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Above: The famous Giant's Causeway on the
Northern Irish coast. Easy to reach without
flying! |
It's easy to travel from London (or anywhere in Britain)
to Belfast (or anywhere in Northern Ireland) without
flying, by train+ferry. It's
the traditional, time-honoured, eco-friendly way to get there, through the countryside by
train and across the Irish Sea by ship. It's a great
alternative to short-haul flights, which are now the
fastest-growing contributor to global warming.
This page explains the routes, timetables, fares, and how to buy tickets.
First, decide which of these options sounds best for
you:
-
This is the simplest and most traditional route.
Travel by train to Stranraer in Scotland for the
connecting Stena Line HSS ferry (High Speed Sea Service)
to Belfast port. One ticket covers your whole
journey, from any railway station in Britain to
Belfast or any station in Northern Ireland. London
to Belfast from £44 Apex or £49 flexible each way, Glasgow
to Belfast from £23 Apex or £31 flexible each way.
-
Travel by train to Liverpool for the overnight Norfolk
Line ferry to Belfast. This is a comfortable
option, although combined train+ferry fares are not
available via this route so you must book the ferry and
train separately.
-
Belfast
to Londonderry & The Giant's Causeway
Sponsored links:
This is the cheapest way to go, with daily
departures and the chance to see Dublin on the
way. You take a train to Holyhead in north
Wales and the connecting Irish Ferries ship or catamaran to Dublin Ferryport.
At Dublin Ferryport there's a bus link into
Dublin city centre where you catch an Irish 'Enterprise'
express train to
Belfast. One ticket covers your whole journey from
London or any British railway station to Belfast,
Londonderry or other station in Northern Ireland.
-
See the recommended
train+ferry service from London to Belfast via Dublin, on
the Ireland page. This explains the best timetable
via this route all the way from London to Belfast, shows the fares and how to buy tickets.
-
Alternatively, to look at the options in more detail, go to the London
to Ireland page and choose a train+ferry service from
London to Dublin. Then go to www.IrishRail.ie
to check connecting Dublin-Belfast train times, allowing
plenty of time in Dublin to make the connection.
There are air-conditioned 'Enterprise' expresses from
Dublin (Connolly station) to Belfast every hour or two from
around 07:00 to around 20:00, journey time 2 hours.
Regular flexible
fares
|
One-way
|
Return
|
|
London (or any South East station) ► Belfast |
£41 |
£82 |
|
London (or any South East station) ► Londonderry |
£43.50 |
£87 |
|
Any UK station in zone A ► Belfast |
£37 |
£72 |
|
Any UK station in zone B ► Belfast |
£38 |
£76 |
|
Any UK station in zone C ► Belfast |
£39 |
£78 |
|
Any UK station in zone D ► Belfast |
£41 |
£82 |
-
These fares are valid on any day, any date, any train and
any Irish Ferries sailing.
-
Unlimited availability at these prices, you can even buy
tickets at these prices on the day of travel.
-
Unlike a cheap flight, the date of return can be left open.
Tickets include a reserved place on the ferry (so if you
leave the return portion open, you'll still need to make a
ferry reservation before your return journey). And
unlike a cheap flight, they are from central London, or even your
own local station, not
from an airport miles away.
-
Returns are valid for one month.
-
Stop-overs are not allowed in either direction,
including (for more than an hour or two) in Dublin, so you must
complete your journey to Belfast in one go. But if you want to stop off in Dublin for more than
this, simply buy separate London-Dublin and Dublin-Belfast
tickets (see the Ireland page & www.IrishRail.ie
to check the separate fares).
-
As they are so cheap anyway, there's no additional discount
for young person's or senior railcard holders.
-
You can check these fares at
www.sailrail.co.uk.
|
Which
UK station is in which zone..?
You can buy a train+ferry ticket from
any mainland UK railway station to
Belfast, Londonderry, or any Northern Irish
railway station. |
|
Zone A:
|
Gwynedd North, Clwyd
|
|
Zone B:
|
Greater Manchester,
Staffordshire, Shropshire, Cheshire |
|
Zone C:
|
Lancashire, West Yorkshire,
South Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire,
Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, West Midlands,
Warwickshire, Hereford & Worcester, Gloucestershire,
Powys, Gwynedd South. |
|
Zone D:
|
Cumbria, North Yorkshire,
Humberside, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire,
Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Greater
London, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Avon,
Gwent, South Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan, West Glamorgan,
Dyfed, Norfolk, Suffolk,
Essex, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire,
Dorset, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall. |
-
Children: Children aged 5 to 15
travel at 50% off the fares shown above. children
under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Unaccompanied children 16-17 years old must have written
authority to travel from their parent or guardian.
