Despite arriving in the Irish capital before 6am, the coach offers a generous luggage allowance and spacious seats
When Anthony Bourdain said, “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable…” I doubt he was talking about the overnight Bus Éireann from Birmingham to Dublin, but it would have been fitting.
Wandering through the throngs of Christmas shoppers between Birmingham’s New Street station and Digbeth Coach Station, the absurdity of the journey ahead was not lost on me.
With budget airlines offering flights between Birmingham and Dublin for less than £20 one-way, and arriving in under an hour, why on earth would anyone choose to spend more than nine hours making that journey in varying degrees of discomfort?
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An excellent question. However, there is a market for no-fly coach travel between England and Dublin, whether it’s to be more sustainable, because of a fear of flights, or simply wanting to bring more luggage than is financially viable on no-frills airlines. Living in the Midlands, a no-fly European city break often means first heading south to London to catch the Eurostar across the Channel – both time-consuming and expensive.
However, demand ensures that Bus Éireann’s bi-weekly service runs consistently. “Over the past year, we have seen steady growth in demand for our services, reflecting a strong and continuing appetite for affordable, reliable international travel by coach,” said Alan Brennan, head of Eurolines (which runs this cross-border route for Bus Éireann).
While my journey took me directly from Birmingham to Dublin, via the Holyhead ferry, the route originates at London’s Victoria Coach Station, with a journey time of 12 hours and 30 minutes. Tickets can be booked directly through Bus Éireann or via FlixBus or National Express, which offer routes from Manchester that connect with the London-Dublin service at Cheshire Oaks.
A hold bag is included in the price of a ticket
With prices from Birmingham to Dublin starting at €42 one-way or €74 return, it’s cost-effective – the first hold bag is free, and you canbring on board the equivalent of a cabin bag at no extra cost. With no-frills airlines charging anywhere between €9.49 to €44.99 each way for 10kg of hold luggage, if you’re not travelling light, the overnight coach could be an ideal solution.
Stepping on board felt like being transported into a Tron film or an early-2000s nightclub. The interior was completely dark except for bright blue trim lighting along the ceiling, floors and power outlets – I didn’t know whether to try and sleep or down a bottle of WKD.
To my surprise, though, the seats were plush, comfortable and reclined slightly. Overall, much nicer than I’ve had on many long-haul flights.
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We were due to depart Birmingham at 9pm and arrive in Dublin city centre bright and early at 6.30am. However, Irish Sea conditions don’t always follow a schedule. A text from Irish Ferries announced the sailing was being brought forward an hour for “operational reasons”. While our non-plussed driver assured us we’d get there in plenty of time, I wasn’t particularly keen on the idea of arriving in Dublin at 5.30am on a Sunday.
Settling into my seat, I was pleased to see a half-full bus, meaning two seats to myself. Headphones and a hastily packed blanket on, I drifted off somewhere in Cheshire.
Nevertheless, my semi-comfortable sleep was rudely awoken at Holyhead, where we had to disembark and show our passports before staggering back onto the coach to board the ferry.
I rudely awoken at Holyhead, where we had to disembark and show our passports before staggering back onto the coach to board the MV Ulysses, run by Irish Ferries.
The coach crosses the Irish Sea aboard MV Ulysses (Photo: Irish Ferries)
With a cabin booked in advance – available for as little as £34 – I clambered up the stairs to the reception, while other passengers stretched out on communal padded benches or headed to the duty-free shop.
I’d gone for a roomy two-bed suite with a corner sofa and picture windows (£68). Flopping into bed, hearing the deafening safety briefing (do not try to sleep before you set sail), we were at sea, and I quickly dropped off. With the blare of my alarm at 4.15am, I gathered my things, tidied myself up, grabbed a tea and a pastry in the Club Class Lounge, and returned to the coach.
I’d managed a total of four and a half hours of sleep, so when we arrived in Dublin in darkness at 5.30am – before the bus station had opened – and our driver announced we could all stay onboard until 6am, I was somewhat relieved.
After a couple of strong coffees, my day passed as if I’d slept for eight hours, exploring the delicious independent cafes of Stoneybatter and ducking into the National Museum of Ireland to avoid drizzle. While I did need an early night before tackling the Dublin Coastal Path with Howth Adventures the following day, I had no regrets about my flight-free journey to Ireland.
Dublin’s Temple Bar area is popular with visitors (Photo: Pawel Gaul/Getty)
It had been comfortable enough to get some decent sleep, taking me from city centre to city centre. I’d do it again if I had a lot of luggage – particularly in summer, when the longer daylight hours mean you can make the most of arriving early without paying for an extra night’s stay (though I’d bring an eye mask). A win all round.
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The writer was a guest of Bus Éireann, Irish Ferries and West Midlands Railway. Bus Eireann runs the Birmingham to Dublin route twice a week each way, using Irish Ferries from Holyhead. Birmingham New Street is served by trains from various other cities, including London, Liverpool and Bristol.
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