Travelling to London? Fiona O'Malley makes a case for taking the ferry instead of flying 'My fellow travellers smiled knowingly at each other as if we had cracked the secret to travelling in comfort'
Recently I had to go to London for a family event, but the thought of going through Dublin airport filled me with such dread I kept putting off booking my flight. When I did eventually get around to it, I was astonished at the prices, especially as I was flexible and there are plenty of flights between Dublin and London.
I have a finely developed sense of value for money, and refuse point-blank to be ripped off. There was no way I was going to pay upwards of €220, before taxes, to fly to London. Apart from this extortionate fare, what was really bothering me was the thought of a crowded Dublin Airport at the height of summer. I went rapidly cold on the idea of going to London until I had the bright idea of taking what for years was the traditional route for Irish people going to London - the boat and train.
I live in Sandycove and I look out at the ferry coming in and out of Dún Laoghaire harbour every day. Why had I not thought of it before, especially when the boat is leaving from my doorstep?
There is hardly a person over the age of 35 who has not got some experience of this journey. Frequently associated with emigration, the passage to England evokes powerful memories of a time of mass unemployment and few opportunities.
Many people who left never returned, and some still feel a sense of alienation from their homeland. It is a poignant, historic journey for older Irish people. Nowadays, in this era of cheap flights, it's not considered a convenient way of getting to London. Well, I beg to differ.
On a bright Friday morning, when I saw the boat breach the horizon at the Kish lighthouse, I closed my front door and headed off. As I walked down the seafront at Newtownsmith on my way to the harbour, I chatted with passers-by, acknowledging what a beautiful day it was and how inviting the sea looked. Truly a day for a boat trip.
The procedure, from collecting the ticket to boarding the ship to the sailing, was seamless and extremely efficient. Everything happened like clockwork. There was an air of merriment as the ship set sail. My fellow travellers smiled knowingly at each other as if we had cracked the secret to travelling in comfort.
Gone was the sense of foreboding which previously characterised the humour of travellers on this journey to England. Everyone was in good spirits. Most were holidaymakers, either Europeans on the way home or Irish families setting off. The atmosphere was calm and pleasant, with none of the stress usually associated with travel.
I settled down to enjoy the fresh sea air.
Co Dublin looked magnificent as it diminished behind us. Basked in hot sun and framed by the Wicklow mountains, Killiney bay really did look like the bay of Naples - better, in fact.
The ship docked on time and there was a short wait of half an hour (scheduled) for the direct train to London. I had taken the precaution of preparing a picnic. I'd prefer to be eating quiche from Dún Laoghaire farmers' market rather than the highly processed food on offer from Stena. I ate my picnic in the sunshine at the port before boarding the train.
The four-hour train journey can only be described as utterly tranquil. As the train skirted through the glorious Welsh and English countryside, I read and listened to music. I got the opportunity to do some work I had been meaning to do for ages.
When the train arrived at Euston station at 6.15pm, I was as relaxed as anyone could wish to be and ready to enjoy a weekend in London. I took the Underground to where I was staying and met up with friends who thought I was mad to be coming to London overland and were dying to hear how I got on. My calm demeanour said it all.
I flew home because I thought the romance of the return journey might not quite be the same, but I was soon sorry I hadn't taken the boat.
Firstly, the Underground on a swelteringly hot afternoon at rush hour was not pleasant, particularly as there was a delay on the line to Heathrow, so when it came there was a massive crush. The flight was delayed for an hour and a half.
When we landed at Dublin airport at 10pm (at the same time as two other flights) there were only two people on immigration control, so it took another 40 minutes to negotiate our way through that. Then there was a taxi strike, so we had to queue for a bus.
I arrived home at 1.30am. Flying home had taken longer, door to door, than my outward journey. My experience of the flight home only proved my point - for hassle-free summer travel, land and sea is the only way to go.
• Sail and rail to London costs €42 during the summer months. See www.stenaline.ie for details.