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Ferry across the mersey

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  • 10-06-2019 6:53pm
    #1
    mh_cork
    Registered Users Posts: 164 ✭✭


    I'm doing an event in UK in July and cycling over. I am getting the ferry to Holyhead and going up towards Blackpool. I'd prefer to go through Liverpool as its much shorter, just not sure how I get across the Mersey river.

    I presume cycling is not allowed through the tunnels. There is a ferry from the Welsh side to Liverpool docks (Woodside to Pier Head). I searched on the web and cannot find anything conclusive about bikes, I presume they are allowed. But I need to be sure, as it would be a huge detour if bikes are not allowed.

    Can anyone tell me definitively if it is possible to take a bike across this ferry?

    Thanks.


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    #2
    Glencarraig
    Registered Users Posts: 1,494 ✭✭✭Glencarraig


    mh_cork wrote: »
    I'm doing an event in UK in July and cycling over. I am getting the ferry to Holyhead and going up towards Blackpool. I'd prefer to go through Liverpool as its much shorter, just not sure how I get across the Mersey river.

    I presume cycling is not allowed through the tunnels. There is a ferry from the Welsh side to Liverpool docks (Woodside to Pier Head). I searched on the web and cannot find anything conclusive about bikes, I presume they are allowed. But I need to be sure, as it would be a huge detour if bikes are not allowed.

    Can anyone tell me definitively if it is possible to take a bike across this ferry?

    Thanks.
    Heres a couple of things I found which might be of some help.

    While cycling is not allowed in the Kingsway tunnel (Wallasey), it is permitted in the Queensway tunnel (Birkenhead) between 8pm and 8am on a Saturday night and between 8pm and 7am during the week.

    https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g186337-d1596683-r491161643-Mersey_Ferries-Liverpool_Merseyside_England.html


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    #3
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,995 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    Apologies for asking the obvious but why not get a ferry to Liverpool instead of Holyhead?

    Regarding a 'huge detour' it may be if you cycle north to Birkenhead and then discover you can't cross. However, if you continue east instead of north and cross over by bridge to Widness and make you way up from there it's probably not that much extra.


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    #4
    mh_cork
    Registered Users Posts: 164 ✭✭mh_cork


    Wishbone Ash wrote: »
    Apologies for asking the obvious but why not get a ferry to Liverpool instead of Holyhead?

    Regarding a 'huge detour' it may be if you cycle north to Birkenhead and then discover you can't cross. However, if you continue east instead of north and cross over by bridge to Widness and make you way up from there it's probably not that much extra.

    Because bikes are not allowed on the Dublin-Liverpool ferry. And as you say, the alternative is extra mileage which I'm looking to avoid.


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    #5
    mh_cork
    Registered Users Posts: 164 ✭✭mh_cork


    Glencarraig wrote: »
    Heres a couple of things I found which might be of some help.

    While cycling is not allowed in the Kingsway tunnel (Wallasey), it is permitted in the Queensway tunnel (Birkenhead) between 8pm and 8am on a Saturday night and between 8pm and 7am during the week.

    https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g186337-d1596683-r491161643-Mersey_Ferries-Liverpool_Merseyside_England.html

    Thanks, thats useful. Unfortuantely, I'll probably reach Liverpool much earlier in the day, but the post does suggest that bikes are allowed on the ferry.


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    #6
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,995 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    mh_cork wrote: »
    Because bikes are not allowed on the Dublin-Liverpool ferry.....
    Oh, I didn't realise that. I wonder what reason?


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    #7
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 49,585 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    that concept blows my tiny little mind. are they afraid you'll be riding them around on deck for a lark?