-
Taking a bicycle? Bikes
go free on Stena Line, no reservation required. Bikes are carried on trains
to Holyhead, but reservations are usually required and a
small fee is payable. Bikes are not carried on DART
trains from Dun Laoghaire to Dublin city centre, so you'll have
to cycle the 11 km.
-
Better value than flying... Unlike
most cheap flights, these train+ferry fares are flexible - you need a
reserved place on the ferry, but you can change your travel plans as you
like, and leave your return open, making the ferry
reservation for the return journey in Belfast or Dublin when you know
when you want to come back.
These fares are also centre-to-centre, not airport to
airport - remember when comparing that
it will cost £12 one-way or £24 return
for the train from central London
out to Luton, Stansted or Gatwick airports in addition to
the cost of the flight. Train+ferry is far less
environmentally hostile than a short-haul flight...
If you are in
the UK, you can buy London to Northern Ireland train+ferry tickets:
-
in
person at most British
railway stations.
-
in person in
Belfast, at the Stena Line terminal at Belfast port.
-
by calling the SailRail booking line,
08450 755 755. Lines are
open 08:00-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 0900-1700 Saturdays &
Sundays. See
www.sailrail.co.uk for more information.
-
by calling Stena Line on 0870
5 455 455.
Lines are open 08:30-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00
Saturdays & 09:00-17:00 on Sundays.
-
by calling Virgin Trains on
0845 7 222
333 Tickets can be posted to any UK address
or you can ask to pick them up
on departure from many UK railway stations, including London
Euston.
-
You cannot
book them online.
How to buy
tickets if you're in Ireland...
To buy rail+sea tickets in
Northern Ireland, either use the RailEasy booking system
above, or visit any Northern Ireland Railways
station. In Dublin, call (01)
703 1884 or visit Irish Rail's office at 35 Lower Abbey
Street, Dublin 1. E-mail europeanrail@irishrail.ie.
How to buy
tickets if you live overseas...
-
You can use the
RailEasy online booking
system above. Tickets cannot be
sent overseas, so select the option to collect
tickets from a self-service ticket machine at most major
stations (but not Belfast). Unfortunately, online
booking to Ireland is not working at the moment, but will
hopefully be fixed soon, please book by phone.
-
Otherwise, it's
easy to wait till you get to the UK and book at the
station. Remember, the cheap flexible fares have
unlimited availability so there's no need to book a place
weeks ahead. Just wait till you arrive in London.
-
Alternatively, call Virgin
Trains on +44 870 9080 107.
Tickets can only be posted to UK addresses, but you can ask
to pick them up
at many UK railway stations, including London
Euston, or have them sent to your hotel.
-
Or call Stena Line
on
+44 870 5 455 455.
This is the
traditional, historic route to Belfast. Take a train
to Stranraer in southwest Scotland then a ferry direct to
Northern Ireland. It's usually a simpler option than
the route via Holyhead & Dublin, and only a bit more
expensive. London to Belfast starts at around £46 one-way
city centre to city centre, or (for example) Glasgow to
Belfast from £21 one-way.
London ►
Belfast (by train+ferry)
|
|
By train: |
Mon-Sat |
Sun |
Fris |
|
Depart London Euston |
09:30 |
09:00
* |
23:00 |
|
Arrive Carlisle |
12:45 |
| |
| |
|
Depart Carlisle |
14:22 |
| |
| |
|
Arrive Glasgow |
| |
14:50 * |
06:30 |
|
Depart Glasgow |
| |
16:25 |
07:13 |
|
Arrive Stranraer |
17:55 |
18:40 |
09:21 |
|
By HSS ferry: |
|
|
Depart Stranraer |
19:50 |
19:50 |
09:50 |
|
Arrive Belfast port |
22:10 |
22:10 |
11:50 |
Times may vary on Saturdays & Sundays.
Please check all train times using
www.nationalrail.co.uk (enter London & Belfast
central).
You can confirm ferry times at www.stenaline.co.uk.
* = Departs from London Kings Cross, change at
Edinburgh, arrive 13:48 depart 14:00 for Glasgow
Queen Street, walk to Glasgow Central then take train to
Stranraer.
