Stena Line Dublin - New Bus Service

[181]

Thankyou. I think Irish Ferries are currently due in at 17.25. From my past experience, disembarkation at Dublin is quicker with them because they have a passenger gangway at that end of the route, whereas with Stena you have to wait until enough vehicles have disembarked to make way for the foot passengers' bus.

 

[berneyarms]

I don’t think you’d make the Westport train I’m afraid - it would be far too tight.

 

[185143]

I hope people don't mind me reviving this thread to ask a few questions about my planned journey.

It seems that arriving at Dublin on Irish Ferries on a weekday afternoon, the best option is to get the 18.00 Dublin Bus 53 (which appears not yet to hve been replaced by a new route as mentioned above) into the city (a fairly recent YouTube video reports that the Nolan bus is still delayed by serving both ferry terminals, as reported in another post above). Is it easy to find the bus stop, and what payment methods can be used? Unfortunately on Saturdays the buses appear to be at 17.30 and 18.30; with 2 hours before the latest possible train from Heuston, I might be tempted to walk to the tram stop at The Point.

If I were to pre-book a taxi, would I have a realistic chance of getting to Heuston in time for the 18.15 Westport train? (It's not essential that I do, but it would save my friends in Roscommon having to drive to Athlone to meet me). It will be either a Friday or a Saturday, which presumably might make a difference to the traffic. Apologies if this is a silly question, but how does one identify one's booked taxi if there is more than one -- do they have numbers on the outside or anything?

Coming back, I will probably spend the night in Dublin and catch one of the morning boats; it appears that there's a Nolan bus leaving George's Quay (across the river from the Custom House) at 06.45. Or if I went for the 02.15 Stena sailing, somewhat surprisingly that also appears to have a bus leaving at 00.40. Is using the Nolan bus in this direction likely to be reliable and trouble-free? (Mind you, if catching the night boat I might prefer to get a taxi and wait in the terminal rather than hanging around in central Dublin until past midnight).

Thankyou for any information anyone can provide; I will aim to report on what I find if it seems likely to be of interest.

It would have been, had the inbound sailing not been 30+ minutes late. Decided against standing around in the city centre until gone 1AM, as of course it's the same bus that brings passengers off the late running ferry and got a taxi. €20 due to some road closures! The bus was still at the terminal when our taxi arrived.

There's 6 of us in the foot passengers lounge so I don't invisage this being a busy crossing at all thankfully.

 

[danm14]

From June 1st, the Nolan's Ferrylink service will be extended to serve Heuston Station.

Inbound services from Dublin Port will have four drop-off points - Connolly Station, George's Quay, Aston Quay and Heuston Station.

Outbound services to Dublin Port will have three pick-up points - Heuston Station, Bachelor's Walk and Custom House Quay.

The exact timetable and stop locations have not yet been published, nor has information on whether a higher fare will be charged for travel to Heuston Station (as was the case with the old Morton's Ferrylink service).

Also of note, the Nolan's Ferrylink service is now part of the Free Travel Scheme. Holders of a Republic of Ireland Free Travel Pass (for over 66s, disabled people and carers) or Northern Ireland Senior SmartPass (for over 65s) may therefore travel free of charge on the service. In common with all other services in Ireland, passes from the UK mainland are not valid, nor are passes from Northern Ireland other than the Senior SmartPass for persons aged 65 and over.

The Nolan's Ferrylink service is also part of the TFI Young Adult/Student Leap Card scheme. Holders of a Young Adult Leap Card (for those aged 19 to 23) or Student Leap Card (for full-time third level students aged 16-18 or 24+) may travel on the service at half the normal adult fare. These half price tickets are only available through the TFI Go Android/iOS app. No form of proof of age or student status other than the Young Adult or Student Leap Card is acceptable.

 

[181]

The new Nolan Coaches timetables can be found here: https://nolancoaches.ie/services/ferrylink/.

In outline, it appears that:

• All 4 Stena arrivals and departures have buses to/from Parkgate Street near Heuston, with other stops in the city centre (including Conolly westbound, but the nearest eastbound one is Custom House Quay).
• Both Ulysses (Irish Ferries) departures and the morning arrival share the same bus with Stena, but the afternoon arrival has a separate bus, to Conolly and no further.
• All Dublin Swift arrivals and departures have a separate bus (even on mornings when the Swift departs just 5 minutes ahead of the Ulysses), with just one city centre stop at George's Quay across the river from the Custom House. These are cancelled if the Swift is cancelled, so don't wait till you get to the terminal to find out.

