# Trip to UK and Ireland Aug/Sept 2022



## AmtrakMaineiac (Aug 26, 2022)

Part 1 - the flight and the first day in London

Our trip began as a 2 day drive from our home in Lubec Maine to my son and daughter in law's house near Worcester Massachusetts. The next day we left Worcester on the 2 pm MBTA train 520. As we left the station Amtrak 449 waiting for us to clear the platform. It had a sleeper cafe and at least 2 coaches.

Arrived at South Station only a couple of minutes late. We proceeded to the Silver Line platform to catch the SL1 bus to the airport. It was my first time on this line which is a Bus Rapid Transit link using dual mode buses that run off of overhead through a dedicated tunnel then switch to Diesel power upon reaching the surface. They then use the Ted Williams road tunnel to reach the airport which unfortunately means being stuck in traffic. The trip to terminal E took about an hour but not a problem as we had left plenty of time and arrived at the Delta counter in the prescribed 3 hours before departure.

There was a fairly long line but it moved reasonably quickly and we were through checkin and security in about an hour. We whiled away the time before the flight at a wine bar where we had a drink and a Mediterranean platter to tide us over until dinner on the plane.

Given all the horror stories we were edpecting the worst but the flight went very smoothly. The only unusual part was upon arriving at the gate we did not step into the usual jetway but instead a ramp down to the tarmac where we boarded a bus that took us to the plane. Something I have only experienced before at airports in the UK and in Iceland. Apparently there is a shortage of gates at Logan.

Once aboard our 767 we found the seating reasonably comfortable for coach. The meal was not bad by airline standards. I even managed to doze off for a couple of hours. The only negative was the breakfast with a rather poor excuse for an egg and cheese sandwich. At least they had something resembling English style tea. We landed at Heathrow basically on time, probably the first flight I have ever been on that didn't circle the Staines Reservoirs for an hour before landing.

Once we got off the plane the fun began. After what seemed like 10 miles of corridors we arrived at passport control. The eGates didn't work for either of us. Going through the regular line, my wife got through ok but my officer did not like my newly minted US passport for some reason. After conferring with a supervisor he grudgingly allowed me into the country. Ironic in that I was born there so technically still a British citizen.

By this time of course our bags had been circulating at "reclaim" for a while so we grabbed them and headed for the Picadilly line platform. The Underground is so much easier now that you can use any contactless card to tap in and out. It was nostalgic to ride the 1973 tube stock, the same as on our last UK trip in 2007. We changed at Hammersmith to the District line headed to our hotel at Temple. I love the new S stock on the subsurface lines, comfortable and air conditioned.

Although we were a couple of hours early the reception at Apex Temple Court let us check in. We got packed away. With an afternoon free we walked around a bit then I decided to deal with something that was bugging me. I had bought Rail and Sail tickets from London to Dublin via Holyhead but had never received an email confirmation. I decided to head to Euston to see i I could pick up the tickets.

Once at Euston I tried the ticket machine but I needed a reference number to retrieve and I did not have one. I went to the ticket office but the man there said we are Arriva West Coast and you bought them through Transport for Wakes, not our problem. He at least looked up the contact number for TfW for me.

I forgot to mention that the international plan I had purchased from my phone provider US Cellular did not work on my phone so I had to go back to the hotel where I could text them on WhatsApp over WiFi. Fortunately they were able to find my reference number. After a nice dinner at the hotel restaurant we collapsed into bed and slept for about 12 hours.

Stay tuned for part 2 coming soon.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Aug 26, 2022)

Worcester station the beginning of our adventure.


The interior of the station is impressive.


this wine bar was a comfortable way to wait for our boarding at Logan.


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## Bob Dylan (Aug 26, 2022)

Nice trip, thanks for sharing! I look forward to yalls further Adventures in the Isles!

And you're comment about the New Passport is interesting.

My Late Wife, a Canadian, had Permanent Residdnt Staus here,( aka Green Card) and as a Canadian Citizen still had her Passport, which she had just renewed for our last trip to the Frozen North before her passing.

The less than Friendly Agent @ Pearson looked @ her Green Card and said do you have a Passport? 

She showed him her newly issued Canadian Passport and he asked why it was necessary to have one if she was living in the US as a Permanent Resident?

She then told him she was proud of her Canadian Citizenship, and that at the time the US didn't allow Dual Citizenship for Canadians!(but Canada did allow Dual Citizenship!!!)


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## mcropod (Aug 26, 2022)

I'll be keen to follow your travels - thankyou for posting!


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## Mystic River Dragon (Aug 26, 2022)

Very enjoyable start—looking forward to the rest!

I love it when hotels let you check in early—so nice to be able to relax right away.

Or, in your case, put your bags down and then go out and run a ton of errands! I admire your energy!


