Ferry crossing from Cardiff to Wexford, Ireland, surviving night

There's no direct ferry from Cardiff to Wexford - you're looking at taking the train (or bus) from Cardiff to either Fishguard or Pembroke (and you might have to change trains in Swansea), then a ferry to Rosslare, then a train (or bus) to Wexford. So that's two, maybe three changes of vehicle during the night. I took that trip once, ten years ago, and had a great time, but it was as exhausting as you'd expect.

Get as much sleep on the trains in Wales as you can. I remember the train into Swansea being pretty rowdy, with lots of people going to or from a night out partying. But the train from Swansea to Fishguard was quieter and not very crowded, so I got a row of seats to myself and slept a little.

You can pay extra to get a cabin on the ferry and spend the three-hour crossing in something resembling a bed. I chose not to do that, and just staked out a couch in the general seating area. I think everyone wanted a place to lie down was able to get one.

Don't plan a terribly strenuous day for yourself after you arrive in Wexford. Think of it as almost the equivalent of an overnight transatlantic flight, except without the time zone change.

Thanks. I should have mentioned I have already booked a Eurolines coach from Cardiff, which is to cross by ferry to Rosslare at some point, arriving there at 7ish in the morning. From there, it is another 3 to 3.5 hours up to Dublin, with a change in Rosslare. What I am unsure of is the protocol on a ferry with the coach, Does one stay on the coach? Or do we try to book a sort of room as you suggested? And, yes, I am sure you are correct; it will feel somewhat like an all-night flight, with poor rest. Just looking for suggestions to help survive it all....

You will have to get off the coach, go to the passenger decks on the ferry, then rejoin the coach when the ferry docks. So unfortunately, you don't just get to sleep through the night on the coach and wake up in Ireland.

One other tip is to bring along whatever food/snacks you think you'll need for the trip. They do serve breakfast on the ferry, but you need to wake up early to get it, and as I recall (though this might have changed since I was there) the food options in the ports on either end are limited to nonexistent.

as khbuzzard says, nobody can remain on the vehicle deck after the ferry has been boarded.

The overnight ferry that I took in Greece without benefit of a bed was pretty miserable. Consider sleeping on a carpeted section of floor if seating choices don't look great. People who know the route may quickly grab up any lounge-area bench seating. If it's the Fishguard-Rosslare route, see the virtual tour at http://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferries/Stena-Europe.

Did you survive OK, and what were your impressions (if any) of Wexford? I'm curious about Wexford because of its annual opera festival, but that takes place in the fall so I'm sure it was not part of your experience.

i'm just thinking about my change in perspective, at 52, i'm thinking "what a miserable night" when we took a night ferry from England to Ireland when I was 23, it was "cool, we wont have to waste money on a hotel tonight"