Irish ferries

[alb0679]

Hi all.
Please bear with me on this, I'll try and explain!!
I will be in Dublin on business next month, but will have a fair amount of time off. I will be travelling out by air originally, however because of my time off, my wife will be travelling over to meet me, bringing the car and the kids. She's a bit nervous about the ferry with the kids so she wants me to come and meet her at Holyhead and travel back to Ireland with her. I wont know on that day what time I will be able to leave Ireland, so am I able to just turn up at the port and buy a ticket as a foot passenger? Likewise, will we be able to buy a ticket at Holyhead for a car and 4 passengers. It will be the same for the return journey, we'll travel Ireland to Holyhead as a car and 4 passengers, but then I will return to Ireland on foot to complete my work contract.
Does that make sense?
Thanks, Alb

[buildersmate]

There is never any problem getting on as a foot passenger. The capacity of the ferries is driven by their ability to consume motor vehicles in the hold.
The issue about just turning up with a car is it depends on the demand - arrive at Holyhead on a holiday Friday or Saturday and the vehicle / passengers might not get on for a while - maybe not even the same day.
But you could book and pay for the vehicle crossing(s) by planning them ahead of time?

[Lil O'lady]

Travelling as a foot passenger will widen your choice to include the high-spped catamaran (if weather permits, get's cancleed in strong gales). So you should be able to get a ferry out easy enough - and that's true of both directions. But if you know what day the car has to travel on, you coud book those online in any case, and perhaps work at reassuring your wife about how simple it is to drive onto the ferry.

[alb0679]

THank you both. I will try to book the car tickets as late in the day as poss to give me chance to get to Holyhead through the day. Are foot passenger tickets available from both Dublin and Dun Laoghaire do you know?