Day 1: Dublin (Ireland) –> Harwich (United Kingdom)
The first two days of this trip is about getting us into position to explore the alps and the Italian lakes. Today we took our usual route from Dublin to Hoek van Holland via the ports at Holyhead and Harwich.
We set off on something that Porsche is calling "Sportscar Together Day". We'll admit we've never heard of that before, but heck, it also marks the start of my co-driver and me at the start of a 4,500km European road trip adventure in a sportscar – so we'll take it!
Sportscar Together Day 2026 | Celebrating Sportscars Around the World with Porsche
An early start to this trip as we leave our apartment at 06:15 for Dublin Port via the 4 km long Dublin Port Tunnel under the city. This ferry now seems to leave earlier than when we booked it a few months ago.
This morning, US President Donald Trump is visiting Ireland, and his first stop is in our neighbourhood, where the President of Ireland's and US Ambassador's official residences are located. Security is tight, with the nearby Phoenix Park totally closed off since last Thursday evening.
The Phoenix Park is set to become something of a political fortress, with a high-security operation in place by the end of the week, as Mr Trump starts his weekend with a visit to Deerfield Residence, the official residence of the US Ambassador to Ireland.
Jackie Fox
US Presidential visits are common in Ireland, with every president visiting at least once during their term, but this time the security and paranoia surrounding seems to be at a heightened level.
RTÉ News
RTÉ News
Thankfully, our road leading to the M50 motorway and the tunnel was still open when we left.
While waiting in the queue, we remember to set Porsche Vehicle Tracking Tracking (PVTS+) to transport mode.
Crossing over to the United Kingdom
We're again taking the Irish Ferries Ulysses to the United Kingdom. This isn't our favourite vessel on this route.
Despite its size, the seating isn't very comfortable. If the ship is busy, the club lounge is almost as uncomfortable as the regular seating areas in the public section.
As this is an early morning departure and we've a long day ahead to catch our next ferry in Harwich, we booked a cabin to rest up during the 3.5 hour crossing to Holyhead.
Before settling down, we head to the club lounge to have some breakfast porridge to keep us fuelled for the start of our day.
Diving across the United Kingdom
We arrive in the very familiar Holyhead in North Wales, and after a relatively quick disembarkation, we begin our journey east across the United Kingdom.
We are well familiar with this nearly 600km trip across Northern Wales and the English Midlands having done it numerous times at this stage.
As we get closer to our destination port, we stop in at Braintree Outlet Village. This used to be close to one of our premier EV charging locations when we had a Taycan. We grab some food, so we don’t have to eat on our late-night ship later.
Our food stopover at Braintree Outlet Village
Not being constrained by charging infrastructure, we stopped off every few hours – we generally aim for a rest every two hours – to keep fresh and safe.
We've been leaning towards Esso Supreme+ 99 fuel in the United Kingdom recently – away from Shell V-Power. It is usually priced a little cheaper than Shell and it is a perfect match for our car, especially as it is often supplied with no ethanol at all in the fuel mix.
While standard E5 fuel can legally contain up to 5% ethanol, Esso’s Synergy Supreme+ 99 is actually completely ethanol-free at the pump across most of the UK (specifically regions supplied by the Fawley refinery, including Southern England, the Midlands, and the East).
Note: Pumps must still carry the "E5" sticker by law, even if the ethanol content is 0%.
Overnight to Netherlands
We arrive at Harwich International Port and enter the queue to board the Stena Britannica.
After about a fifteen minute wait, we set our Porsche Vehicle Tracking Plus (PVTS+) service to transport mode and park onboard the ferry.
We'll treat ourselves to some nibbles and a drink on board in the Stena+ lounge and then settle into our cozy cabin as we and our 911 Targa sail overnight towards the Dutch coastline.
We'll keep you posted on this blog as things progress.
Stats
| Location | Litres | €/litre | Total € | Fuel Type | Octane |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colchester, England | 58.70 | €2.210 | €129.73 | Esso Supreme+ 99 | 99 |
Today we did 563 km over 7:12 hours, with an average speed of 79 km/h, consuming 8.8 litres/100 km.
