​Here is more specific information about each service:​

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Dover to Calais with DFDS

Journey time: 1.5 hours

Timings: up to 11 daily sailings daily, depending on the time of year

Facilities on board: restaurant, cafe, bar, shop, kid’s play area, free wi-fi

Luggage: there’s no limit on luggage and no extra cost to bring bicycles with a vehicle (make sure you include any attached racks or boxes for the bike that cause additional height and length of the vehicle when making the ferry booking)
Other info: DFDS does not accept foot passengers on its Dover-Calais route - only those travelling with a vehicle. A ‘Flexi ticket’ allows you to travel up to 72 hours either side of your original booking, subject to availability. Passengers can bring their pet at a cost of £15 each way. For onwards travel, Calais is on the Intercity rail network with the option to connect to towns including Boulogne, Lille, Amiens and Arras on the TER network.

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Dover to Calais with Irish Ferries

Journey time: 1.5 hours

Timings: up to 9 sailings daily, depending on time of year

Facilities on board: Irish Ferries newest ferry "Oscar Wilde" has a capacity of over 2,000 passengers and 1,059 cars and has lots of facilities, including a choice of restaurants, a shopping area, children’s play area, an exclusive Club Class lounge, and Pet Deck. It's other ship on this route is the Isle of Inishmore, which has Cafe, O'Flaherty's Pub, Brasseries, and Club Class lounge (see 360 below)

Luggage: there’s no limit on luggage and no extra cost to bring bicycles with a vehicle (make sure you include any attached racks or boxes for the bike that cause additional height and length of the vehicle when making the ferry booking)

360 tour of the Isle of Inishmore ferry:

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Dover to Calais with P&O Ferries

Journey time: 1.5 hours

Timings: up to 11 daily sailings, depending on the time of year

Facilities on board: food court, restaurant, cafe, bar, shop, kid’s club

Luggage: there’s no limit on luggage. Foot passengers can travel with a bicycle free of charge but must book the bicycle in advance with one bicycle per booking so groups with multiple bicycles need to make separate bookings. If you're travelling by car and attached the bike to it, there's no extra charge, but make sure you include any attached racks or boxes for the bike that causes additional height and length of the vehicle when making the ferry booking
Other info: there are four ticket types from Saver to Premier, which give you varying flexibility, wifi access and lounge access. Only passengers travelling with a car can bring their pet.

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Dover to Dunkirk with DFDS

Journey time: 2 hours

Timings: up to 24 daily sailings in both directions, depending on the time of year

Facilities on board: restaurant, cafe, bar, shop, kid’s play area, free wi-fi

Luggage: there’s no limit on luggage and no extra cost to bring bicycles with a vehicle (make sure you include any attached racks or boxes for the bike that cause additional height and length of the vehicle when making the ferry booking)
Other info: DFDS does not accept foot passengers on its Dover-Dunkirk route - only those travelling with a vehicle. A ‘Flexi ticket’ allows you to travel up to 72 hours either side of your original booking, subject to availability. Passengers can bring their pet at a cost of £15 each way. Dunkirk is well served by public transport - buses around the town are free and the train station is on the Intercity network with trains to Paris taking 2.5 hours.​

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Newhaven to Dieppe with DFDS

Journey time: 4 hours

Timings: 3 daily sailings in both directions May-September (2 daily sailings at other times)

Facilities on board: restaurant, bar, shop, children’s play area

Sleeper cabins: 2-4 berth cabins

Luggage: there’s no limit on luggage. F oot passengers can travel with a bicycle free of charge.
Other info: you can travel by coach from Dieppe to Paris in 2.5 hours or connect to the intercity French rail network via Rouen

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Poole to Cherbourg with Brittany Ferries

Journey time: 4.5 hours (9 hours for overnight return crossing)

Timings: up to two return crossings per day in peak summer season. Leaves Poole at around 08:30 and arrives at 14:00, depending on the day and season

Facilities on board: restaurant, bar, cafe, shop, children’s play area
Sleeper cabins: 2-4 berth cabins

Luggage: there’s no limit on luggage. Foot passengers can travel with a bicycle for not extrra charge
Other info: from Cherbourg it is three hours to Paris by train but most people take a car as you can drive onto Normandy in just over an hour.

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Pont-Aven is Brittany Ferries' flagship cruise ferry to France and Spain. Photo: Brittany Ferries

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Plymouth to Santander with Brittany Ferries

Journey time: 18.5 hours

Timings: one sailing per week departing on Sundays at 16:45, arriving in Santander at 12:15, returning Wednesdays

Facilities on board: restaurants, bars, cafe, shops, pool, live entertainment, cinemas, spa, children’s play area
Sleeper cabins: 2-4 berth cabins

Luggage: there’s no limit on luggage. Foot passengers can travel with a bicycle for a small charge each way.
Other info: Brittany Ferries’ mini cruise package offers two nights on board the ship, Pont Aven on the journey out and back, plus two nights in Santander. For journeys on from Santander, the rail network works best if you want to head south, with Madrid a four-hour journey away and Leon 3.5 hours, but for east-west journeys, it’s best to travel by car or by bus with Alsa the leading coach company in the region.

