SailRail to Ireland with an overnight break of journey

[whole diary]

[Steven]

Hi everyone

I'm new to the forum and hoping that someone can help me find the best ticket for my journey. 

I would like to travel from Oxford to Dublin after work on Friday the 27th of May.  I don't have to be in Dublin until lunchtime on the 28th.  The national rail journey planner lists two potential journeys leaving at 18:38 and 22:30 and arriving at 05:45 and 12:10 respectively.  The earlier journey involves catching the 02:30 ferry and the later journey has a five hour wait overnight at Birmingham New Street, neither of which I'm particularly keen on. 

What I would like to do is start on the earlier departure as far as Holyhead stay in a B&B overnight and then catch the later ferry on Saturday morning.  Both journeys have the same ticket type available, a ^43 off-peak with route HOLYHD STENA SHP, but no mention of travelling on a particular train (or ferry). 

I have tried asking if my journey would be valid with that ticket at Oxford station and Arriva trains Wales phoneline.  Oxford station thought I would have to go on the exact trains offered by the journey planner whereas Arriva thought that any departure from Oxford on the 27th would be fine with any ferry on the 28th.  Last time I used the train and ferry to Ireland (in 2010) the ticket allowed travel on any train but the ferry leg had to be reserved. 

Can anyone point me at some ticket terms and conditions that would clarify if what I want to do is valid and if so which ticket should I buy?

Thanks for your help

Steven

[grahame]

Welcome to the forum, Steven.    I've used such tickets.

They are not train specific (indeed I have varied off my recommended itinerary when a sharper connection made than should have been possible - that was on a 2015 journey). However:

Tickets are valid for 1 month only from the outward travel date.  These tickets do not permit a break in journey and are valid for point to point travel only.

Which means they do not permit you to leave the station anywhere and continue you journey later.

[grahame]

I should add ... the reason it's "no break of journey is that SailRail's a special low cost deal.   The 18:38 to Dublin may cost just ^43, but the 18:38 to Holyhead's showing up online at ^103.10 and the train operating authorities realy don't want people buying Dublin tickets and not bothering to sail.

[Steven]

Thanks for your quick reply Grahame.  It is a bit disappointing that there isn't a way to do the journey with a good night's sleep.  I'll have to pack a sleeping bag and roll mat and find a quiet spot on the station for the night 

[ChrisB]

Horrible feeling Holyhead gets locked after the 0230 saling departs....

[TonyK]

This looks like a job for....Bignosemac!

[grahame]

This looks like a job for....Bignosemac!

I'll be really impressed if he comes up with a legitimate way of doing this with a break of journey for near to ^43.

Of the 4 Stena crossings a day for Oxford to Dublin
1 involves a nasty departure off Holyhead
1 has an overnight wait somewhere on the way to Holyhead
1 arrives in Dublin obnoxiously late in the evening
1 is a really nice leisurely day from breakfast time in Oxford to late afternoon in Dublin.

[WSW Frome]

Let us see if BNM can offer any clarity.

However, I can say that in the opposite direction (i.e. from Ireland) one gets issued with a standard handwritten CIV^▸ (International Convention for the transportation of Passengers) ticket form. Nobody then cares one jot when and how you travel - at least nominally within the one month validity.

[Brucey]

I have looked into making a similar journey, with an overnight break en-route.  The only option I came up with would be an ordinary single/return to somewhere nearish like Shrewsbury, then a SailRail for the following day.  This all worked out quite pricey, so unfortunately I ended up flying (~^20 each way plus ^15 for a return train ticket to the airport).

[Steven]

Thanks for all the replies.  I can now see why I had difficulty getting a clear answer when asking the ticket staff.  It does seem to be a bit of a grey area as to what the rules allow.  There is one journey offered by the journey planner that involves leaving the station for a connection, the 23:06 departure involves a walk from Moor Street to New Street in Birmingham.  The ^43 fare is available for that service so how does that fit with the break of journey rules?  Would the same logic apply in cases where you can't stay in the station because it is locked?

The morning departure from Oxford does sound like the most pleasant option, however I think my employer might take a dim view of me setting off after breakfast 

If anyone fancies playing the split ticket game the full set of requirements are:
Leave Oxford after 16:46 (normal train home time) on the 27th
Arrive in Malahide (just north of Dublin) by 14:00 on the 28th
A decent nights sleep somewhere, at least 7 hours
I have a season ticket from Oxford to Charlbury so gold card discounts can be used

A second related question.  Is it always possible to buy on board Northern Ireland trains?  I'll be travelling onwards from Malahide to Bangor in the evening of the 28th.  The journey I'm planning on making involves a quick change in Belfast and it doesn't appear to be possible to buy tickets online for the Belfast to Bangor leg.

[JayMac]

Thanks for all the replies.  I can now see why I had difficulty getting a clear answer when asking the ticket staff.  It does seem to be a bit of a grey area as to what the rules allow.  There is one journey offered by the journey planner that involves leaving the station for a connection, the 23:06 departure involves a walk from Moor Street to New Street in Birmingham.  The ^43 fare is available for that service so how does that fit with the break of journey rules?  Would the same logic apply in cases where you can't stay in the station because it is locked?

Only thing I can add to the excellent advice already given, is that leaving one station to join a train at another, following a valid itinerary, is not classed as a break of journey.

I've not studied SailRail to any great extent as it's a product I've seldom used. What I do know from reading on other forums is that there are few, if any, workarounds that allow you to do anything other than the booked itinerary with the tickets. Yes, the SAILRAIL STNDBY tickets are nominally flexible walk-up tickets, but they have clear restrictions that disallow a break of journey unless it is for connection purposes.

Sadly Steven, for your proposed journey later this week, the only option that appears to be open to you is to book separate rail and ferry travel.

[WSW Frome]

Seat61.com seems to have all the key information.

If you buy an Advance Ticket, the specific trains must be used with no stopovers.

If you buy the Single ticket then any train may be used, via any permitted route, no stopovers are allowed. Technically you have a specific ferry reservation then this must be used, if actually supplied. (on the Fishguard route no such reservations are issued - usually about 20 foot passengers!). I would have thought that a stopover could be "manufactured" at most stations, especially at off peak times.

[ChrisB]

I would stick to Seat61.com's recommendations. He knows his stuff

[grahame]

I would stick to Seat61.com's recommendations. He knows his stuff

He does indeed know his stuff - but alas makes no comment (either way) with regard to stopovers.

[ChrisB]

Says to catch all specified-timed legs though. So no chance to stop overnight