London or Birmingham to Belfast by train, bike and ferry

It's easy, comfortable and convenient to travel from London, Birmingham (or anywhere else in Britain, for that matter) to Belfast by a combination of train and ferry.

Taking advantage of overnight ferries to save time — and accommodation costs — this route is the perfect flight-free gateway not just to Belfast, but the whole of the island of Ireland. From Belfast you can head north by train to visit the Giant's Causeway and the rest of the Causeway Coast — or jump on an Enterprise train bound for Dublin and the Republic of Ireland.

Stena Lines ferries sail twice daily to Belfast in Northern Ireland from Birkenhead — just across the River Mersey from Liverpool.

The Stena Lines ferry terminal in Birkenhead is just a mile from Birkenhead Hamilton Square station, so you can easily do this route without a bike if you want to. From the station to the ferry terminal it's a 20-minute walk, or just a few minutes by bike or taxi. 

Birkenhead Hamilton Square is just a mile from from the Stena Line ferry terminal in Birkenhead

But for extra flexibility and fun, take your folding bike and hop off the train at Chester. 

You can then follow the Wirral Circular Trail for a scenic, mostly flat, and mostly traffic-free ride all the way to the ferry port at Birkenhead.

You can cycle from Chester to the ferry terminal at Birkenhead through the Wirral peninsula.
It's a lovely ride, 53 km (33 mile) and flat most of the way. Much of it is traffic-free, on the Wirral Circular trail, along the Dee estuary and past Hilbre Island.

Ferry times

There are two sailings daily from Birkenhead to Belfast: a day ferry and a night ferry.

Both take 8 hours to make the crossing.

Day ferry: Departs Birkenhead 10:30, arrives Belfast 18:30

Night ferry: Departs Birkenhead 22:30, arrives Belfast 06:30 the next morning

It's up to you which crossing you choose, but the night sailing gives you plenty of time to enjoy the bike ride through the Wirral from Chester; or, alternatively, if you're coming all the way by train, you can even leave London or Birmingham after work and arrive in time to catch the ferry in the evening. Book a cabin and it's a wonderfully comfortable and civilised way to get to Belfast.

Train times

From London

If you're aiming for the day sailing, it's best to come up the day before and enjoy some time in Liverpool. Stay overnight in Liverpool and you can catch a commuter ferry across the Mersey in the morning to get to the Stena Line terminal check-in.  (At least on weekdays; at weekends you might need to hop on a MerseyRail train to cross the river) 

Otherwise, there's an early-bird train leaving Euston at 05:31 that will get you to Birkenhead Hamilton Square at 08:35, in good time to check in for the 10:30 ferry. (You'll have to change at Crewe and again at Liverpool Lime Street.)

For the night sailing, regular trains from London Euston will take you to Liverpool Lime Street (some direct, some with a change at Crewe) from where it's an easy hop on the metro-like MerseyRail train across the river to Birkenhead. (Or, weekday mornings and evenings only, you can take a commuter ferry across the Mersey.)

Or, if you're bringing your bike, catch a train from London Euston to Chester (usually with a change at Crewe). From Chester, it's a delightful 53-km ride round the Wirral peninsula to the ferry terminal. (You can shorten the ride by hopping on a MerseyRail train from West Kirby direct to Birkenhead Hamilton Square.) Chester is a fascinating city and well worth a stop in its own right.

From Birmingham

Your options are more-or-less the same as described above from London, but with some easier connections, especially for the morning ferry. 

Leave Birmingham New Street at 06:34 and, with just one change at Liverpool Lime Street, you'll be at Birkenhead Hamilton Square at 08:35, in good time to check in for the morning ferry.

Starting stations

London Euston or Birmingham New Street
(plus you'll find connections from any other station in Britain)

Destination stations

Birkenhead Hamilton Square —closest station for the ferry to Belfast
Chester —for a nice cycle ride if you're bringing the bike

Train frequency

London to Chester: at least hourly, with a change at Crewe or Runcorn

London to Liverpool Lime Street: at least hourly

Liverpool Lime Street to Birkenhead Hamilton Square: trains every 5 - 10 minutes

How long do the trains take?

London - Birkenhead Hamilton Square: 2 hours 40 mins - 3 hours, depending on connections

London - Chester: 2 hours 10 mins - 2 hours 50 mins, depending on connections

Birmingham - Birkenhead Hamilton Square: about 2 hours

Birmingham - Chester: 1.5 - 2 hours, depending on connections

Are Interrail / Eurail passes accepted on the trains?

Yes, you can use your Interrail / Eurail pass on all these trains. 

Are seat reservations required?

No reservations are required, but it's not a bad idea to make one to guarantee a seat.

If you're buying a ticket online or at a station, you'll be offered a reservation automatically, at no extra cost, as part of the ticket-buying process. 

If you're using an Interrail / Eurail pass, you can make a seat reservation at any railway ticket office (though these will be increasingly hard to find as most will be shut in the coming months), or online, though the online process can be a bit fiddly.

I find the easiest way to get a reservation can be via the train companies' Twitter/X accounts. They all have Twitter messaging enabled and they're usually pretty efficient at giving you what you need in just a few minutes. 

For routes from London and Birmingham towards Chester and Liverpool, the relevant train companies are Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway.

Seat reservations are free for all British trains.

Is there an Interrail / Eurail discount on the ferry?

Yes, Interrail and Eurail passholders get a 30% discount on the price of the ferry to Belfast. (This includes only the basic ticket price — cabin prices are not normally discounted.)

Can I take me bike on the ferry?

Yes, no problem. 

How much does the ferry cost?

At time of writing (September 2023), foot passenger fares were from £32 one-way, or £44 with a bicycle.

Of course if you're taking a Brompton or other folding bike you can fold it up and take it as luggage instead, saving yourself £12.

Cabins cost from £60 (inside, no window) or from £70 (with window).

Useful mobile apps and websites

Railboard is perhaps the most user-friendly among the many iOS apps which provide UK rail timetables, journey-planning and ticketing.

For Android (and iOS), the National Rail Enquiries app is pretty good, too

You can find timetables and book tickets for the ferry to Belfast from the Stena Lines website.

Mersey Ferries run local commuter ferries across the Mersey, from Liverpool to and from Birkenhead.

MerseyRail runs regular metro-like trains across Liverpool and the wider Merseyside region, including in the Wirral.

The 33rides route

We made the most of our "outbound" Interrail day, starting with an early train down to London Euston on Avanti West Coast. Complimentary breakfast is served at your seat in first class — well worth it for the relatively small extra cost on Interrail.

In the afternoon, we headed north again on an Avanti West Coast train direct to Chester, leaving London Euston at 15:02 and reaching Chester at 17:05.

At Chester we hopped on our Brompton folding bikes and cycled through the Wirral to Birkenhead. In late March it was dark well before we arrived, but with good lights on the bikes this was no problem. We checked in at the Stena Lines ferry terminal at around 21:00, in good time for the ferry's departure at 22:30. (Check-in closes 60 minutes before departure.)

Bikes and heavy luggage were loaded into a trailer, to be reclaimed on arrival at the Belfast ferry terminal the next morning. Foot passengers, and cyclists temporarily relieved of their bicycles, are bussed onto the ferry from the terminal building.

Photographs of the London to Belfast route by train and ferry