries, which boasts the 'World's Largest Ferry.' It's a lot of fun, but take some Dramamine if you're like to get seasick, like me.
Taxis work. So does the train/subway in Dublin; although it's a little cumbersome with luggage. Buses are around as well. I probably wouldn't drive, but I'm sure you could rent a car if you wanted. Ah, but once you're downtown around what you want to see, just walk.

The worst way to get to Dublin:
We were still students back then with more time than money on our hands so we decided to go to Ireland the hard way:
- From Holland to France by bus;
- From France to England by boat;
- Crossing England by bus
- From England to Ireland by boat;
- To Dublin by bus.
It took us 24 hours, some assertiveness and a fight -to claim our seats on the bus - to get there.
Luckily we were still excited for what was to come.
On our way home being tired made the journey really seem endless.
Especially for one of us whose stomach isn't too fond of moving vehicles. On more than one occasion she nearly trew up.
Next time we'll fly!

Ferrys
Stena Line - Ferrys
Head Office: Adelaide House, Haddington terrace,
Dun laoghire,Co.Dublin
Ph: (01) 280 7777 Internet: www.stenaline.com

Dublin Airport
www.dublin-airport.ie

Aer Rianta - Airport Managers
Ph:(01) 844 4900

Aer Lingus - National & International Service
Ph: (01) 705 2222 Internet: www.aerlingus.ie

Virgin City Jet - Mainly Flights to the UK
Ph:(01) 844 5566

British Midland - Mainly Flights to the UK
Ph:(01) 283 8833

Ryan Air - UK and Europe
Ph: (01) 844 4411 www.ryanair.com
Travelling in Dublin has never been so easy. With new roads and motorways and £1 billion being invested into Irish railways it should be easy to travel in Dublin. Beware though, traffic in the city centre at rush hour can be worse than New York!
If you are bypassing Dublin you can use the almost completed C ring or M50. It will intersect the M11/N11 at the Bray bypass in 2003. The N1/M1 goes north to Belfast. The N11/M11 goes south to Wexford city. The N2 goes to Derry.N3 to Navan Co. Kildare. N4/M4 to Sligo. N7/M7 to Cork city. The M50 connects to all these routes.
Dublin's electric railway the DART ( Dublin Area Rapid Transit ) runs from Howth to Bray and soon Greystones in Co. Wicklow. It is a fast and reliable form of transport. DARTs come every 15 minutes. The suburban railway goes to
The bus service in Dublin is called Dublin Bus. Every area in Dublin has a bus going though it or terminating there. Almost every bus goes to Dublin city centre. The Airlink service runs from Dublin airport to Heauston Train station and on to the Central Bus station. The Nightlink service runs every hour from 12:30-3.30 Fridays & Saturdays from O'Connell Street and St. Stephens Green.It goes to the surrounding surburbs.
The national train service is called Iarnrod Eireann ( Irish Rail ) and operates from Heuston station near the Guinness Brewery and Connolly station on Ameins street. Trains going north and to Galway and Sligo depart at Connolly. Trains going to Cork, Tralee, Wexford and Limerick depart at Heuston station. The LUAS light rail will run from the city centre to Sandyford and Ballymun. Work will begin this year and should be completed by 2006.
DART(Dublin Area Rapid Transport)
This lightrail service follows the coast from Bray to Howth and serves three stops in the city; Pearse Street, Tara Street and Connely Station.

Dublin Bus, the city's bus service runs seven days a week from 0600 to 2330 with a limited NiteLink service on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Enquiries

Iarnrod Eireann (Irish Rail) - Ireland's National Rail Service
Head Office: Heuston Station, Dublin 8
Ph:(01) 703 2110 Internet:www.irishrail.ie

Bus Eireann - Ireland's National Bus Service
Head Office: Central Bus Station (Busaras),
Store St, Dublin 1
Ph: (01) 836 6111 Internet: www.buseireann.ie

Bus Atha Cliatha - Dublin's Bus Service.
Head Office: - 59, Upper O'Connell Street, Dublin 1
Ph:(01) 873 4222 Internet: www.dublinbus.ie

DART -Surburban Rail
See Iarnrod Eireann
General passenger Information,
Ph:(01) 836 6222 Internet: www.irishrail.ie

This is the view you get from the ferry. If you're lucky enough, then the sun may bright for you...if not, you'll have to travel in a rainy and cloudy day.