My husband and I have a trip to England and Ireland planed for this March. We fly into London and fly out of Dublin. However, we are a little unsure how to get to Ireland from England. Should we ferry over? And if so to which ports. Or should we try a water taxi? We would ideally like to ferry into Northern Ireland and work our way to Dublin. We plan to fly into England, explore London and drive up to York hitting other sights on our way and somehow get to Ireland from there. We are looking for a Ferry or something that would take us to Northern Ireland and leaves from Blackppol or Manchester. We don't have any set plans except for flying out of Dublin so we don't want to ferry into Dublin since we will spend the end of our trip there
Posted by
Camano Island, WA, usa
1518 posts
It's too expensive and too much trouble to take a car on the ferry...so do 2 separate rentals if you intend to drive much in England. There are non-stop train- ferry combos that are really cheap from London to Dublin after you turn in car. You can also take a ferry from Liverpool after turning in car.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
It's unclear, but if you're actually leaving from around London, Aer Lingus makes Heathrow to Dublin runs all day for less than fifty bucks.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Stena Line operates ferries between Liverpool and Belfast. It's an 8-hour ride so you might want to take the overnight ferry rather than tying up most of a day. Flybe and easyJet are budget airlines that fly non-stop between Manchester and Belfast.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33821 posts
I've never heard of a water taxi between England and Ireland. Weather on the Irish Sea can be challenging in March.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32351 posts
Chelsea, There are lots of flights between England and Ireland every day, from several airports in the London area. That's the method I'd choose, as it's the most efficient use of your travel time and the costs are usually reasonable. In addition to Aer Lingus, you could also check out RyanAir or BMI. If you'd prefer to start in Northern Ireland, have a look at Aer Lingus, FlyBe, EasyJet, or BMI. I normally use EasyJet whenever possible. When using budget airlines, it's VERY important to ensure that you pack LIGHT, and if you think your luggage might be a bit over the allowable limit, pay the extra charges at the time of booking. It's usually more expensive if paid at the time of check-in. Also, most often only ONE carry-on item is allowed (and they DO enforce that). From Belfast it's a comfortable and easy trip to Dublin (about two hours as I recall). Happy travels!
Posted by
San Diego, CA, United States
219 posts
Chelsea,
Check out this website for info: http://www.irishferries.com/gb/index.asp