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Plymouth to Roscoff with Brittany Ferries

Journey time: 6-8 hours

Timings: up to two return crossings per day in peak summer season with day and overnight options. Leaves Plymouth at around 08:00 and/or 22:00, depending on the day and season

Facilities on board: restaurants, bars, cafe, shops, live entertainment, cinemas, children’s play area, pool and spa (on some crossings)
Sleeper cabins: 2-4 berth cabins

Luggage: there’s no limit on luggage. Foot passengers can travel with a bicycle for a small charge each way.
Other info: Roscoff is well placed for holidays in Brittany, Normandy and the Loire​

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Portsmouth to Le Harve with Brittany Ferries

Journey time: day and overnight ferries take between 5.5 and 10 hours

Timings: at least one daily departure, with up to two a day in the peak summer season. Departs Portsmouth 23:00 or 23:30, arrives Le Harve 8:00 or 08:30, with an extra seasonal departures - see website for details

Facilities on board: small bar, self service restaurant, cinema, small shop and kids play area

Sleeper Cabins: take from 2-4 people (6 berth on some ferries), including cabins suitable for a dog to travel alongside its owner

Luggage: there’s no limit on luggage. Foot passengers can travel with a bicycle for a small charge each way.
Other info: Le Harvre is the closest port to Paris by car.

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Portsmouth to Caen with Brittany Ferries

Journey time: 6-7 hours

Timings: daily departures in the peak summer season. Greatest choice of sailing times at 08:15, 14.45, 22:00 and 22:45 depending on the day and season

Facilities on board: bar, restaurants, cinema, entertainment for adults and children, shops and kids play area

Sleeper Cabins: take from 2-4 people and some ferries have cabins suitable for a dog to travel alongside its owner

Luggage: there’s no limit on luggage. Foot passengers can travel with a bicycle for a small charge each way.
Other info: from Caen you can connect to the high speed rail network in France via Le Mans or get to Paris by rail in two hours.

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Portsmouth to Cherbourg with Brittany Ferries

Journey time: 3 hours

Timings: daily departures in the peak summer season. Leaves Portsmouth at 09:00, arriving in Cherbourg at 13:00, with extra departures depending on the season

Facilities on board: lounge with reclining seats, shop, cafe and bar

Luggage: there’s no limit on luggage. Foot passengers can travel with a bicycle for a small charge each way.
Other info: from Cherbourg it is three hours to Paris by train but most people take a car as you can drive onto Normandy in just over an hour.

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Portsmouth to St Malo with Brittany Ferries

Journey time: 7-11 hours

Timings: sailings every day during the peak summer season. Leaves Portsmouth at 20:15, arriving in Cherbourg at 08:15, with slight changes to timings depending on the season and some day crossings from St Malo

Facilities on board: cinemas, cabaret and live entertainment, restaurants, bar, cafe, shopping
Sleeper cabins: 2-4 berth cabins

Luggage: there’s no limit on luggage. Foot passengers can travel with a bicycle for a small charge each way.
Other info: one of the boats on the route (Pont Aven) has a pool and leisure area. From St Malo you can drive to Brittany in 1.5 hours and the Dordogne in 6 hours. Otherwise by train you can get to Rennes in under an hour and Paris in three hours.

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Portsmouth to Bilbao with Brittany Ferries

Journey time: 24-32 hours

Timings: up to three return crossings each week. Leaves Portsmouth at 08:45, 12:00 or 22:30, depending on the day and season. Sundays sailings offer two nights onboard

Facilities on board: restaurants, bar, cafe, shopping, pool, spa, cinema, children’s play area
Sleeper cabins: 2-4 berth cabins including a cabin that accommodates a pet alongside its owners

Luggage: there’s no limit on luggage. Foot passengers can travel with a bicycle for a small charge each way.
Other info: opt for a Tuesday daytime crossing aboard the ‘no-frills’ ships, Baie de Seine or Connemara, for a more affordable crossing. Some crossings offer whale and dolphin spotting with the ‘ORCA wildlife officers’. As with Santander, the Alsa coach service is best for onward journeys by public transport unless you are heading south by train towards Madrid.

