Weekender ID cards
 

If I want to buy a weekender ticket, do I need one of those photo ID cards, even though I already have an annual bus and rail ticket with my picture on it?

And how do I go about getting one - can I just turn up at the station early with a passport photo and go to the information desk? How long does it take?

Thanks.

Its a separate ID card, you need a passport photo and some proof of ID

It should be doable on the spot

Yes, you need this special one instead of the normal ID.

It's €7. I literally went up to the desk (the ticket desk - not the info desk) in Heuston (so the length of time depends on the queue), handed in my passport photo, wrote my name and address on the card, they stuck the contact plastic over it and I bought my Galway weekender ticket. €17.

And another one today. Saving me a fortune! :cool:

Although Mark has some posts on the board that sometimes there can sometimes be other cheaper tickets (depending on the destination?), so check that out.

There are cheaper tickets but they are not journeys many make

So Balbriggan Drogheda and Heuston Sallins are always cheaper as simple Adult than Student/Faircard/Weekender

If you book online its easy spot, most of the time the ticket clerk will know the differences

Thanks for the quick replies guys.

Passport is off in the post for a driving license application, so do you reckon they'll accept their own annual ticket as proof of ID?

Would not be unreasonable, bet they don't even ask for ID

Didn't ask me for ID. Sure they can see for themselves you look like the photo.
(Although I'm ashamed at looking like that :p )

P.S. that Galway fare was Portarlington-Athenry as I already hold a ticket Dub-Port.

Thanks again guys.

Off to Ballina tomorrow, Adult 42, Weekender 33. So I'm up two quid.
And heading to Carrick-on-Shannon next weekend, so should save 5 or 6 there too. :)

Just had a thought on these.
Aren't IE supposed to sell you the cheapest ticket available for your trip?
So how come they don't offer you a weekender if you ask for a return on a Friday coming back before Tuesday. Even allowing for the cost of the weekender ID it can still work out cheaper.

Is it because you have to have the ID card, so that puts it in some different class of ticket?

They don't always ask for ID. I hope it's not a sign that they are getting to know me because of my twice daily meanderings through the station. freaky.

weekender card
 

This is slightly off topic, but concerns weekender cards.

I was just wondering, does anyone know if a weekender card would be any use for the following ?

I was planning on going to Ennis on the friday, cycling to Galway and returning from Galway on the Sunday?

The IE customer service have quoted me 43 euro for this over the phone (+7 for the card), but I have a feeling I will turn up and they will make me pay for 2 single tickets.

Thanks for your help anyway.

Under Appendix 1, 1.1 of the T&C's it would appear to be allowed to buy a Dublin Ennis return and board in Galway on the way back

You can only bring a bike with you on the 17:05 Dublin Ennis on Friday

The fare is 44 euro from what I know

And of course you will meet a thick IE employee who doesn't know the rules

Thanks for your help Mark, I will let you know how I get on.

They also said on the phone regarding bikes that one can bring a bike as far as Limerick Jct. on the 10am departure from Heuston but they can't guarantee that you can bring a bike any further than that. It could be a longer cycle than anticipated!

9:25 or 11:25 to Limerick will carry a bike the whole way

Despite what IE say a small number of the railcars based in Limerick have bike racks

Of course its €8 single for the bike to anywhere beyond Ballybrophy

Does it get a seat for the 8 euro or does it have to stand the whole way ?

it gets to play in the Guards van actually

Does the trolley come around to it with 3-in-1 oil (otherwise known as 'coffee') and a nice sandwich?

Was on a Limerick to Dublin train the sunday before last, and as we arrived into Dublin I heard an English bloke behind me exclaim "oh my God, look! They still have guards vans here!"

That was fairly painless. Bought the weekender card and the return ticket said Ennis on it for 44 euro. No questions asked in Galway either. We got the 10am train and in Limerick Jct. a railcar had a space in it to hang up 3 bikes. When we got to Limerick and changed to another railcar for the journey to Ennis, this also had a bike rack. This may not always be the case though?

As I understand a total of 3 2700 railcar sets have been modified to carry bikes, there are 13 sets so you got very lucky