Dublin and Belfast by Rail
- 7
- £899
- Ireland
- Travel by rail from your local station to the port at Holyhead
- Cross the Irish Sea and arrive directly into Dublin
- Catch a train up to historic Belfast
- Return home via ferry and connecting rail travel from Scotland
- Decide when you would like to travel
- Adapt the route to suit your plans
- Upgrade your hotels
- Add extra nights, destinations and/or tours
- Standard Class rail travel with seat reservations where required
- Ferry from Holyhead to Dublin
- 6 nights’ handpicked hotel accommodation with breakfast
- Ferry from Belfast to Ayr (Cairnryan) and connecting rail travel back to your local station
- Comprehensive directions to your hotels
- Easy-to-follow travel documentation
- Despatch of tickets by email, post or collection from our London office
Suggested Itinerary
Travel from wherever you live in the UK to Dublin. We include rail travel from your local station in the UK, wherever that may be. If you are London-based, this will involve a train shortly after 9am from London Euston, taking a route via Crewe and Chester and along the pretty North Wales coastline, arriving into Holyhead at lunchtime.
Here, you join the impressive “Ulysses” ferry, operated by Irish Ferries, for your crossing to Dublin. Watch as the hills of Ireland’s east coast loom larger as you sail into Dublin Bay, and on arrival transfer to the Leonardo Parnell Street (or similar) for a 3-night stay.
Enjoy two full days exploring Dublin at your own pace. Established by the Gauls in the 7th century, this relatively small capital has a wealth of history to discover and a big heart. You can learn more about Dublin’s heritage at one of the city’s many museums, the imposing castle or even the fabulous library at Trinity College, famous for the ancient (in book terms) Book of Kells.
It’s worth spending an evening out discovering Dublin’s world-famous nightlife with everything from traditional hostelries to modern, trendy bars. You can also pay a visit to the Guinness Storehouse to learn about the brewing process for the world’s best-known stout.
After a leisurely breakfast in your hotel this morning, make your way to Dublin Connolly station and catch an Irish Rail service to Belfast. Your journey takes you north through County Meath and County Louth, catching various glimpses of the coastline as you go.
You’ll barely notice the border with Northern Ireland as you cross it, stopping first in Newry, and then Portadown before arriving into Belfast Lanyon Place station in the early afternoon. Make your way to the Hotel Europa (or similar) for a 3-night stay.
From its establishment as a town in the 17th century, to its significant role in Ireland’s Industrial Revolution and the more recent notoriety of the Troubles, Belfast’s history has been a chequered one. This most recent chapter can be delved into by visiting the excellent Ulster Museum. You can also find out more about the Titanic by taking in the relatively new Titanic Belfast attraction, built on the site of the shipyards where the infamous ship was built.
Not to be missed is a drink (or lunch) in the Crown Liquor Saloon right in the centre of town. This wonderful pub was built in the 1880s and has its ornately decorated original Victorian interior still intact.
Depart late morning on board a Stena Line ferry, which sails out of Belfast Lough and onto the open seas to Scotland. On arrival in the port of Cairnryan, you are transported by courtesy bus to Ayr where you join a Scotrail service to Glasgow Central. From here, you then travel back to your local station in Britain. If you’re heading to London, you pick up an evening service to London Euston, passing through the rolling hills of the Scottish borders and the eastern edge of the English Lake District along the way. If you are heading back to the south of England, you may prefer to break your journey in Glasgow or Penrith en route. Please call us for a quote.
Typical hotels on this itinerary
Dublin
Leonardo Parnell Street is in the centre of Dublin, just around the corner from O’Connell Street. All en suite bedrooms offer Wi-Fi internet access, TVs with Dream beds and tea & coffee making facilities. There is also a 24-hour reception, a bar, a café and a restaurant offering an evening menu of Irish and international cuisine.
Belfast
Occupying a convenient location next to Great Victoria Street station, the Europa Hotel offers easy access to Belfast’s Golden Mile. Bedrooms are decorated in a contemporary style with free Wi-Fi internet access, a welcome tray with tea & coffee making facilities and a flat-screen TV. There is also a modern bistro and piano bar in the hotel.