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## JontyMort (Aug 26, 2022)

AmtrakMaineiac said:


> Part 1 - the flight and the first day in London
> 
> Our trip began as a 2 day drive from our home in Lubec Maine to my son and daughter in law's house near Worcester Massachusetts. The next day we left Worcester on the 2 pm MBTA train 520. As we left the station Amtrak 449 waiting for us to clear the platform. It had a sleeper cafe and at least 2 coaches.
> 
> ...


Nice account. If the pandemic had not intervened we would have stayed in Lubec ME last September. Another time, though - it’s on my proposed eccentric route from Boston to Prince Edward Island via Campobello and two ferries.
You’re right about the new S-stock on the sub-surface lines. The full-width gangways and air-con make a huge difference.


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## Palmland (Aug 26, 2022)

Interesting report, thanks. My wife and I are considering a trip to Ireland/Wales and this gives us lots of ideas. This would be new territory for us so appreciate the travel details. We generally rely on travel books like Rick Steve’s’ but like hearing from someone who enjoys the train/ferry part of the trip too.


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## UserNameRequired (Aug 27, 2022)

Bob Dylan said:


> Nice trip, thanks for sharing! I look forward to yalls further Adventures in the Isles!
> 
> And you're comment about the New Passport is interesting.
> 
> …


I hadn‘t heard of that either! I just renewed mine in late 2020 so I may end up having one of the last of the old design.





Next Generation Passport







travel.state.gov


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Aug 29, 2022)

I'm getting a bit behind here. I finally finished Day 1 of the trip! 

Part 2 - first day in London

We had decided for our first day to see the Old Bailey in the morning then go to Selfridges. My wife as a former trained court reporter has always been fascinated by courtroom trials so we hoped to be able to sit in on one. Our hotel is only a few blocks from the Central Criminal Courts. After an abortive attempt we finally found the entrance to line up for the visitor's gallery. We ended up viewing a trial where a member of a gang had stabbed a rival and they were trying to determine if it was self defense or a deliberate killing. The defendant was on the stand being questioned by the prosecutor then by his counsel. It was pretty much like anything you have seen on TV with counsel and judge wearing wigs. One interesting thing they do in the UK is the jury are allowed to submit questions to clarify things in the testimony. This resulted in an objection by a defense counsel as he thought some of the questions went too far so they had to dismiss the jury to discuss it.

We left at the lunch break and headed to Euston to see if I could now buy my tickets now that I had the reference. Off to the Underground this time the Northern Line. The Underground is so convenient and so frequent, most times we only had to wait no more than 4 minutes for a train. There is a lot of walking up and down stairs especially going between lines. My wife had twisted her ankle back at home so she had to take it slowly. We were able to find a store that sold a collapsible cane which helped a lot. It also caused people on the Underground to give up their seat for her. I was touched how many times that happened, not something I would have expected in Boston. 

Well the ticket purchase was successful. So back on the Underground, this time the Northern and Central line to Selfridges. We had always wanted to see this store after watching the "Mr Selfridge" series on PBS. Oxford street and the store were jammed with people. I have never seen anything like it. It was a Bank Holiday weekend and the weather was good maybe that's why. 

We didn't do much shopping but ended up at a nice restaurant with big windows looking out over Oxford St. We shared a scallop appetizer then both had prawn curry. Back to the hotel this time via the Jubilee Line where I got to check out the platform edge doors at embankment station, being the first stop on the Jubilee Line Extension.


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## JontyMort (Aug 29, 2022)

AmtrakMaineiac said:


> I'm getting a bit behind here. I finally finished Day 1 of the trip!
> 
> Part 2 - first day in London
> 
> ...


Glad you got the tickets sorted. The August Bank Holiday in England and Wales (Scotland sticks to the first weekend in August, as the schools have already gone back there) is a bitter-sweet affair, with definite shades of the prison-house in the shape of back to school (or work). I suppose Labor Day is similar in the US. The weather this weekend has been unusually pleasant, as you say.

You’re quite right to do everything on foot or by public transport. It’s the only way to see cities - even if my wife is generally cursing me by the end of each day.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Aug 29, 2022)

Part 3 - Day 2 Saturday

Our itinerary for our 2nd day in London was the Tower of London, church in the evening followed by dinner at a nearby Indian restaurant. After breakfast we headed out to Fleet Street to catch the #15 bus which went right by Tower Hill. We went up to the top deck of course for the view. The buses all have announcements and displays so you know when to get off. Getting down the stairs while the bus is moving can be tricky though. 

