This is actually the first post on this blog, so see this as a test and also a semi brain dump! I’ll eventually try to make the blog look better overall as well!
After doing a coach trip to Dublin for the first time (although I’m only just after leaving Holyhead about an hour ago), I’m not as keen about using that travel method, but neither will I fully discount it; it wasn’t an unpleasant trip overall, but it took a bit too long for my liking (though that’s the general speed of that method, which I do understand), and was a bit more uncomfortable than going by train. Still though, at least I did it, and I’m aware of what it entails now; the ferry crossing is ultimately the same, and I’d have to get on a bus regardless after I reached the station, so at least I’m not messing around with having to organise transport to Busáras (pronounced bus-aw-rus – the central bus/coach station in Dublin, near to Connolly Rail station, and their respective Luas tram stops), plus it is slightly cheaper than Rail & Sail!
Overall, it’s not a terrible way to travel, and it will save you about 10-15 quid over R&S, but the catch is that you have to make it to Victoria Coach Station, so you’re effectively moving the transport organisation from one end to the other (though getting to Victoria from Outer London is more expensive than going from Dublin Port to Busáras/Connolly).
What do I think of it overall? I’m mostly positive about the experience, but I don’t tend to be particularly good with coaches past 4 hours of travel; if you’re able to handle the long journey to Holyhead then you’ll fare better than me! Just keep in mind that your journey to/from Victoria to elsewhere in London will add a bit to your travel costs, but it is still cheaper point to point than Sail & Rail, although that does start from your closest National Rail station (as far as I’m aware).
If I were to rate the experience, I’d give it a 7/10. Perhaps I’m nitpicking here, but I’m rating it based upon a multitude of factors for my situation; if you can tolerate the few extra hours travel, and also sitting in a coach seat apart from one 30 minute break on the journey then it may be more suitable for you. The price is quite reasonable, so I can’t complain about that, but the added advantage of R&S is that your journey starts as soon as you board the first train, and it includes all travel up to Dublin Port, where you’re pretty much on your own from there on.
With the coach, you have to make your own way to Victoria (although if you’re outside of London, there are other stops along the way), though you’re covered for the entire trip till you reach Busáras/Connolly, so there is an advantage there, but again, you have to balance out both surface travel options; the ferry crossing is the same, regardless of either method, so that’s not really being considered here. That said however, if you really need to get to London, and want to do it for the cheapest way possible, then coach is the answer! Like I said before, I don’t discourage it as a method of travel, but it’s not very comfortable to me overall, and that’s really my only main issue, along with the length of the journey.
You could also fly, but if you’re not keen on that, or want to reduce your CO2 footprint, then R&S or coach are really your only other options, if you’re talking about using public transport methods. Would I travel this way to Dublin again? Tentatively, I’d say yes, but R&S will always be my first option, and this second… air, depends on my mood at the time, so it hovers between second and third, partly because I want to reduce my carbon footprint, but also because of the baggage charges that I want to avoid; both land & sea methods have no baggage charges to add on top, which is one of the most appealing things about both the train/ferry and coach/ferry methods.
Either way though, for further distances, like Scandinavia, Asia, The Americas, and Oceania, and certain other parts of Europe (outside of Paris, The Netherlands, Brussels and nearby countries), I’d be more inclined to go by air.
Either way, I’m not going to be going back the same method, as due to time being tight, I decided to fly… in general though, my travel to Ireland is pretty much almost exclusively R&S (unless I have to fly over or take a coach)!
~Andy
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