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    #8
    Beasty
    Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 76,381 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Think that Dublin/Liverpool ferry is more freight oriented (it was the last time I was on it). I would add 3 other considerations:

    1. There's a railway station at Holyhead Ferry terminal, and it would be a relatively quick transfer to Liverpool, or indeed nearer your destination

    2. Have you considered Belfast to Liverpool?

    3. An alternative to that may be Belfast to the Isle of Man and Isle of Man to Heysham, giving you an opportunity to explore the IOM


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    #9
    LollipopJimmy
    Registered Users Posts: 5,442 ✭✭✭LollipopJimmy


    I'm taking the ferry to Holyhead in July and then Cycling up to Liverpool to take the ferry back to Belfast and then cycle back to Dublin.

    The cycle from Holyhead to Liverpool seems to be nice enough with a lot of it on the National Cycle route. Would be curious to see the handiest way over the Mersey myself, we'll be a few hours in Liverpool I'd say


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    #10
    mh_cork
    Registered Users Posts: 164 ✭✭mh_cork


    Thanks for all the replies.

    At this stage I'm 98% certain the ferry takes bikes, and if it doesnt then I'll just get a short taxi / train trip.
    LollipopJimmy wrote: »
    I'm taking the ferry to Holyhead in July and then Cycling up to Liverpool to take the ferry back to Belfast and then cycle back to Dublin.

    The cycle from Holyhead to Liverpool seems to be nice enough with a lot of it on the National Cycle route. Would be curious to see the handiest way over the Mersey myself, we'll be a few hours in Liverpool I'd say

    Here is the route I'm doing, it uses the National Cycle routes where possible except from Holyhead to Bangor which was not direct enough.
    https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30133396?beta=false


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    #11
    Macy0161
    Registered Users Posts: 9,450 ✭✭✭Macy0161


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    that concept blows my tiny little mind. are they afraid you'll be riding them around on deck for a lark?
    Some of them are purely frieght. I think there's some routes that will allow cars/ campervans, but not children or pets.

    I still miss the old North Wall - Liverpool B+I overnight, which was a several times a year staple of my childhood!


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    #12
    blackwhite
    Registered Users Posts: 8,831 ✭✭✭blackwhite


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    that concept blows my tiny little mind. are they afraid you'll be riding them around on deck for a lark?

    Seatruck only do unaccompanied frieght on Dublin-Liverpool, they don't take any passengers at all.

    P&O have one service with no passengers (unaccompanied freight only), and one service which take a limited number of non-freight passengers - but it appears they don't take any foot passengers - just cars, minibuses and motorbikes.


    Mersey Ferries do a commuter ferry from Birkenhead to Liverpool https://www.merseyferries.co.uk/commuters/Pages/default.aspx that I've seen bikes on in the past.

    Beware that it only runs at commuting times though! During the rest of the day it does tourist cruises up and down the river


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    #13
    Bikerman2019
    Closed Accounts Posts: 992 ✭✭✭Bikerman2019


    G
    blackwhite wrote: »
    Seatruck only do unaccompanied frieght on Dublin-Liverpool, they don't take any passengers at all.

    P&O have one service with no passengers (unaccompanied freight only), and one service which take a limited number of non-freight passengers - but it appears they don't take any foot passengers - just cars, minibuses and motorbikes.


    Mersey Ferries do a commuter ferry from Birkenhead to Liverpool https://www.merseyferries.co.uk/commuters/Pages/default.aspx that I've seen bikes on in the past.

    Beware that it only runs at commuting times though! During the rest of the day it does tourist cruises up and down the river

    Not quite, Seatruck has a few cabins on each ship and do allow a few cars on each sailing. You could try ringing them and asking about your bike
    https://www.seatruckferries.com/routes/dublin

    I believe Mersey ferries do allow bikes.

    The commuter ferry is the same as the tourist one except the commuter one goes point to point in a triangle. The touristy one goes in an oval with a commentary


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    #14
    cdaly_
    Registered Users Posts: 6,440 ✭✭✭cdaly_


    blackwhite wrote: »
    P&O have one service with no passengers (unaccompanied freight only), and one service which take a limited number of non-freight passengers - but it appears they don't take any foot passengers - just cars, minibuses and motorbikes.

    So, if you have Di2 shifting, you're sorted.

    "There's the motor, honest guv" *points at rear mech*...


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