We were a little early so waited in the small queue for the ticket office to open which it did promptly at 9 AM. We first headed for the crown jewels which is well worth seeing. My one regret is that I didn't take the time to watch some of the informative videos such as one on the coronation ceremony which explained how and when all of the crowns, scepters, etc. are used. There is lots of explanatory text also. There are some famous huge gems such as the Koh I Noor diamond as part of some of the crowns. Afterwards we walked around a bit and saw the ravens which are very tame, although one is advised not to try to pet them as they can bite. I thought of going on one of the warden tours but my wife's knee was bothering her so we ended up cutting the visit short. 

We had some time on our hands as I had expected the Tower to take most of the day. We decided to take a boat ride down to Westminster which turned out to be a good choice. The City Cruises boats have an open upper deck and a great commentary pointing out various landmarks. When we got to Westminster the area was jammed with people. Given that we weren't up to walking around much we decided just to go back to the hotel and have a drink and a snack to tide us over since we were planning a late dinner. A couple of stops on the District line and we were back at the hotel. Afterwards we changed and headed for Mass which was at 6 pm at a church near Picadilly Circus. This gave me the opportunity to ride the Bakerloo line which has the oldest trains (from 1972) on the Underground and which sound like the old trains I remember from my youth. After Mass we headed back to the hotel, changed and headed to the restaurant which was only 2 blocks from our hotel. 

The Indian restaurant was okay. One thing different from ours in the US is that they had an extensive wine list. The Lamb Korma had nice lamb but the sauce was much sweeter than I expected. Perhaps a difference in tastes between the US and the UK. Afterward we headed back to the hotel for a welcome night's sleep.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Aug 29, 2022)

At the Tower, the building containing the crown jewels.No pictures allowed inside unfortunately.



View of the Houses of Parliament and the clock which is officially named the Elizabeth Tower. Big Ben is the name of the bell that is used to strike the hours.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Sep 4, 2022)

Part 4 - Side Trip to Essex

The next day which was Sunday we had planned to meet up with my cousins at Benfleet in Essex where I lived until age 7 when we emigrated to Canada. For this we took the train called the C2C which operates the London Tilbury and Southend line. Normally trains run from Fenchurch St. Station near the Tower of London but this weekend due to engineering work they were operating out of Liverpool St. via Stratford and Westboune Park to Barking where they pick up the usual route via Basildon. I was looking forward to this ride as I hadn't been on the C2C since the days of ancient slam door EMUs plus had never ridden this diversionary route. We hopped on the Circle Line to Liverpool St. and bought 2 return tickets for Benfleet. The class 357s were fast and comfortable although seat legroom a little cramped for a six footer like me. We arrived at Benfleet on time and my cousins pulled up a few minutes later. 

One of my cousins had made lunch reservations at a place in Leigh on Sea on the water and we had some time to kill so we had a look around Benfleet walking by the house I had lived in 65 years ago which was still there. We also walked around the churchyard for St. Mary's church nearby which was started by the Saxons in 997 so over a thousand years old. Afterwards we got in the car and drove over to Canvey Island which is in the Thames Estuary off of Benfleet and looked around there. I had gone to school there for a couple of years. It had seen a lot of new development over the years.

We then went to my cousin's house in nearby Hadleigh and picked up her husband and her mother who was recuperating there from an operation. We then headed off in 2 cars to the restaurant in Leigh on Sea which is near the seaside resort of Southend. There we had what was either a late lunch or early dinner and got caught up as we had not seen each other for over 15 years.

After lunch we went back to my cousin's house and had tea and talked for a while but it was getting late so they drove us to Benfleet station and we got the train back to London and the Underground back to our hotel.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Sep 4, 2022)

At Liverpool Street Station a new Elizabeth Line train to Shenfield on the next track.


Arriving at Benfleet Station in the C2C



The house we lived in before we emigrated, on the right.



Hadleigh Castle a 12th Century Castle from where you get a great view of the Thames Estuary


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## jiml (Sep 4, 2022)

Great report and pics. Keep it coming.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Sep 4, 2022)

Day 5 Monday

We hadn't had anything definite planned for this day initially but had the idea of going out to Kew Gardens since the weather was nice. This involved a long ride on the District Line toward Richmond where Kew is the next to last stop. The last bit of the route is also used by Overground trains which run off the same third rail but don't use the Undergrounds fourth rail. There is about a 10 minute walk to the gardens through what is obviously a posh part of London and from looking at realtor ads appeared to have prices up to a million pounds. The gardens themselves are huge but fortunately there is a sort of train on rubber tires that takes you around the circumference. We rode around on that to get a view of what was to offer. There were several large glass houses with special displays such as tropical plants and temperate plants. The variety of plants is astounding.


We stopped and had a cuppa and a bite to eat at a cafe on the premises then looked around some more. By mid-afternoon our feet were tired so we headed back to the Underground then drinks and dinner at the hotel. Tomorrow Tuesday we were heading out to stay with my cousin Jeremy and his wife in Ely near Cambridge so a big travel day.


