Dublin to Holyhead Ferry

Have you been in a large ship in open waters before? The Irish Sea in October is unlikely to be flat calm (although it's not impossible if foggy weather is forecast) - the best it will be is perfectly reasonable if you don't mind things whereby there's a bit of movement onboard. However there's also a chance it could be rough, as Autumn storms coming from the west, north or south can whip the seas up to make crossings choppy to very rough - to the extent that sailings can be delayed or cancelled. The weather can change in 12 hours though, so predictability is low. The UK Met Office Shipping Forecast is as good a predictor as you're likely to get.

Are you talking about the Dublin-Holyhead or Dublin-Liverpool ferries?

Once you arrive in Holyhead you still have a long ways to get to London, if that's your destination, though the "Sail and Rail" ticket simplifies it somewhat.

If you want to visit places in Wales, then naturally Holyhead makes good sense. For the North of England, Dublin-Liverpool would be more convenient.

@epltd.....the Dublin to Liverpool ferry doesn't accept foot passengers only those with some type of vehicle.

@Mark G.....I can handle rough seas. My bigger concern would be cancellation.

The fast ferry does get cancelled if the sea is passed a certain roughness. The conventional one goes in a lot worse conditions.

We have done the Sail/Rail pass option 3 times. The one thing you have to be careful of is the train time leaving/arriving from/to Holyhead. They do not co-ordinate. Find out what the arrival time of the ferry is and add at least 1.5 hours or so for booking the train leaving Holhead. If the seas are rough, it will take a bit longer for the ferry to get there. We normally are on the way to the Eurostar (St. Pancreas Station), so there are a couple of changes of trains. We also book the larger and slower ferry because it does go in rougher seas and has a more comfortable ride. Coming back, you can cut it closer to the ferry leaving time. Trains are usually more punctual. Food on the ferry is ok, but nothing spectacular. Try to get to the terminal early. Get on the ferry first and get a seat by the window. Very relaxing view of the sea as you cross. A good book also comes to mind.