The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
A guide to ferry fares and routes to Europe
What is the best route and fare for your trip? We’ve checked all the crossings from mainland Britain to continental Europe for this guide to all your options. Note that ferry fares, like airfares, are flexible and are adjusted regularly according to demand and how near it is to the departure date for any particular sailing. So those listed below – the lowest return fares for a car plus the stated number of passengers – are not available on all dates, and are a guide only to the relative cost of fares on that route. We also give the maximum number of sailings in each direction at peak times. If you want an overview of fares on any one route, then price comparison websites such as directferries.co.uk and aferry.co. uk are worth checking. Fares on longer routes with few departures can be high on peak dates, but you can always find a reasonable fare on a short crossing if you are prepared to travel at unsociable hours.
The short crossings
The crossings to Calais and Dunkirk are still the cheapest ways to get to the Continent for most motorists living in south-east England. Depending on your starting point and destination, the NewhavenDieppe service might be worth considering, but since Calais links directly into the motorway network, you can get to Dieppe quicker via Calais since the driving time is only 2hr and the crossing time 2hr 30min faster. The same is true for all north coast ports except Roscoff.
(0871 664 6464; poferries.com). From £78 (car plus up to nine passengers) Crossing time: 90min Max frequency: 25 per day
(0871 574 7235; dfds.co.uk). From £78 (car plus up to nine passengers) Crossing time: 90min Max frequency: 15 per day
(0871 574 7235; dfds.co.uk). From £78 (car plus up to nine passengers) Crossing time: 2hr Max frequency: 12 per day
(0844 879 7371; eurotunnel.com). From £158 (car plus up to nine passengers) Crossing time: 35min Max frequency: four per hour
(0871 574 7235; dfds.co.uk). From £140 (car plus up to two passengers) Crossing time: 4hr Max frequency: three per day
Longer crossings
Brittany Ferries dominates these routes and is the most frequent winner of Best Ferry Operator in our readers’ awards.
(0330 159 7000; brittanyferries.com). From £168 (car and up to two passengers); cheapest cabin £55 Crossing time: 5hr 30min Max frequency: two per day
(0330 1597000; brittanyferries.com). From £210 (car plus up to two passengers); cheapest overnight cabin £55 Crossing time: 6hr Max frequency: three per day
(0330 1597000; brittanyferries.com). From £224 (car plus up to two passengers); no cabins on this route Crossing time: 3hr Max frequency: two per day
(0845 609 1024; condorferries.co.uk). From £134 (car plus up to two passengers); no cabins on this route Crossing time: 6hr Max frequency: Sunday service, May-September only
(0330 1597000; brittanyferries.com). From £210 (car plus up to two passengers); cheapest overnight cabin £75 Crossing time: 4hr 15min Max frequency: one per day
(0330 1597000; brittanyferries.com). From £298 (car plus up to two passengers); cheapest overnight cabin £55 Crossing time: 8hr 45min Max frequency: one per day
(0330 1597000; brittanyferries.com). From £238 (car plus up to two passengers); cheapest overnight cabin £55 Crossing time: 6hr Max frequency: two per day
(0345 609 1024; condorferries.co.uk). From £198 (car and up to two passengers); Reason to be cheerful: you will can find low fares on short crossings if you are prepared to travel at unsociable hours
North Sea options
If you live in the North, or are headed for northern or central Europe, the North Sea routes out of Newcastle and Hull are an interesting option – they run overnight and include cabins in the fare. The Harwich-Hook of Holland service is another, much cheaper option.
(0871 574 7235; dfds.co.uk). From £316 (car and two-berth cabin) Crossing time: 12hr (overnight) Max frequency: one per day
(poferries.com; 08716 646464). From £317 (car plus up to two people, two berth cabin included) Crossing time: 12hr (overnight) Max frequency: one per day
(poferries.com; 08716 646464). From £317 (car, two people and two berth cabin) Crossing time: 12hr (overnight) Max frequency: one per day
(08447 70 70 70; stenaline.co.uk/ferry-to-holland). From £127 (car and up to two passengers); cabin included Crossing time: 6hr 30min
Routes to Spain
Brittany Ferries, the only operator, offers crossings on either “cruise-ferries” or no-frills “économie” ships. It’s a good year to be visiting. The Botin arts centre, designed by Renzo Piano, is due to open in Santander in June, while the Guggenheim in Bilbao is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
(0330 159 7000; brittanyferries.com). From £588 (car and two passengers); cabin included Crossing time: 24hr Max frequency: three a week
(0330 159 7000; brittanyferries.com). From £558 (car and two passengers); cabin included Crossing time: 24hr (cruise-ferry) Max frequency: three a week
Brittany Ferries (0330 159 7000; brittanyferries.com). From £794 (car and two passengers); cabin included Crossing time: 20hr (cruise-ferry) Max frequency: weekly