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## MARC Rider (Sep 4, 2022)

AmtrakMaineiac said:


> It also caused people on the Underground to give up their seat for her. I was touched how many times that happened, not something I would have expected in Boston.


Actually during our trip on the Silver Line last July, someone gave up a seat for my wife. And then a little later, on the Logan terminal shuttle, someone gave up their seat to me!


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## v v (Sep 4, 2022)

AmtrakMaineiac said:


> Part 4 - Side Trip to Essex
> 
> The next day which was Sunday we had planned to meet up with my cousins at Benfleet in Essex where I lived until age 7 when we emigrated to Canada. For this we took the train called the C2C which operates the London Tilbury and Southend line. Normally trains run from Fenchurch St. Station near the Tower of London but this weekend due to engineering work they were operating out of Liverpool St. via Stratford and Westboune Park to Barking where they pick up the usual route via Basildon. I was looking forward to this ride as I hadn't been on the C2C since the days of ancient slam door EMUs plus had never ridden this diversionary route. We hopped on the Circle Line to Liverpool St. and bought 2 return tickets for Benfleet. The class 357s were fast and comfortable although seat legroom a little cramped for a six footer like me. We arrived at Benfleet on time and my cousins pulled up a few minutes later.
> 
> ...



Rosie lived on Canvey Island for 3 years, it's where we met. I found Canvey had a small community feel about it, most people looking out for each other, a nice place to live.

Enjoying your travelogue a lot, interesting to see places that we're very familiar with through others eyes.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Sep 5, 2022)

Day 6 Tuesday 30 August

Our travel day to Ely in Cambridgeshire. The direct trains to Ely run out of Kings Cross so we headed there, deciding to splurge on a taxi rather than shlep heavy bags through the Underground. Arriving at Kings Cross, the train we originally planned to take had been cut back to Cambridge North. It was a little confusing as the announcement still had it calling at Ely. Checking with staff we found that it was indeed ending at Cambridge North due to a shortage of drivers. No matter, there was another train in about 20 minutes to Kings Lynn which called at Ely. We boarded this which was a Great Northern class 387 and fairly sparsely loaded. It was a good fast run, nonstop as far as Cambridge.


We arrived at Ely on time where we were met by my Cousin and his wife. They took us to their house which is actually in a village outside of the town surrounded by fields in what is a very agricultural area, dead flat with the tower of the medieval cathedral of Ely dominating the landscape for miles.

We didn't do much the rest of the day just getting caught up as we hadn't seen each other since they had visited us in 2007. We did take a walk with their dog along the river in Ely a very pleasant area with pubs and cafes along the river and many of the long narrow canal boats moored along it. We went home had dinner and got our clothes sorted out for our 3 day journey to Crich and Whitby the next day.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Sep 7, 2022)

Wednesday 31 August


The next morning we drove to Crich near Nottingham more or less in the center of the country about a 2 1/2 hour drive partly on the M1 which is Britain's main North South highway, sort of its Interstate 95. The National Tramway Museum there is very impressive and well maintained. They had been closed earlier in the year as there were some overhead poles that needed to be replaced but were now up and running. This day they had 3 trams, a double decker from London, another older Glasgow double decker with partially open decks on the top level, and a Blackpool "boat" tram. We rode all 3 and especially liked the Glasgow where we skipped a ride so we could be first in the queue and get the coveted front balcony seats



As an operator at Seashore in Maine I got to talking to the crew and they even had me be conductor at the end of the line and change ends on the pole.

They also have many teams on exhibit about 50 total mostly British but some European and at least one from South Africa. They also have a 3rd Avenue car which came via Vienna.

That night we stayed at a nearby Premier Inn which is a budget hotel chain in the UK spartan but clean. They had an adjacent restaurant where we had a nice dinner plus breakfast the following morning.

The next day we were off to Whitby Yorkshire on the North Sea coast. We could have stopped at the North York Moors Railway but I had been there before and didn't want our trip to be all about trains so we skipped it this time.

The town of Whitby is impressive with its Abbey ruins in the top of the hill and its picturesque harbor.


We walked around the town window shopping. My wife was interested in the Whitby Jet which is a black stone used to make jewelry. She found a nice pair. I bought a reproduction of an old railway poster advertising the town as a getaway destination. We also stopped at a pub and had a drink. I'm not a big beer drinker but tried the local brown ale which was pretty good. 

We had dinner at a nearby restaurant that specialized in fish and chips then overnighted at the Royal Hotel which was as big old fashioned hotel overlooking the beach and harbor. 

The next morning after breakfast we headed home along the coast, stopping at Robin Hood's Bay which is a picturesque village with a very steep road down to its harbor. The view from the top is quite spectacular. I took some pictures but they don't really do it justice.