** = also change trains at
Edinburgh.
Not Sats = Runs daily
except Saturday nights. By
CALEDONIAN SLEEPER
between
London Euston & Glasgow, with 1- and 2-berth sleepers available, plus economy reclining seats.
Reservation necessary. Sleeper berths can be occupied
in the evening from 22:30, and in the morning until 08:00.
Change trains where you see a horizontal line under the
train time. You can
confirm ferry times at www.stenaline.co.uk.
Belfast ►
London (by train+ferry)
|
|
By HSS ferry: |
Mon-Sat |
Sun |
not Sats |
|
Depart Belfast port |
07:25 |
07:25 |
17:05 |
|
Arrive Stranraer |
09:25 |
09:25 |
19:25 |
|
By train: |
|
|
Depart Stranraer |
10:00 |
10:40 |
19:40 |
|
Arrive Glasgow |
| |
12:47 |
21:55 |
|
Depart Glasgow |
| |
13:30* |
23:41 |
|
Arrive Carlisle |
13:35 |
| |
| |
|
Depart Carlisle |
13:49 |
| |
| |
|
Arrive London Euston |
17:12 |
19:12** |
07:00 |
Train times from other UK stations to Belfast:
Just use
www.nationalrail.co.uk
to find train+ferry times from any UK station to Belfast.
Alternatively, the
complete Glasgow-Stranraer-Belfast timetable is shown on the
Stena Line website at www.stenaline.co.uk
- select 'Stranraer to Belfast' then 'rail connections'.
Fares from
London (or any mainland station) to Belfast:
|
|
via Stena Line HSS Stranraer-Belfast |
Standard fare
one-way |
Standard fare
return
|
Apex one-way
|
Apex
return |
|
London
► Belfast
|
£49 |
£98 |
£44 |
£88 |
|
UK
zone A (e.g. Glasgow) ► Belfast
|
£31 |
£62 |
£23 |
£46 |
|
UK
zone B (e.g. Edinburgh) ► Belfast |
£31 |
£62 |
£23 |
£46 |
|
UK
zone C (e.g. Fife) ► Belfast |
£36 |
£72 |
£27 |
£54 |
|
UK
zone D (e.g. Perth) ► Belfast |
£36 |
£72 |
£27 |
£54 |
|
UK
zone E (e.g. Inverness) ► Belfast |
£42 |
£84 |
£34 |
£68 |
|
UK
zone F (e.g. Aberdeen) ► Belfast |
£42 |
£84 |
£34 |
£68 |
|
UK
zone G (e.g. Cumbria) ► Belfast |
£34 |
£68 |
£31 |
£62 |
|
UK
zone H (e.g. Manchester) ► Belfast |
£40 |
£80 |
£36 |
£72 |
|
UK
zone J (e.g. Leeds) ► Belfast |
£42 |
£84 |
£38 |
£76 |
|
UK
zone K (e.g. Birmingham) ► Belfast |
£42 |
£84 |
£38 |
£76 |
|
UK
zone L (e.g. Oxford) ► Belfast |
£49 |
£98 |
£44 |
£88 |
|
UK
zone M (e.g. Plymouth)► Belfast |
£49 |
£98 |
£44 |
£88 |
-
Standard fares =
Travel on any train, any ship, any date. Unlimited
availability. You can buy these tickets at any time,
even on day of travel. Returns are valid one month,
and you can leave the return date open if you like, although
a ferry reservation must be made before you start the return
journey.
-
Apex fares =
Book at least 48 hours in advance, limited places
available at these prices, no child or railcard discounts.
-
You can check fares at
www.sailrail.co.uk or
at the Stena Line website
by selecting
'Stranraer to Belfast'
then 'rail connections'.
|
Which station is in which UK zone..? |
|
UK zone A:
|
Any station in the Glasgow
area, Strathclyde,
Dumfries & Galloway |
|
UK zone B:
|
Any station in the Edinburgh
area, Lothian,
Borders |
|
UK zone C:
|
Any station in Fife;
UK zone
D: Tayside; UK zone E: Inverness
& Highlands; Zone F: Grampian |
|
UK zone
G: |
Any station in Cumbria |
|
UK zone H:
|
Any station in Lancashire, Greater
Manchester, Merseyside. |
|
UK zone
J: |
Any station in Yorkshire, Humberside,
Shropshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire. |
|
UK zone
K: |
Any station in Lincolnshire,
Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire,
Warwickshire, West Midlands, Gloucestershire, Hereford
& Worcester, Derbyshire, Gwynedd, Clwyd |
|
UK zone
L: |
Any station in Greater London,
Hertfordshire,
Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire,
Berkshire, Bedfordshire, Wiltshire, Avon, Hampshire,
Sussex, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex. |
|
UK zone
M: |
Any station in Cornwall, Devon,
Somerset, Dorset. |
-
Senior or young persons railcard holders get a 34% discount on
the standard fare.