My recent experience suggests that what happens is more or less what's in the timetable. Travelling out on Friday 16th June, the Ulysses arrived on time at 17.25 and I was in the terminal before 17.35, but I think it was past 17.45 before my checked-in bag appeared on the carousel. Meanwhile there were announcements advising people to get the Nolan bus because of the limited availability of taxis. Shortly after I'd collected my bag, an announcement was made of the last call for the bus, and it left at about 17.53, i.e. several minutes before the official time. I was at Connolly by about 18.10 and after a long-ish wait for a tram (I walked down to the Busaras stop to see if there was one sooner from there, but there wasn't) reached Heuston at about 18.35.

On the way back on Monday 19th, I was outside the Custom House in good time for the bus at 06.55, and saw what I presume was the 06.45 Swift bus across the river. There was nothing that I noticed at the Custom House stop to indicate that the bus to the port left from there, but I wasn't the only person waiting for it. It turned up about 10 minutes late (just saying 'Nolan Coaches' on the destination display, although it had a panel on the side indicating that it was used on the ferry link service), but got me to the Stena terminal with enough time to spare.

A few other points in case they're useful to anyone:

• Irish Ferries at Holyhead now require you to show photo ID at check-in, but Stena at Dublin don't.
• I was at the railway station at Holyhead about 35 minutes after the arrival of the Stena boat.
• The morning Swift departure from Dublin is at 07.30 and 08.00 on alternate days (with some slight variations to the pattern), but National Rail Enquiries shows it as 07.30 every day. I haven't checked, but this discrepancy may apply to other departures in both directions, and to UK-based ticket-selling sites, so take care not to miss any connections as a result.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

How much time do you reckon for the journey on foot from Connolly (off the Enterprise) to the Custom House bus stop (for the afternoon Stena ferry)?
It doesn't seem too straightforward on Google Maps, but it might be simpler than it looks.
I'm good at getting lost in the last 400m to anywhere in a strange city!

 

[Flying Snail]

How much time do you reckon for the journey on foot from Connolly (off the Enterprise) to the Custom House bus stop (for the afternoon Stena ferry)?
It doesn't seem too straightforward on Google Maps, but it might be simpler than it looks.
I'm good at getting lost in the last 400m to anywhere in a strange city!

It's less than 5 minutes.

Walk straight out the barriers and out the main entrance, down the escalator/stairs and then continue along the main road until you get to the junction at the river, cross the road to your right and the busses stop in front of the large building (Custom House).

 

[181]

How much time do you reckon for the journey on foot from Connolly (off the Enterprise) to the Custom House bus stop (for the afternoon Stena ferry)?
It doesn't seem too straightforward on Google Maps, but it might be simpler than it looks.
I'm good at getting lost in the last 400m to anywhere in a strange city!

Only a few minutes walking time (depending on your walking speed), I'd say, but I'd always advise having some time in hand. I can't remember quite where the pedestrian crossings are, but you should be OK if you find the tram stop down the steps from the southern end of the main concourse at Conolly, follow the tramlines south to the junction with the line from the docklands direction, keep going in the same direction till you get to the river, and turn right. I think it's the stop where the airport bus is in this Streetview image.

 

[berneyarms]

How much time do you reckon for the journey on foot from Connolly (off the Enterprise) to the Custom House bus stop (for the afternoon Stena ferry)?
It doesn't seem too straightforward on Google Maps, but it might be simpler than it looks.
I'm good at getting lost in the last 400m to anywhere in a strange city!

It should not take more than 10 mins.

It is anything but complicated.

Straight out of the front of the station, down the escalator, walk straight ahead alongside Connolly LUAS stop, walk straight across the LUAS lines and continue straight ahead until you get to the Quays.

Then turn right at the lights, crossing over Memorial Road (which you’ve just walked along) and walk straight ahead until you arrive at the Bus Éireann bus stop outside the Custom House.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Thank you all for the advice.
Trying it in September hopefully.

 

[LOSTICLE]

Hello

I’m new here and very impressed with the quality of the information users are sharing.

I wonder if you might help me with a couple of questions. I’m hoping to catch the 9am sailing from Holyhead to Dublin tomorrow, as a foot passenger, and I want to catch the bus to Dublin Airport.

Do I just walk off the ferry?

Or is there a bus to a passenger terminal?

Is it then feasible for me to walk from the ferry, or the terminal, to the 784 bus stop at North Dock on North Walk Quay (if I’ve read the map right)? I am happy to walk for half an hour.

Also do I need to buy a bus ticket in advance, and if so, where do I do that?

Or can I get a ticket on the bus?

FYI I’m picking up a hire car at the airport to drive to … Donegal .

In the early 1900s you could gee a train all the way to the Rosses.

