From The Week 3 September 2022
A train in Ireland: Ireland has some beautiful railways, and with recent cuts to fares, train travel there is now remarkably affordable. If you only have time for one trip, hop aboard at Rosslare, the ferry port at the country’s southeastern tip, and travel up the east coast to Dublin, says Vic O’Sullivan in The Guardian.
The journey of two to three hours is among the loveliest in Europe. The line wends at first across the Sloblands, marshy plains that are a winter sanctuary for migratory birds, to Wexford Town. Next comes the “striking” Norman town of Enniscorthy, and then Arklow, beyond which the scenery is “positively Alpine”, the train climbing higher and higher before plunging into the “lush” Vale of Avoca. Past Wicklow Town, there are ever more dramatic coastal views on the way to Bray, where it’s worth switching to the DART commuter service to visit “idyllic” seaside towns such as Dalkey and Killiney on the way into Dublin. Tickets cost from €7.49 (irishrail.ie).