-
Children aged 5 to 15
travel at 50% off standard fares. Children under 5 go
free.
-
Going beyond Belfast?
You can buy a through ticket to any station in Northern
Ireland, for example Antrim or Londonderry - just add £3.50
one-way or £7 return to the standard fare to Belfast.
-
Unlike
most air fares, the standard fares are flexible - although a
reservation is required, you can
change your travel plans as you like, and make the ferry
reservation for the return journey in Belfast when you know
when you want to come back. You can break your journey
(stop off) with Standard fares, but not with Apex fares.
-
Remember, these fares are centre to centre, not airport
to airport. When comparing, add £12 one-way or £24
return to the air fare to cover the train ride from London
to Luton, Stansted or Gatwick airports!
-
For travel by Caledonian Sleeper,
add a sleeper
supplement of £27 per person each way for travel in a
2-berth compartment. For
daytime travel, it may be cheaper to buy a Virgin Value
return to Carlisle or Glasgow (these start at just £30) and
combine this with an inclusive return from Glasgow or
Carlisle to Belfast.
How to buy
tickets...
You can buy
combined train+ferry tickets to Belfast in person at all
main British railway
stations or by telephone with Stena Line on
0870
5 455 455. Lines open 08:30-20:00
Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00 Saturdays & 09:00-17:00 on
Sundays.
A
comfortable and inexpensive way to reach Northern Ireland
without flying is to take Norfolk Line ship from Liverpool (Birkenhead
ferry terminal) to Belfast. An
overnight sailing means that it takes no time at all.
You can check ferry times at
www.norfolkline-ferries.co.uk.
Norfolk Line have taken over Norse Merchant Ferries.
Liverpool ► Belfast
|
|
Belfast
► Liverpool
|
|
* Sailing
time 22:00 on Mondays & 21:30 on Sundays.
The
Liverpool terminal is at Twelve Quays in
Birkenhead, across the Mersey from Liverpool. |
|
By ship: |
Tues-Sat |
Daily |
By ship: |
Tues-Sat |
Daily |
|
Liverpool
depart |
10:30 |
22:30* |
Belfast depart |
10:30 |
22:30* |
|
Belfast arrive |
18:30 |
06:30 |
Liverpool
arrive |
18:30 |
06:30 |
Train
connections...
Travelling
from London to Belfast, you will need to leave London's
Euston station at around 17:00 to connect in Liverpool with
the 22:30 sailing - to
check train times use
www.nationalrail.co.uk.
You will need to take a taxi from Liverpool Lime Street
station to the ferry terminal, or take a local Merseyrail
train to Birkenhead Hamilton Square station then walk to the
terminal. Don't forget you need to
check-in at least an hour before sailing time. In the
return directions from
Belfast to Liverpool, a train from Liverpool at around 08:30
will get you to London by about 11:45. These are
peak times for train travel on Mondays-Fridays, so check
that an affordable fare is available before committing
yourself to this route.
Fares...
One-way foot passenger
fares from Liverpool to Belfast are about £20-£25 each way on
the day sailing or £32-£45 each way on the night sailing.
The night fare includes a 4-course
evening meal in the dining saloon, and full cooked breakfast.
Cabin berths are extra, expect to pay £50 each way per
cabin, which sleeps up to 4 people, with private shower and
toilet. You can check fares & cabin charges for your
date of travel at
www.norfolkline-ferries.co.uk.
How to buy tickets...
You
cannot buy combined train+ferry tickets on this route, you
need to buy separate tickets for the ferry and the train. To
check fares and times for the ship, and to book online, go to
www.norfolkline-ferries.co.uk.
You can also book by calling Norfolk Line
Ferries on 0870
600 4321. To
check train times and fares, and to book train tickets to
Liverpool online, use
www.nationalrail.co.uk.
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