# Ferry routing Dublin-Holyhead

**URL:** https://ask.openrouteservice.org/t/ferry-routing-dublin-holyhead/5811
**Category:** openrouteservice
**Created:** [February 22, 2024, 11:24pm UTC](https://ask.openrouteservice.org/t/ferry-routing-dublin-holyhead/5811 "2024-02-22T23:24:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![shaddack](https://ask.openrouteservice.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@shaddack](https://ask.openrouteservice.org/u/shaddack)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2024, 11:24pm UTC](https://ask.openrouteservice.org/t/ferry-routing-dublin-holyhead/5811/1 "2024-02-22T23:24:10Z")

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The route from Dublin to London (or elsewhere in the UK that is easiest via Holyhead) is going in wonky circuitous route. Even when Holyhead is specified as a waypoint, or a direct target.

> **[OpenRouteService route planner - directions, isochrones and places](https://maps.openrouteservice.org/#/directions/Holyhead,Wales,United%20Kingdom/Dublin,Ireland/data/55,130,32,198,15,97,4,224,38,9,96,59,2,24,5,192,166,6,113,0,184,64,90,0,88,3,160,13,128,102,115,8,19,128,38,0,104,5,103,56,242,0,96,29,131,183,24,27,159,82,197,107,87,42,67,169,38,44,169,183,104,196,61,16,16,0,58,167,129,17,54,28,160,1,121,64,11,107,128,7,2,165,208,32,3,55,128,6,221,46,16,177,163,192,6,228,128,57,190,48,201,163,201,10,125,57,244,104,116,68,48,91,60,76,0,11,24,12,76,84,16,0,95,120,160,0)**
>
> Openrouteservice is a open source route planner with plenty of features for car, heavy vehicles, hiking, cycling and wheelchair

Try out other modalities (pedestrian, other trucks) and it goes everywhere BUT through Holyhead.  
Direct Dublin-Holyhead routes through Liverpool.

> **[OpenRouteService route planner - directions, isochrones and places](https://maps.openrouteservice.org/#/directions/Holyhead,Wales,United%20Kingdom/Dublin,Ireland/data/55,130,32,198,15,97,4,224,38,9,96,59,2,24,5,192,166,6,113,0,184,64,90,0,88,3,160,13,128,102,115,8,19,128,38,0,104,5,103,56,242,0,96,29,131,183,24,27,159,82,197,107,87,42,67,169,38,44,169,183,104,196,61,16,16,0,58,167,129,17,54,28,160,1,121,64,11,107,128,7,2,165,208,32,3,55,128,6,221,46,16,177,163,192,6,228,128,57,190,0,22,174,159,201,10,125,57,186,52,58,34,24,45,158,38,7,140,6,38,42,47,178,170,186,166,168,19,186,7,188,24,13,128,62,170,0,39,146,184,72,0,17,128,43,182,9,153,165,182,82,178,52,50,30,178,72,48,108,99,152,34,70,174,40,7,178,54,158,154,46,57,178,21,166,58,0,47,184,248,208,0,0)**
>
> Openrouteservice is a open source route planner with plenty of features for car, heavy vehicles, hiking, cycling and wheelchair

It should work, in reality the trucks are routinely ferried there.

Cf. Valhalla, built over the same dataset, which does it correctly.  
https ://valhalla.openstreetmap.de/directions?profile=truck&wps=-6.2605593%2C53.3493795%2C-4.6312147%2C53.3073739  
(space for workaround for the two-links-at-most-for-new-users.)

Also, is there a way to force ferry ports, please?

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### Author: ![jschnell](https://ask.openrouteservice.org/user_avatar/ask.openrouteservice.org/jschnell/32/971_2.png) [@jschnell](https://ask.openrouteservice.org/u/jschnell)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2024, 8:17am UTC](https://ask.openrouteservice.org/t/ferry-routing-dublin-holyhead/5811/2 "2024-02-23T08:17:45Z")

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Hey,

this is an issue we see often with ferry routing.  
There are `barrier=gate` nodes on the ways accessing the ferry port, and the default handling for these (if no access tag is given) is to treat them as impassable - as they are to the general public, unless you have a valid ticket to the ferry.

One of these can be found [here](https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1390269434).

Best regards

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### Author: ![shaddack](https://ask.openrouteservice.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@shaddack](https://ask.openrouteservice.org/u/shaddack)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2024, 11:49am UTC](https://ask.openrouteservice.org/t/ferry-routing-dublin-holyhead/5811/3 "2024-02-23T11:49:20Z")

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Thanks! It’s clearer now.  
Now the question is, is there some option to override this, to make the router assume the ferry ticket is bought?  
For bonus points, is there a way to specify preferred ferry crossings? Quite important for logistics that goes across water…

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### Author: ![shaddack](https://ask.openrouteservice.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@shaddack](https://ask.openrouteservice.org/u/shaddack)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2024, 12:40am UTC](https://ask.openrouteservice.org/t/ferry-routing-dublin-holyhead/5811/4 "2024-05-26T00:40:01Z")

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Any chance to address this, please? Or is there an option in the API call that can bypass this?  
The inaccessibility of routing through Holyhead ferry port is causing me trouble.