We then left for the long drive home. That evening we went out to a Mexican restaurant where we met up with my cousin's son and his girlfriend who are restoring a 200 year old house in the town. We had an interesting talk asy wife and I had both worked on fixing up old houses in our younger days.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Sep 7, 2022)

The next day we were headed to Rayleigh in Essex to meet some relatives I had never met before, children of my biological father with his second wife, two half brothers and their children. That involved travelling to Liverpool St which does not have a direct train. So we took the East Anglia service to Cambridge North, changing there for Liverpool St where we caught a Southend Victoria train as far as Rayleigh. The first 2 trains were very crowded I think mostly because of a football match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Rayleigh train was pretty lightly loaded though and was interesting to speed through the East of London suburbs past the new Elizabeth Line trains as far as Shenfield. 


We took a local bus to our hotel another Premier Inn. 

The next morning was Sunday so we went to church in Rayleigh then back to the hotel where my relatives picked us up and took us to their house where we had dinner. We all got along really well and got to know each other better. 

The next day was back to London to see my sister and her family who live in London, and to prepare for the next leg of the trip, to Ireland.


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## v v (Sep 7, 2022)

AmtrakMaineiac said:


> We all got along really well and got to know each other better.



Very pleased for you, what a good outcome. 

We know Rayleigh well and even now we visit frequently, in fact I'll be there this coming Friday. Rayleigh has a lot of positives that are not obvious if you don't live or work there.


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## JontyMort (Sep 7, 2022)

AmtrakMaineiac said:


> Wednesday 31 August
> 
> 
> The next morning we drove to Crich near Nottingham more or less in the center of the country about a 2 1/2 hour drive partly on the M1 which is Britain's main North South highway, sort of its Interstate 95. The National Tramway Museum there is very impressive and well maintained. They had been closed earlier in the year as there were some overhead poles that needed to be replaced but were now up and running. This day they had 3 trams, a double decker from London, another older Glasgow double decker with partially open decks on the top level, and a Blackpool "boat" tram. We rode all 3 and especially liked the Glasgow where we skipped a ride so we could be first in the queue and get the coveted front balcony seats
> ...


Coincidentally, we’re on holiday in the area at this very moment, and were in Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay on Monday. First time for me at both, and very impressed. We haven’t done the North York Moors Railway yet but will visit. My wife is controlling her <cough> excitement. They have just started steam runs again - suspended this August, because of the fire risk.


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## Mystic River Dragon (Sep 7, 2022)

I am loving your report

I’m so very glad you were able to visit with your relatives—most important part of the trip.

My mother was English, and I have always regretted losing track of her relatives and friends over there.


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## kitkat94 (Sep 8, 2022)

It sounds like you’re having a wonderful trip.

Thank you for mentioning The National Tramway Museum - it has reminded me of my visit there many, many years ago with my grandfather who lived in Nottingham at the time.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Sep 8, 2022)

Tuesday 6 September

This was the big day of our trip to Ireland via train and ferry. I discovered the day before that the rail timetable had changed and now required a change of trains at Crewe resulting in a later arrival at Holyhead with only 20 minutes to catch the ferry. With fingers crossed we checked out of the hotel and headed for Euston where things seemed to be running ok at least for operator Avanti West Coast.

Our 0910 train was actually headed for Edinburgh with Crewe as the first stop. We boarded carriage B toward the front and found that our seat reservation was already occupied by someone whose ticket also showed the same numbers. We took another pair of seats hoping no one would show up to claim them as the train was not totally full. We lucked out, perhaps the seats had been reserved by someone further down the line. Train departed on time and the ride was very smooth. Like the Acela they seem to use active tilting to allow them to speed through curves.

We arrived Crewe in time and had almost an hour for the Holyhead connection. The connection is across platform (6 to 11) so is fairly convenient even with luggage. Our 5 car DMU set pulled up and we departed on time.


As you can see the train was only sparsely occupied and most of the people had gotten off by Bangor leaving just a few for the ferry connection.

The ride to Holyhead is very scenic along the North Wales coast. I missed seeing the sign for the station with the longest name in Britain, usually abbreviated Llanfair P. G.

At Holyhead things were a bit confusing due to construction; fortunately there were several that had done it before we could follow. Got to the Irish Ferries desk to find they had closed ( you have to be there 30 minutes before departure) and directed us to Stena. The lady at Stena had no problem in booking us on their sailing which was in about an hour, and accepted our RailSail tickets. We checked in our luggage then waited in the lounge for departure.

Upon departing you board a bus that takes you out to the ship and actually drives on board along with many tractor trailers making the crossing. There you unload and go up the stairs to the passenger areas.

The ferry was well equipped with a lounge where you can buy food and drink, another area where people were watching a football match, and a game room. You can also rent cabins for the 3+ hour voyage. We first went up on deck to get one last look at Britain as we departed.



