FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Planes, boats and trains? Netherlands, England and Ireland
Old Mar 14, 2007, 10:23 pm
  #2  
schmare
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Austin
Programs: CO-Plat, DL-Gold
Posts: 518
Originally Posted by Lornag


1. Was thinking of the ferry from Holland to England. Then trains within England and then a ferry over to Ireland. Is this completely unrealistic?.
Nope - not at all unrealistic - ferries can be a great (albeit slow) way to travel. You should look at the prices for cabins on the ferry, as I would imagine a long trip with a small child might be easier if you have some private space to retreat to. Ferry tickets can include the train from Amsterdam to Hoek van Holland, the ferry, then the train from Harwich to London, so it's very easy to make the connections.

Originally Posted by Lornag
2. Are there any ways of getting "passes" to allow us to do all this with some flexibility?.
This combination of countries doesn't work well with railpasses, as there's no single pass that covers Holland, England, and Ireland. There's a Britrail pass, or Britrail + Ireland, or Benelux, France, and Ireland, but nothing that exactly works for your countries. My guess is that it will be cheapest just to buy individual tickets.

Originally Posted by Lornag
3. Any recommendations on great places to go in Ireland would be welcome, along with accomodations etc. Our budget is not super cheap, but I recognize these places are pricey.
Personally, I'd suggest the West Coast - possibly the Ring of Kerry and Galway or something like that. It's a good mix of beautiful scenery and charming small towns. If you do end up wanting to go to Western Ireland, you may want to nix the second ferry and fly from England to Kerry, Shannon, or Galway.

Enjoy your trip!
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