Although most travellers head to the UK to one of the many international airports, there are a plethora of ferries to the island. These are convenient for travellers with their own car on a road-trip across Europe, or perhaps for those of you who are afraid of flying.
The most popular and shortest route, which only takes about an hour, runs between Calais in France and Dover in the UK.
How much do tickets cost on each route? What companies sail to the UK and how long does the voyage take? Read on in this chapter.
Where to buy a ferry ticket?
When travelling to the UK, you'll use many companies running different routes. The easiest way to compare them all is via the directferries.com search engine, where you can buy your ticket straight away.
We recommend buying online, especially when travelling by car in the summer, when last-minute bookings can sell out.
The UK is served by P&O Ferries, DFDS Seaways, Irish Ferries, Brittany Ferries, Condor Ferries, Stena Line, Northlink Ferries.
How much do ferries to the UK cost?
Ferry prices vary greatly depending on the specific route, but also on the time of booking. Boat tickets work a bit like airline tickets and as availability increases, so do prices.
On average, the cheapest ferry to the UK is from the French ports of Calais and Dunkirk.
A journey with a car and 1 passenger works out at around 80 eur depending on dates, availability and company. Each additional passenger is already cheaper and costs between 15 eur and 20 eur. Prices are quoted one way, but there are no discounts for return sailings.
Tickets for passengers without a car are not sold on the shortest journeys between Dover and France, you must always travel with a car. Passengers without a car can use the Eurostar high-speed train through the Channel Tunnel.
However, the amounts are very indicative and vary by up to 100% depending on the specific route, company, dates and availability.
Compare ferry prices for all routes
How long does the ferry to the UK take?
The shortest journey is from Calais (approx 60 minutes), while the longest regular ferries sail from the Spanish ports of Santander and Bilbao (over 33 hours sailing time).
Sailing times vary not only by route, but also by ship type and speed. In particular, some overnight services are deliberately slower to give passengers enough time to rest and to accommodate decent departure and arrival times.
How does it work on the ferry?
Are you about to embark on your first trip on a large ferry to the UK? How does it work on such ships?
If you're travelling by car, check-in usually takes place 90 minutes before departure, when you drive to the large marshalling yards in the harbour. You pay for your ticket through the drive-in ticket office or show your ticket purchased online.
You then board at the direction of the staff. Everything is very clear and well organized. Parking in the bowels and boarding it can be compared to parking in an overhead garage.
If you are travelling on foot, just register 30 minutes before departure at the ticket office.
On the ship, you leave your car behind and are free to move around all the passenger areas. If you don't pay for a cabin, there are comfortable seats scattered throughout the ship. You can also take advantage of the seating in the dining rooms, even if you don't order anything.
Especially in the summer, many travelers take their own air mattresses on the ship and sleep on the open-air decks.
Sleeper cabins for 1 to 6 people with showers are also available on longer itineraries. However, you have to pay extra and these cost from 60 to 250 eur depending on the level of luxury.
On the ferries there are always restaurants, small grocery stores, sometimes casinos, bars or stages for any performances. Payment can be made in cash in euros or by credit card.
In the direction of the UK, passport control is carried out before boarding the ship (i.e. in France, Spain or the Netherlands) and also after arrival on the island. In the other direction, you only go through passport control when you arrive.
Which routes are used?
See the list of regular ferry routes to the UK. Prices are indicative and we list the lowest available amounts for which you can buy a ticket. The price is for 1 car with 1 driver. Each additional passenger will increase the price from 20 eur to 30 eur.
From France
- Calais - Dover: from 80 eur, the cruise takes about 1 hour and sails 2-3 times per hour (pedestrians without a car are not carried)
- Dunkerque - Dover: from 85 eur, the cruise takes 2 hours and sails 1-2 times per hour (pedestrians without a car are not transported)
- Dieppe - Newhaven: from 140 eur, the cruise takes 4 hours and sails 3 times a day
- Caen - Portsmouth: from 240 eur, sailing time 5,5 hours and 3 times a day
- Le Havre - Portsmouth: from 120 eur, sailing time 5.5 hours, sailing once a day
- Cherbourg - Portsmouth: from 250 eur, sailing time approx. 5 hours, sailing 2-3 times a week
- Cherbourg - Poole: from 150 eur, sailing time approx. 5 to 10 hours, sailing 2-3 times a day
- St. Malo - Portsmouth: from 250 eur, the cruise takes 9 hours and sails once a day
- St. Malo - Poole: from 180 eur, sailing time 7 hours and 2 times a week
- Roscoff - Plymouth: from 290 eur, sailing 6 hours and 1-2 times a day
- compare and buy ferries from France
From Netherlands
- Hook van Holland - Harwich: from 120 eur, sailing 6.5 to 9.5 hours and sailing twice a day
- Rotterdam - Hull (Kingston): from 290 eur, sailing time 11.5 hours and sailing 1x daily
- Amsterdam - Newcastle: from 440 eur, sailing time 17 hours and sailing once a day
- compare and buy ferries from the Netherlands
From Spain
- Bilbao - Portsmouth: from 525 eur, sailing time 30 hours and sailing twice a week
- Santander - Portsmouth: from 600 eur, sailing time 31 hours and sailing twice a week
- Santander - Plymouth: : from 550 eur, sailing time 22 hours, sailing twice a week
- compare and buy ferries from Spain
From Ireland
- Liverpool - Dublin: from 115 eur, sailing 7.5 hours and sailing twice a day
- Holyhead - Dublin: from 195 eur, sailing time 3.5 hours, sailing 8-12 times a day
- Fishguard - Rosslare: from 205 eur, sailing time 3.5 hours, sailing 2 times a day
- Pembroke - Rosslare: from 195 eur, sailing time 4 hours, sailing 2 times a day
- compare and buy ferries from Ireland
From Northern Ireland
- Birkenhead (Liverpool) - Belfast: from 175 eur, sailing 8 hours and sailing twice daily
- Cairnryan - Belfast: from 155 eur, sailing 2.5 hours and 6 times a day
- Cairnryan - Larne: from 140 eur, sailing time 2 hours and 6-7 times a day
- compare and buy ferries from Northern Ireland