The ride wasn't bad as the Irish Sea was fairly calm that day, the sun even peeking out a few times. We arrived at Dublin port on time at 1800. The disembarking was a little confusing as initially they never said where to go. Fortunately again there were those that had "been there done that" and knew to go to deck 5 where a bus would pull up and take us off the boat. The bus arrived and took us to the ferry building where we had our passports checked and stamped then picked up our luggage from a carousel like at the airport.

I was expecting taxis outside but there were none. The Stena people advised us that it was hard to get a taxi here, best bet was to wait for the Nolan bus that would take you to Connolly station and get one from there. While we were waiting for the bus, I saw two English men getting into a taxi they had likely called for ahead of time. I asked them if it was ok to share the cab and they agreed. We went off on a somewhat breakneck ride into the city. The two gentlemen were there for a short trip to sample the pub life in Dublin before returning home and had obviously done this a few times.

Once we pulled up to our hotel I tried paying for the fare with my card but the driver wouldn't accept it. I was not expecting this since all the cabs in London had had no issues doing card payments. The two gentlemen said no problem it's in us, you can pay us back if we ever meet in the US. I thanked them profusely and we headed for the hotel.

We had booked the Gresham on O'Connell st not far from the spire and the historic GPO, now owned by the Spanish RIU chain. It seemed to us the nicest of all the hotels we had stayed in so far. We ended up having dinner at the hotel and settled in for the night.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Sep 8, 2022)

Wednesday 7 September - first day in Ireland

We didn't have too much planned. After breakfast we took a walk around and did some shopping in particular for my son's upcoming birthday. 

My wife wanted to rest a while so I walked over to the nearby Post Office the site of the 1916 Rising that put in motion what eventually became independence from Britain.



I visited the little museum there that tells of the events leading to the Rising and the subsequent independence movement. 

After a bite to eat including a wonderful cheese plate we took one of the hop on hop off bus tours to get an overview of the city. This took us around Trinity College, St. Stephen's Green and many public buildings, then west past the Guiness brewery and a large park Northwest of the city.

We ended up having dinner at the hotel restaurant again.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Sep 9, 2022)

Thursday 8 September

This was the day of our trip to Galway and the Aran Islands. We had a leisurely morning as our train did not leave until 1325. After getting our luggage sorted out, we left one large suitcase with the hotel until our return just taking a small case with us. We headed for the LUAS tram stop at Abbey Road to take us to Heuston Station.




They have 2 methods of payment. You can buy a LEAP card which can be used on the trams and buses as well as the DART suburban trains, but since we were only taking a couple of trips we elected to just buy tickets at the machines located at the stops.

The tram is fast and comfortable and soon brought us to Heuston the main station for trains to the west and southwest including Galway and Cork.




There were plenty of places to grab a bite to eat inside while we waited. My wife got a slice of pizza whereas I having partaken of the breakfast buffet at the hotel just settled for tea



Once our train platform was announced we proceeded to board. It was a 7 car set of the Hyundai Rotem 22000 series DMUs that handle much of Iarnrod Eireann's services.



The initial part of the trip through suburban Dublin is on a 4 track section where we got up to 97 mph according to my phone speedometer program. After the first stop at Portarlington the line goes to single track with passing sidings at most stations. We passed a couple of freight trains all with containerized cargoes. The track seemed smooth and well maintained.

Arrival at Galway Ceannt Station was on time at 1545. Our hotel the Victoria was just a couple of blocks away. I thought of exploring the town a little but a sudden downpour dampened that idea and we settled for some drinks from the hotel bar followed by dinner. We have a long day planned the next day, a trip to the Aran Islands and the Cliffs of Moher.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Sep 10, 2022)

Friday 9 September

A couple of things I forgot to mention on yesterday's report. The scenery after leaving the Dublin area was mostly rural with fields fenced with stone walls, mostly sheep or cattle grazing especially as we got further west. The grass seemed to get greener the further we went.

At dinner we saw the news that Queen Elizabeth had died and Charles was now king. As someone born in the UK and as the only monarch I had ever known I found her passing sad although not unexpected. She was such a symbol of stability.

Friday after breakfast we headed across the street for our coach to the Moher and Aran Islands tour. The coach took us on a narrated scenic ride to the coastal town of Doolin where we boarded a ferry to Inisheer the smaller and closer of the Aran Islands. From the boat you could see the cliffs from a distance but we were to get a better view on the trip back.

At Inisheer we decided to take a ride on a horse drawn cart around the island. There is a small town at the ferry dock with a hotel and a few businesses selling food and crafts. Much of the island was fields separated with stone walls where cattle and sheep grazed. The Irish language was evident and is still used by some of the residents. After our tour we stopped at the hotel where we had just enough time for a bite to eat before the return trip.



