Sail & Rail

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by Eddie

Due to high airfares last weekend due to (a) late travel arrangements and (b) high demand due to the start of the UK school holidays, did my first Stena Rail and Sail last Sunday (since the HSS ceased operation) from London to Dublin, travelling out on the 8.15am. [Had tried to book the 5.15pm Swift, but the Crewe to Holyhead leg was full and therefore thetrainline.com would not let me book the journey on-line (though I'm sure I could have at a train booking office, and simply not have reserved seats).]

Pleasantly surprised by the rail element, with Virgin SuperVoyager all the way (albeit changing at Crewe).

Really feels like a backward step though having to get the slow ferry, and the worst bit is having to wait for all the vehicles to depart from the car deck before the bus comes to get you in Dublin. Foot passengers and cars never got in each others was on the HSS and could leave simultaneously.

Funny how Stena's 8.55am and 1.50pm Holyhead departures are virtually identical to the HSS's previous departure times - but with effective disembarkation times into Dublin of 12.30pm (instead of 10.30am) and 5.30pm instead of 3.30pm. 2 extra hours sailing and no connecting train either. And they are still using the HSS's lounge in Holyhead.

Lesson #1 - never ever use the thetrainline.com as they charge extra.

Always use a train operator website.

[Eddie]

Originally Posted by berneyarms

Lesson #1 - never ever use the thetrainline.com as they charge extra.

Always use a train operator website.

It was the first time I had used thetrainline.com for years due to exactly that reason, but they seem to have a monopoly (as far as I am aware) on the sale of non booking office UK Rail & Sail tickets. I normally buy such tickets at the booking office as I am passing through a station, but on this particular occasion, it would have cost more in transport than the £1.50 fee.

Disappointingly, my experience was that their telephone service had not got any better over the intervening period, with a long response time and transfer to what appeared to be an Indian call centre. I don't have problem with overseas call centres as long as staff have the local knowledge that you would expect an employee resident of the country they are serving has, but they rarely do.

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by Eddie

It was the first time I had used thetrainline.com for years due to exactly that reason, but they seem to have a monopoly (as far as I am aware) on the sale of non booking office UK Rail & Sail tickets. I normally buy such tickets at the booking office as I am passing through a station, but on this particular occasion, it would have cost more in transport than the £1.50 fee.

Disappointingly, my experience was that their telephone service had not got any better over the intervening period, with a long response time and transfer to what appeared to be an Indian call centre. I don't have problem with overseas call centres as long as staff have the local knowledge that you would expect an employee resident of the country they are serving has, but they rarely do.

No - it's just that Stena Line send you there.

You can buy them directly from the Arriva Trains Wales website.