Ok just answered one of my questions on Stenas’s website:

How do foot passengers access the ferry?​

Depending on which port you are travelling from, foot passengers will either board the ferry via a shuttle bus or walkway.

Via Holyhead, Dublin, Liverpool, Belfast (VT2 to Liverpool) and Cherbourg Ports:
Foot passengers will be transferred from the Passenger Terminal to the ferry on a shuttle bus

 

[johnnydoe]

Hello

I’m new here and very impressed with the quality of the information users are sharing.

I wonder if you might help me with a couple of questions. I’m hoping to catch the 9am sailing from Holyhead to Dublin tomorrow, as a foot passenger, and I want to catch the bus to Dublin Airport.

Do I just walk off the ferry?

Or is there a bus to a passenger terminal?

Is it then feasible for me to walk from the ferry, or the terminal, to the 784 bus stop at North Dock on North Walk Quay (if I’ve read the map right)? I am happy to walk for half an hour.

Also do I need to buy a bus ticket in advance, and if so, where do I do that?

Or can I get a ticket on the bus?

FYI I’m picking up a hire car at the airport to drive to … Donegal .

In the early 1900s you could gee a train all the way to the Rosses.

Ok just answered one of my questions on Stenas’s website:

How do foot passengers access the ferry?​

Depending on which port you are travelling from, foot passengers will either board the ferry via a shuttle bus or walkway.

Via Holyhead, Dublin, Liverpool, Belfast (VT2 to Liverpool) and Cherbourg Ports:
Foot passengers will be transferred from the Passenger Terminal to the ferry on a shuttle bus

Download the TFI Live app for public transport navigation.

If you arrive at the Stena Line terminal at 12:40 or even 12:45 you should be able to walk to the Irish Ferries terminal in time to make the 1pm bus 53 service. You'll need cash for the bus.

Ideally you'd have a Leapcard that can bring you the whole way to the airport for 2 Euro via another bus.

The other more convenient option is to take Nolan Coach bus outside the terminal. You can book it online or pay via bank card.

FerryLink Shuttle Bus

Nolan Coaches operate a FerryLink Shuttle Service to and from Dublin Port (Route 853). This Service departs from Dublin Port and Services Connolly Station, Georges Quay, Aston Quay and Heuston Station. On Return to Dublin Port the Pick ups are as follows Heuston Station, Bachelors Walk and...

nolancoaches.ie

 

[Flying Snail]

On arrival there is typically a 15+ min delay for foot passengers as the bus only boards the ship when most of the vehicles have cleared.

It is a long and not very pleasant walk out of the port complex. The closest stop for buses to the Airport is on North Wall Quay outside the 3 Arena

I'd advise just getting the Port to City bus which will be waiting outside the Stena terminal. It is listed as leaving at 12.55 but it generally goes once all the foot passengers have left the terminal and any wanting the bus have boarded.

https://www.stenaline.ie/content/dam/stenaline/en_ie/documents/ports/stena-line-dublin-port-bus-timetable-map.pdf

You can pay on board with contactless.

Get off at Connolly, it is a short walk to the Dublin Express stop at Custom House Quay where both their routes stop

https://www.dublinexpress.ie/media/11174/dublin_express_timetable-july-23.pdf

Or if you want to save some money (Leap card or coin exact fare only) the regular 41 bus departs every 15 minutes from Abbey Street Lower which is also a short walk.

 

[LOSTICLE]

Thank you both so much — hugely appreciated

 

[kevconnor]

From memory, I think it is only the Irish ferries Ulysses from which you can exit via the gangway to the terminal building; all the others require bussing.

I don't know about the experience of others, but I have had some hit-and-miss experiences getting the coach from outside 3 Arena to the airport. I have tried to get it a couple of times from there when I have been to a match at Lansdowne Rd, but for whatever reason, some coaches either don't stop or don't turn up when they are supposed to. I now find it better to go further up North Wall Quay and wait outside either Epic / Jeanie Johnston or Custom House (which Dublin Express stop at).

 

[FormerBritInMe]

From memory, I think it is only the Irish ferries Ulysses from which you can exit via the gangway to the terminal building; all the others require bussing.

On our 2022 trip via Stena we had to make our way down to the vehicle deck (no announcement, we just followed others who had obviously done this before) where there was a bus waiting to take foot passengers off of the ship to the terminal building.

 

[krus_aragon]

From memory, I think it is only the Irish ferries Ulysses from which you can exit via the gangway to the terminal building; all the others require bussing.

I disembarked by foot off the Dublin Swift in Dublin last year: car passengers were called down to their vehicles first as we docked, but they then waited for foot passengers to walk down the road deck doors first.

