The Lemon Fool

Cutting a long story short some time in the next year or so we'll likley be travelling to Limerick, form mid wiltshire. One option is the train with the Sailrail deal

https://www.seat61.com/Ireland.htm

However a quick perusal of potential scheduling suggests this is a bad place to "start" from (Chippenham)

Pretty much all the journies seem to end up with several overnight hours either at Limerick Junction or Holyhead or even Birmingham New Street waiting for a connection/the morning ferry. (there is one exception that sort of flows but ends up with horrible connections in the snall hours with still a couple of hours connections which sounds exhausting )

Has anyone done a similar journey with such long stopovers (Limerick Junction, Holyhead ferry terminal)? Did you just sit it out in a decent (ie warm, dry, unhassled, not scuzzy waiting room) or find a b&b nearby ? Or just take a cab into limerick from limerick junction?

cheers

didds

Have you looked at Swansea to Cork overnight ferry? I assume that it still runs, but that or Fishguard to Rosslare would seem to be an obvious route from Chippenham. As for onward travel, perhaps CIE have a suitable coach service?

TJH

tjh290633 wrote:Have you looked at Swansea to Cork overnight ferry? I assume that it still runs, but that or Fishguard to Rosslare would seem to be an obvious route from Chippenham. As for onward travel, perhaps CIE have a suitable coach service?

TJH

I thought that wrt rosslare... but the seat61 site is quite adamant that to get to limerick, the roiute to sue is holyhead-dublin and his map of railines in Ireland does suggest that too.

https://www.seat61.com/images/NIreland-map.jpg

The Sailrail deal is an all encompassing fare from source to destination (so basiclaly its tyhe same whether to limerick or rosslare) - presumably the bus wouldnt be included in that etc.

However, ill look at the bus from rossalre too - tx

didds

Overnight rail travel to limerick
Journey times are never described as quick
go via Rosslare
But better beware
a rough crossing can make you quite seasick

Limerick Junction is depressing.

Consider flying Bristol - Cork then hire a motor car.

TBH its only another £100 (between two of us) to take our campervan over via fishguard/rosslare which may well end up beign the cheaper option overall depending on what we want to do wrt accomodation.

Its just a blinking ling drive to fishguard for starters (though west wales is lovely in itself en route).

We both really like the train though

didds

Overnight to Limerick by train you say
If I'd my choice I'd do it by day
And to ease this journey starting from Chippenham
Take some flasks of single malt and try sipping 'em.

John

I once did some work in Limerick
Went by ferry from Holyhead, very sick
So I think I would fly
In a plane in the sky
With Ryannair, cheap and it's very quick

redsturgeon wrote:Overnight to Limerick by train you say
If I'd my choice I'd do it by day
And to ease this journey starting from Chippenham
Take some flasks of single malt and try sipping 'em.

John

whisk(e)y aside ... There is no "do it all by day" option available (chekcing on various rail sites).

didds