On return to Doolin the boat went along the cliffs so we could get a good sense of their massiveness. The underlying rock is limestone which gets eroded by the sea so the cliffs are constantly breaking off into the ocean.



Back at Doolin we had a short coach ride to the top of the cliffs where we had a panoramic view. There was also a visitor center where you could learn about the cliffs and the flora and fauna native to the area. Also a restaurant and gift shop.



After about an hour at the cliff top, we headed back to Galway which was about an hour and a half trip on a very winding road through the mountains.

Back in Galway we decided to go to a different place for dinner and found a nice restaurant in a nearby hotel.

The next day after breakfast we headed back to Dublin on the train. So far I have been very impressed by Irish Rail. All the trains were comfortable and ran on time. I wish the British trains were as well run. Our 930 departure was fairly full. Many American tourists including a couple from Iowa on their honeymoon.

We checked into our hotel and had lunch, then headed to an early mass at a church near St. Stephen's Green which was easily accessible via the Green Line tram. The church inside was very impressive.


After church we went back to the hotel for drinks and a nice dinner. This weekend there was a Garth Brooks concert and the streets were packed including vendors selling cowboy hats. Also explains why the hotel was hard to get for Saturday night. Apparently US Country music is very popular in Ireland.


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## JontyMort (Sep 10, 2022)

AmtrakMaineiac said:


> Friday 9 September
> 
> A couple of things I forgot to mention on yesterday's report. The scenery after leaving the Dublin area was mostly rural with fields fenced with stone walls, mostly sheep or cattle grazing especially as we got further west. The grass seemed to get greener the further we went.


As they often say, it‘s green for a reason - generally the export of weather from North America .


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Sep 11, 2022)

Sunday 11 September

Well it is the day of our departure back to the US. I am writing this in the hotel at 6 AM. Shortly we will be going to breakfast then checking out and waiting for our bus to the airport which conveniently stops across the street from the Gresham Hotel. 

Reflecting on our trip, there is much to unpack yet. We only got a brief look at Ireland, I could see spending more time here in future. Apart from visiting relatives I had not seen for a long time which was the high point of the trip, it is hard to pick any one thing that stands out, I enjoyed all the things we did. 

From the standpoint of a rail enthusiast I was impressed by the system here in Ireland, a little less impressed by that in the UK which although light years ahead of what we have in the US, seems to suffer from the fragmentation due to privatization. There is also the undercurrent of labor issues brought on partly by the pandemic and the subsequent economic issues affecting countries globally, as well as politics. At least the system was resilient enough that even when we had to make last minute changes due to cancellations there were alternatives available so our trip was not significantly affected.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Sep 12, 2022)

An epilogue to our trip.

Just to report on our trip home. The Aircoach arrived on time at the stop across from our hotel on O'Connell St. It was almost full and we had to grab separate seats. The trip only took a half hour and got us to the airport at 9:45 in plenty of time for our 1pm departure. We first dropped our bags at the Delta counter and got our boarding passes then proceeded to the security check which was a little more lenient than TSA - no shoe removal, just a simple metal detector instead of the full body scanners. A sign said 10 minutes for USA preclearance so we figured with 2 hours before wheels up we had plenty of time so grabbed something to eat.

The walk to preclearance involves running the gauntlet of a number of shops selling perfume, chocolate, etc. I had 10 Euros left over so I picked up some Irish chocolate to bring home. Turned out that 10 minutes was wildly optimistic We arrived at preclearance to see a huge line snaking around the building. It took about an hour to go through the 2 step process, first a boarding pass scan them down an escalator to a passport check by CBP, then a mini security check where they check the things that the US is more stringent about i.e. shoes, liquids, and electronics, and scan your carry ons again. The last part didn't take long and there were no body scans or metal detectors.

By the time we got to the gate they were already starting to board Delta One and priority passengers. We finally boarded and it looked like an on time departure but we were held at the gate for about an hour, no reason given, I assume airport congestion as there were a lot of flights departing about the same time.

The flight overall was pretty comfortable. We were served a hot lunch, I had chicken with some sort of cheesy rice thing and my wife had ravioli which she thought was pretty good. About an hour before arrival in Boston they served a snack which was either a feta cheese pastry or a chicken spring roll. I got the latter thinking it would be small like the spring roll you get at a Chinese restaurant but it ended up being bigger more like a burrito. We also got a glass of white wine which was complementary. We landed in Boston only about 15 minutes late in spite of our late departure so I assume they build some padding into the schedule.