Embarkation can be done by gangway when leaving too: I've done it with the Dublin Swift and it's predecessor the Johnathan Swift.

Stena seem to only do buses since they got rid of the HSS ferries (which had custom two-level gantries that included a gangway for foot passengers).

 

[kevconnor]

I disembarked by foot off the Dublin Swift in Dublin last year: car passengers were called down to their vehicles first as we docked, but they then waited for foot passengers to walk down the road deck doors first.

Embarkation can be done by gangway when leaving too: I've done it with the Dublin Swift and it's predecessor the Johnathan Swift.

Stena seem to only do buses since they got rid of the HSS ferries (which had custom two-level gantries that included a gangway for foot passengers).

I must be very unlucky then, I was on the Dublin swift twice last year and once in 2021 and each time I was bustituted. In winter i use Stena line more which are alway bustitution.

 

[Flying Snail]

I must be very unlucky then, I was on the Dublin swift twice last year and once in 2021 and each time I was bustituted. In winter i use Stena line more which are alway bustitution.

There are two berths at Dublin T1 that Irish Ferries use. Only the main berth has a passenger gangway and Ulysees always uses that. Swift can use either but overnights on the side berth so the morning departure and evening arrival always require a bus.

The afternoon Swift arrival/departure uses the main berth while Epsilon is on the side berth so it is only these Swift sailings that can use the passenger gangway.

Stena don't have a passenger gangway at their terminal in Dublin.

 

[185143]

There are two berths at Dublin T1 that Irish Ferries use. Only the main berth has a passenger gangway and Ulysees always uses that. Swift can use either but overnights on the side berth so the morning departure and evening arrival always require a bus.

The afternoon Swift arrival/departure uses the main berth while Epsilon is on the side berth so it is only these Swift sailings that can use the passenger gangway.

Stena don't have a passenger gangway at their terminal in Dublin.

Only times I've used a passenger gangway on Stena were at Belfast and Cairnryan.

All other Irish Sea ports have used a bus transfer, including Belfast when heading to/from Birkenhead.

 

[BRX]

Have just noticed this thread - I posted the following on another but it seems relevant here:

It's not easy to work out how to get to the port from dublin city centre. The Irish ferries website suggests you can use a regular dublin bus service (but provides dead links to the information) and then recommends you use an "express shuttle" run by Nolan's Coaches which is what I attempted to do about a week ago. You have to navigate your way through some slightly confusing PDF timetables (different on different dates) and work out where the bus stop is (which is not at the bus station or either of the main reason stations).

On the day I tried this the bus simply didn't show up. Two other people were waiting too - we'd all independently come to the conclusion that this was the right place, and a sign at the bus stop confirmed it. Eventually we had to get a taxi at the last minute and just made the ferry. Because we could split the cost it wasn't too bad but if I'd had to pay the taxi fare myself it would have been going on for half the cost of the whole rail-sail ticket to London.

What was worst about this experience was Irish Ferries complete disinterest when I complained (by email) after the event. All they would say was they don't operate the bus so not their problem. I tried to say that maybe they had some responsibility to check that the info on their website is reliable, and that they would have a bit more leverage than I would in following it up with the coach company. But, no interest, computer says no. It certainly left me with the impression that they are not really bothered about the experience of rail-sail passengers

 

[johnnydoe]

Have just noticed this thread - I posted the following on another but it seems relevant here:

It's not easy to work out how to get to the port from dublin city centre. The Irish ferries website suggests you can use a regular dublin bus service (but provides dead links to the information) and then recommends you use an "express shuttle" run by Nolan's Coaches which is what I attempted to do about a week ago. You have to navigate your way through some slightly confusing PDF timetables (different on different dates) and work out where the bus stop is (which is not at the bus station or either of the main reason stations).

On the day I tried this the bus simply didn't show up. Two other people were waiting too - we'd all independently come to the conclusion that this was the right place, and a sign at the bus stop confirmed it. Eventually we had to get a taxi at the last minute and just made the ferry. Because we could split the cost it wasn't too bad but if I'd had to pay the taxi fare myself it would have been going on for half the cost of the whole rail-sail ticket to London.

What was worst about this experience was Irish Ferries complete disinterest when I complained (by email) after the event. All they would say was they don't operate the bus so not their problem. I tried to say that maybe they had some responsibility to check that the info on their website is reliable, and that they would have a bit more leverage than I would in following it up with the coach company. But, no interest, computer says no. It certainly left me with the impression that they are not really bothered about the experience of rail-sail passengers

You're best to use the TFI Live app to navigate in my opinion. It has all the bus routes and timetables. Google is terrible for public transport.