Trains to Holyhead

Find out about trains and tickets to Holyhead, Britain's historic gateway to Dublin. Station info, ways to save and things to do in and around town.

What to do in Holyhead

Holyhead punches above its weight. It’s a town with a population of less than 12,000 but has road signs pointing to it from all over North Wales. Why? A quick look at Holyhead’s history gives you the answer. It’s a port town that’s about as close as you can get to Dublin from Britain and has been a base for ferrying passengers across the Irish Sea for hundreds of years.

This sea route is so important that Holyhead was connected to the British rail network in 1850. It was a huge engineering feat that involved bridging the perilous Menai Strait between Wales and Anglesey, and the Cymyran Strait between Anglesey and Holy Island where Holyhead is situated. Now, you can travel directly to Holyhead from London, Chester and Manchester, then hop on the ferry to Ireland. The station is situated within the port complex, making for a quick and easy connection to the ferry.

There’s plenty to do in and around the town, whether it’s visiting a lighthouse, getting to know nature or taking a day trip on a boat. Read on to find out all you need to know about trains to Holyhead.

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Holyhead Isle of Anglesey

Holyhead

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Holyhead Station Information

Travelling to or from Holyhead Station? Here’s all you need to know about the station itself. From WiFi to parking, toilets to accessibility, it answers all your queries before you arrive:

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Things to do in Holyhead

The island of South Stack is a rock off the western coast of Holy Island, which is itself off the main island of Anglesey. It’s famous for being the home of South Stack Lighthouse, which was built in 1809 to protect ships in the Irish Sea heading to Holyhead and Liverpool. It is now one of Anglesey’ s best-loved tourist attractions, although do note that you’ ll have to descend 400 steps to get to the bridge, then climb 28 metres to reach the lighthouse. And then you have to ascend 400 steps to get back to the cafe on the mainland after your visit. It’s quite a climb on a hot day!

Did you know you can take a day trip to Dublin from Holyhead? Get there nice and early and you can take the 2-hour voyage over the sea in a comfy ferry with plenty of amenities, spend your day in the city and hop back over in the evening. Of course, you can also opt to spend the night in the famously lively capital of Eire for a trip to remember.

For a more pensive couple of hours, why not learn about the fascinating seafaring history of the area at the Holyhead Maritime Museum? Find out about the port and the characters who made it all possible, and discover the sobering stories of shipwrecks, heroism and wartime experiences. It’ ll really give you a taste of the local character.

An image of an Avanti West Coast train passing Conwy Castle

If you’re looking to make a day of it, it’s really easy to get around in North Wales on public transport. From Anglesey to Yr Wyddfa, Bangor to Betws-y-Coed you can see it all..

Step off one of our services on the North Wales route and link up with 25 bus operators, covering almost 200 routes including selected Traws Cymru routes and the Sherpa’r Wyddfa network. You can buy a paper ticket or simply use your card to tap on-tap off, and Adult Single fares will be capped at £6.50, with 1Bws Weekly tickets now also available for £28.

You can find more info about the 1Bws scheme here, or if you want to know more about how the tap on-tap off system works it’s all in one place here.

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