I had arranged a shared van service with Knight since it being Sunday the trains to Worcester only run every 2 hours and I figured traffic would be light on a Sunday. Turns out that due to a lot of other travellers also arriving Sunday afternoon plus the closure of the Sumner Tunnel things were very congested. To add to that, Knight assumed our pickup was at terminal E the usual one for international flights whereas due to preclearance we arrived at terminal A. A phone call got that straightened out and eventually the van showed up with a very apologetic driver. He than had to go back to terminal E to pick up another couple then we finally got through the congestion and into the Ted Williams Tunnel. Once through the tunnel traffic eased up and we made it to Leicester around 6:30pm.

I suppose in retrospect the train might have been as fast if we had made it to South Station in time for the 5:00 pm train, but with our slightly late arrival and all the traffic congestion I don't know if the Silver line would have made it to South Station on time and the next train wasn't until 7 pm.

That evening we went out to dinner with my son and daughter in law to a nearby Spanish restaurant which was good for me as I was still somewhat full from the plane and you could get Tapas which are small plates you can share. We got caught up and told a little about our trip, much more to come later.

I guess that concludes my trip report unless I think of some things I missed.


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## jiml (Sep 12, 2022)

Great report; thanks for sharing. Glad you're back home with minimal delays or disruptions in these strange travel times. I'm still working through our Euro trip for later this year and have noted several points you made, especially regarding British rail travel. That still sounds easier than the airline hassles. There doesn't seem to be a day goes by without some change to our booked flights.


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## JontyMort (Sep 12, 2022)

jiml said:


> Great report; thanks for sharing. Glad you're back home with minimal delays or disruptions in these strange travel times. I'm still working through our Euro trip for later this year and have noted several points you made, especially regarding British rail travel. That still sounds easier than the airline hassles. There doesn't seem to be a day goes by without some change to our booked flights.


I too have enjoyed AM’s take on things. If you need any rail-related advice on your forthcoming trip there’s a few of us who will be glad to assist.


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## v v (Sep 12, 2022)

JontyMort said:


> I to have enjoyed AM’s take on things. If you need any rail-related advice on your forthcoming trip there’s a few of us who will be glad to assist.



Agree completely


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## v v (Sep 12, 2022)

jiml said:


> Great report; thanks for sharing. Glad you're back home with minimal delays or disruptions in these strange travel times. I'm still working through our Euro trip for later this year and have noted several points you made, especially regarding British rail travel. That still sounds easier than the airline hassles. There doesn't seem to be a day goes by without some change to our booked flights.



Since early July until last weekend I and we have travelled into the UK by varying means.

Car from France via Eurotunnel both ways, faultless.

By camper from France via Germany and Holland using the Stena ferry from the Hook of Holland to Harwich, very efficient and enjoyable.
Return to France by Eurostar to Paris Nord then to Moulins by SNCF. Multi trains cancelled at St Pancras and staff and station didn't cope very well. They tried but they were overwhelmed. SNCF sections just very busy, it was August.

Travel by Greater Anglia train from Brentwood to Colchester and return was excellent except the outbound train had a problem with it's camera and 3 smaller stations cameras? so couldn't stop at 3 scheduled stations, mine was one of them. Station staff at Shenfield superb and went out of their way to get all the detail of the next guaranteed stop at Marks Tey and came back along the station to confirm all detail.

Flying with RyanAir from Limoges into Stansted, 'nuff said. Problem of delays with the airline in both directions, complete lack of communications with passengers, the word 'customer' doesn't exist in the RyanAir dictionary. Although flights if you take no bags at all and don't want an allocated seat are very cheap.

Transport by bus and train to and from Stansted worked very well, good modern equipment even if the stations are clunky to use they are Victorian and have character.

In general travel is more of a challenge now compared to 3 years ago but all still very do-able if you have a sense of humour (I lost my humour with RyanAir years ago, can you tell?).


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## jiml (Sep 13, 2022)

JontyMort said:


> I too have enjoyed AM’s take on things. If you need any rail-related advice on your forthcoming trip there’s a few of us who will be glad to assist.


Thanks for the offer. I'm just returning home from California and may contact you later today to see if there's anything I've missed in my plan.


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## crescent2 (Sep 13, 2022)

I very much enjoyed your trip reports!

I've made two short visits to London and one to Wales. I'd still love to see Ireland as some of my ancestors were from Ireland. The highlights in London were the Tower and Crown Jewels, some activities at Buckingham, and a visit to Selfridges. We did not ride the trains in either visit.

I'm sad about the Queen's death; I was hoping she would make it to 100. Greatly admire the lady and most of her family. I think King Charles may surprise people in a good way; at least I hope so.

Thanks for sharing your adventures.


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## mcropod (Sep 14, 2022)

Thankyou indeed for the trip report. I was especially interested in the Irish trains and routes - I've not been there but I've heard favourable things about them. I'm glad you made a safe return, I'd not want to be caught up in the travel mess that is England right now - I'd not even exchange for elsewhere in the Untied Kingdom until they have an Independent Scotland!


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