[jonemo]

In Holyhead (ferry port in Wales with many daily connections to Dublin) you board the ferry from the end of the train station platform of the high speed rail. The slow ferry takes three hours, the express ferry takes 1.5 hours. When I was there in 2006 there were many direct trains from there to London Euston.

The other option might be ferries that carry trains. I believe they don't do this across the Irish Sea, but I've been on a train that drives onto a ferry across the Baltic sea connecting Berlin and Malmo (Sweden). You can get off the train while on the ferry, but you don't have to.

[Peroni]

>...the express ferry takes 1.5 hours.

I take this ferry every few months and it takes a minimum of 1hr 50mins on a good day.

>The other option might be ferries that carry trains.

Not between Ireland and England.

My point is, I can get a train direct to any major airport in London and fly to a significant chunk of Europe in under 2hrs and continue my journey via train so why not factor in those options too?

[benjiweber]

Or 7hrs to fly if you turn up the suggested 2hrs before your flight at the airport, live an hour away from the airport (true for much of London), plus an hour to get through the border and baggage reclaim the other end and an hour bus/train ride to destination.

This is why Eurostar to Paris/Brussels is so nice. Get on train in centre of London. Only need to turn up 20-30mins before departure and arrive right in the city centre at the other end.

[rorykoehler]

When was the last time you bought a plane ticket from the train ticket desk in the train station?

[Peroni]

Really? That's the criteria?

[rorykoehler]

It might seem inconsequential and I can't answer on behalf of the author of the article however if you have ever done the rail and sail you might understand it a bit better. I get what you are saying but the difference in faff between taking a plane and casually walking from the train to the boat is huge.