If you fly from London to Dublin, it takes barely an hour. It’s very convenient, but such a short flight feels wasteful to me. For this reason I travel overland whenever I can.
Although it takes quite a bit longer than flying, this trip from London to Dublin by train and boat is a gorgeous journey and involves just three steps.
1. London to Holyhead by train
The first step in travelling from London to Dublin by train and boat is to catch the train from London Euston to Holyhead in north-west Wales. A direct train takes about four hours. I use Trainline to book trains in the UK.
I love travelling by train. I think it’s by far the most comfortable method of public transport. There’s just something about sitting on a train with ample leg-room, reading your book and watching the countryside zipping by. Bonus points if it’s raining, which it might well be as you enter Wales.
The train slows right down when it reaches Wales and begins calling at smaller towns and villages along the northern coast. A highlight is stopping at the village with the longest name in Europe: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. It’s quite something seeing that on a sign on the platform!
The scenery along the north Wales coast is absolutely gorgeous, with glimpses of deserted beaches, waves splashing against the sand. Trundling along beside the sea to Wales’ north-western tip feels like you’re discovering a secret corner of Britain.
2. Stay overnight in Holyhead
Unless you catch an extremely early train from London, and find a ferry on the same day (I don’t recommend this as Britain’s trains aren’t always the most punctual), you’ll need to stay overnight in Holyhead.
For somewhere fairly small, Holyhead has a good choice of accommodation. We opted for a small family-run bed and breakfast.
3. Holyhead to Dublin by boat
The standard ferry from Holyhead to Dublin takes three and a half hours, crossing the Irish Sea. There is also a quicker option, taking two hours and fifteen minutes.
You can book tickets at www.irishferries.com or on any third party ferry-booking website (I’ve always found these reliable). We were able to walk to the ferry terminal from our accommodation in central Holyhead.
The crossing was fairly smooth when I did it (in late March) but the Irish Sea does have a reputation for being quite choppy. I suggest erring on the side of caution and bringing seasickness tablets just in case!
The ferry arrives at Dublin port. Catch the bus or a taxi into central Dublin, and you’ve completed your journey from London to Dublin overland!
Make the journey part of your trip, and help save the planet
You might be thinking that it sounds like a bit of a chore to travel from London to Dublin by train and boat rather than flying. If you’re using annual leave for your trip, I can see why you might think travelling in this way would waste your limited time in Ireland.
But my response to that is that the overland journey is part of the trip. I find it incredibly satisfying to arrive somewhere knowing I’ve seen all the scenery along the way.
And it’s so much better for the planet to avoid flights, not to mention that on trains and boats you aren’t crammed in for maximum profits like you are on a flight.
Even travelling overland one way and flying back is better than flying both ways. And the route from London to Dublin by train and boat is certainly a good one.
Spending a short time in Ireland? Check out my one week in Ireland road trip itinerary.