6 Day Railtour London & Dublin - Explore the West Coast

Check-in at London Euston Station at the Network Rail Mobility Assistance Reception for the 09:02 departure of your train direct to Holyhead. You will be met by your host and escorted into your reserved seats. Your train, complete with snack bar will speed through the heart of England and along the North Wales coast to reach Holyhead in just 3 hours and 40 minutes. Holyhead rail station is also the cruise ferry terminal so after a short bus transfer to the berth you walk onto the ship – The Irish Ferries ‘Ulysses’ to Dublin. Enjoy an invigorating 3-hour and 15-minute voyage across the Irish Sea to Dublin. Facilities on board the ship include a range of restaurants and bars, a 2-screen cinema, and a traditional promenade deck, from where you can enjoy the fresh sea air. Arrive to Dublin at 17:25 where you will be welcomed by your host and transferred to your hotel in Dublin City Centre.

Free to discover Dublin with your 48hr Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus Tour ticket. The popular tour, the 2-day Hop-On Hop-Off Tour, is offered with both live and multilingual commentary. All drivers are Fáilte Ireland approved, which means that not only are they great story tellers, they're also brimming with information and history of Dublin's past, and will have you laughing all the way around the tour route.

We arrive in Limerick shortly after 9am, where we will join our tour coach. After a brief city tour, we head out to Bunratty Castle and admission is included. The castle was completed in 1425 and, after many years of neglect, has been restored to its former glory. There is also a folk park here and many of the buildings – including the village – were dismantled at various locations in the region and rebuilt, brick by brick, at their present location.

There is a lunch stop at a local pub in Doolin before arriving at the majestic Cliffs of Moher – among the highest sea cliffs in Western Europe. There is plenty of time to visit Ireland’s second most popular tourist attraction and your host will advise you of the departure time.

From the Cliffs of Moher, we take the coast road for much of the way to Galway, with time for photos along The Burren. This is a national park and the word Burren comes from the Irish Language – meaning ‘rocky place’.

We will transfer you to Rossavile for the ferry to Inis Mór Island. It is pronounced 'inish more' and literally means ‘big island’. It is the largest of the Aran Islands. On arrival on Inis Mór you have approximately 20 minutes before you tour departs in order to use toilet facilities and purchase any refreshments needed. Meet your local hosts at The Railtours/Hernon Tours sign located close to The Aran Sweater Market in Kilronan village. You will be collected from here between 11:50am and 12:00 noon for your tour of Inis Mór. Your tour of Inis Mór includes stops at the ‘Seven Churches, Dún Aonghusa and Kilronan for lunch, which is the small village on the island. For many, the highlight of the tour is the pre-Christian fort of Dún Aonghusa, with spectacular cliffs on the western side and unspoilt views of the Atlantic Ocean. Aran Islands Tour Included - Dún Aonghusa entrance not included.

We head out to Connemara – one of Ireland’s Gaeltacht (Irish speaking) regions and visit Kylemore Abbey – an 18th century castle now owned by the Benedictine nuns who run an excellent pottery, gift shop and restaurant here. We stop here for lunch. Our tour of Connemara heads homewards towards Galway City, along the shores of Galway bay, through the Gaeltacht villages of Inverin and Spiddal. There are splendid views of Galway Bay, and across the bay the Burren and the hills of County Clare can be seen, which you visited on Day Three. We depart Galway at 19.20, on our Dublin bound train for our final night.

Your host will transfer you to the Dublin ferry port. Dublin – London (via Irish Ferries Ship - Ulysses): Monday-Saturday: 08:05am Depart Dublin by cruise ferry. 11:30: Arrive Holyhead by ferry. 12:38: Depart HolyHead Direct. 16:38: Arrive London Euston Station Sunday: 08:05am Depart Dublin by cruise ferry. 11:30: Arrive Holyhead by ferry. 12:38: Depart HolyHead and change at Crewe. 16:44: Arrive London Euston Station.