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Portsmouth to Santander with Brittany Ferries

Journey time: 24-32 hours

Timings: two return crossings each week. Leaves Portsmouth at around 08:45 or 17:00 depending on the day and season

Facilities on board: restaurants, bar, cafe, shopping, pool, spa, cinema, children’s play area
Sleeper cabins: 2-4 berth cabins including a cabin that accommodates a pet alongside its owners

Luggage: there’s no limit on luggage. Foot passengers can travel with a bicycle for a small charge each way.
Other info: opt for a ‘no-frills’ ship for a more affordable crossing, which operates during peak season - check the Brittany Ferries website for details. Some crossings offer whale and dolphin spotting with the ‘ORCA wildlife officers’. For journeys on from Santander, the rail network works best if you want to head south, with Madrid a four-hour journey away and Leon 3.5 hours, but for east-west journeys, it’s best to travel by car or by bus with Alsa the leading coach company in the region.

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Facilities on board DFDS Seaways ferry. Photos: DFDS

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Newcastle to Amsterdam with DFDS

The most northerly ferry route from England across the North Sea is from Newcastle to Amsterdam with DFDS, which takes foot passengers on its 17.00 overnight sailings.

Journey time: 15.5 hours (overnight)

Timings: Departs Newcastle 17:00, arrives Amsterdam 9.45am

Facilities on board: bars, restaurants, casino, cinema and kids club

Sleeper Cabins: take from 2-5 people, and, unlike most ferry operators that insist dogs are kept in cars or kennels, there are cabins suitable for up to two dogs to travel alongside their owners.

Luggage: There’s no limit on luggage. Foot passengers can travel with a bicycle for a charge of £5 each way, and those without wheels can hop onto a coach on arrival at the port of Ijmuiden to travel the 25 miles into central Amsterdam.
Other info: DFDS offers a ‘mini cruise’ option, which includes breaks in Amsterdam from five hours to two nights and include coach transfers at either end. From Amsterdam it’s easy to connect by rail to cities and regions across the Netherlands, as well as onto France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and beyond.

 

Hull to Rotterdam with P&O Ferries
P&O Ferries runs overnight ferries run between Hull and Rotterdam in the Netherlands
Journey time: 12 hours (overnight)
Timings: Hull to Rotterdam departs 20:30 and arrives Rotterdam at 8:15 (9:00 at weekends)
Facilities: Restaurants, bars, cinemas, a casino and kids play area.
Sleeper Cabins: options range from a standard cabin, with a toilet and shower room, to a sea view cabin or a club cabin with extra space and a television - sleeping between two and five people per cabin.
Luggage: There’s no limit on luggage, and you can travel with a pet and a bicycle. Pets are charged at £22 each way and must travel in a kennel. Bicycles are carried free of charge but only one is allowed per foot passenger booking, so a group travelling with multiple bikes need to make a separate booking per bike.

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Harwich to Hook of Holland with Stena Line

The shortest ferry route across the North Sea from the East of England is from Harwich in Essex with Stena Line to The Hook of Holland (known as ‘Hoek van Holland’). You can choose to go either during the day or overnight.

Journey time: 7-8 hours (day time or overnight)
Timings: departs Harwich at 9am, arrives Hook of Holland at 17.15; overnight service departs Harwich at 23:00, arrives Hook of Holland at 08:00.
Facilities: restaurants and bars, a cinema and shops.
Sleeper Cabins: on the overnight ferry you can choose from a range of cabins, from a single inside cabin with television and ensuite bathroom to cabins for two, three, four of five people, including the Comfort Class cabins with sea view and complimentary minibar.
Luggage: There’s no limit on luggage. Foot passengers with bicycles pay an extra fee of £5 for adults and £2.50 for children and it costs £20 to bring your dog, which must travel in a kennel.

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Isle of Man: Douglas – Dublin/Belfast/Heysham/Liverpool

With frequent and fast crossings between Douglas, Isle of Man to Dublin and Belfast, these services are open to foot and car passengers. You can also bring your bike, free of charge. The Belfast ferry comes into Albert Quay, where you can get a bus to the city centre.

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Ferries that cross the Irish Sea:

For all ferries across the Irish Sea, see also our guide to How to travel between the UK and Ireland without flying

Holyhead–Dublin with Irish Ferries

Journey time: 3 hrs 15 mins

Timings: 3 sailings daily

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Holyhead–Dublin with Stena Line​

Journey time: 3 hrs 15 mins

Timings: 4 sailings daily

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Fishguard–Rosslare with Stena Line

Journey time: 3 hrs 30 mins

Timings: 13 sailings weekly

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Pembroke–Rosslare

Journey time: 4 hrs 1 min

Timings: 12 sailings weekly

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Liverpool–Belfast with Stenaline

Journey time: 8 hrs

Timings: 13 sailings weekly

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Cairnryan–Belfast with Stenaline

Journey time: 2 hrs 15 mins

Timings: 6 sailings daily

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​Cairnryan–Larne with P&O Ferries

Journey time: 2 hrs

Timings: 6 sailings daily

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Dublin–Cherbourg with Irish Ferries

Journey time: 18 hrs 30 mins

Timings: 3 sailings weekly

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