Rail passes or individual tickets
Jul 9th, 2010, 05:32 PM
#1
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Rail passes or individual tickets
Hi,
I will be in Ireland and England in August and September and have some questions. My first question is am I better off with individual tickets or should I purchase the Britain + Ireland pass. In ireland we will be staying in Dublin and taking some day trips. The daytrips from Dublin that we are planning are to cork and to Kerry. From London we are planning daytrips to Windsor, Hampton Court, and Bath. If I purchase the Britain + Ireland pass does that include the tube in London and the Dublin subway system or is that separate?
In Windsor is Windsor Castle close to the train station? Does anyone have any other suggestions for things to do in Windsor?
Is it possible to take the train to Stonehenge or do I have to go with a tour group?
In the guidebooks that I have purchased it talks about trains and the tube. Are these terms used interchangably in guidebooks?
I will be in Ireland and England in August and September and have some questions. My first question is am I better off with individual tickets or should I purchase the Britain + Ireland pass. In ireland we will be staying in Dublin and taking some day trips. The daytrips from Dublin that we are planning are to cork and to Kerry. From London we are planning daytrips to Windsor, Hampton Court, and Bath. If I purchase the Britain + Ireland pass does that include the tube in London and the Dublin subway system or is that separate?
In Windsor is Windsor Castle close to the train station? Does anyone have any other suggestions for things to do in Windsor?
Is it possible to take the train to Stonehenge or do I have to go with a tour group?
In the guidebooks that I have purchased it talks about trains and the tube. Are these terms used interchangably in guidebooks?
Jul 9th, 2010, 05:47 PM
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Trains are NOT the same as the Tube. The Tube is the subway in London. Trains are aboveground national transport. (The Tube runs on underground trains, yes, but that is almost certainly not what your guidebooks meant.) The Tube is only in London. Trains run all over the UK.
Tickets from London to Windsor, Hampton Court and Bath are not very expensive. If those are the only trips you're taking, you do not need a rail pass. Check nationalrail.co.uk for prices (you can only search about three months out, but you'll be able to get an idea). You'll save a few pounds going to Bath if you buy in advance - for example, it's about £10 more expensive if I go tomorrow than it is in September.
Dublin to Kerry (Killarney, I assume?) is a long day trip. The train one way is four hours with one or two train changes. If you want to actually do anything around Killarney, that's just not feasible. You need at least an overnight, and I'd say two nights in order to have a full day to visit the national park, go to Dingle, whatever. Killarney town does not have much to offer; the real attraction is in the surrounding area. If you won't have a car, you'll have to take a tour or a few to see things. I haven't been to Cork but it's almost as long a train journey.
Tickets from London to Windsor, Hampton Court and Bath are not very expensive. If those are the only trips you're taking, you do not need a rail pass. Check nationalrail.co.uk for prices (you can only search about three months out, but you'll be able to get an idea). You'll save a few pounds going to Bath if you buy in advance - for example, it's about £10 more expensive if I go tomorrow than it is in September.
Dublin to Kerry (Killarney, I assume?) is a long day trip. The train one way is four hours with one or two train changes. If you want to actually do anything around Killarney, that's just not feasible. You need at least an overnight, and I'd say two nights in order to have a full day to visit the national park, go to Dingle, whatever. Killarney town does not have much to offer; the real attraction is in the surrounding area. If you won't have a car, you'll have to take a tour or a few to see things. I haven't been to Cork but it's almost as long a train journey.
Jul 9th, 2010, 08:59 PM
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Ireland is not the right place for what you've got in mind. I'm not convinced your pass makes sense for England, either.
jent's absolutely right about Kerry. Cork's a reasonable, but dull, run of the mill town, way way, way down anyonme's list of Irish places worth a tourist trip to. Close to terrific countryside - but the trains go nowhere near any of it. This isn't just a point about railway passes: you simply can't do a "Dublin as the base for day trips to the other side of Ireland" holiday.
There are some day trips you can do from Dublin, often by coach tours, to places closer by.But you really need to start a separate question to attract experts on this.
London, OTOH, is a great base for train-based daytrips. YOU need to check very hard, though, whether a pre-bought pass really is worthwhile for the four trips (including Stonehenge) you've got in mind. Go to www.nationalrail.co.uk and check the walk-up fares for Windsor and Salisbury and check the advance purchase fare for the time you're here for Bath. Hampton Court is a small (couple of pounds) supplement to the Oyster pass you''re going to be buying separately for travel round London anyway.
jent's absolutely right about Kerry. Cork's a reasonable, but dull, run of the mill town, way way, way down anyonme's list of Irish places worth a tourist trip to. Close to terrific countryside - but the trains go nowhere near any of it. This isn't just a point about railway passes: you simply can't do a "Dublin as the base for day trips to the other side of Ireland" holiday.
There are some day trips you can do from Dublin, often by coach tours, to places closer by.But you really need to start a separate question to attract experts on this.
London, OTOH, is a great base for train-based daytrips. YOU need to check very hard, though, whether a pre-bought pass really is worthwhile for the four trips (including Stonehenge) you've got in mind. Go to www.nationalrail.co.uk and check the walk-up fares for Windsor and Salisbury and check the advance purchase fare for the time you're here for Bath. Hampton Court is a small (couple of pounds) supplement to the Oyster pass you''re going to be buying separately for travel round London anyway.
Jul 9th, 2010, 10:17 PM
#5
You need to <u>completely</u> re-think your Ireland plans. Neither Kerry or Cork are anywhere near reasonable day trips from Dublin.
In fact nothing in the west or southwest bits of Ireland can be done as a day trip from Dublin -- by car OR by train.
How long do you plan on being in Ireland? If it is the W/SW side you want to see, that is where you should base yourselves.
Your plans for London make more sense. However, Windsor, HCP, Bath, and Salisbury/Stonehenge is a lot of time outside of the city - how many days are you going to be in London?
In fact nothing in the west or southwest bits of Ireland can be done as a day trip from Dublin -- by car OR by train.
How long do you plan on being in Ireland? If it is the W/SW side you want to see, that is where you should base yourselves.
Your plans for London make more sense. However, Windsor, HCP, Bath, and Salisbury/Stonehenge is a lot of time outside of the city - how many days are you going to be in London?
