To Spain (and Portugal) without the plane: the overnight ferry road trip playbook

To Portugal and Spain without the plane

Flying gets you there. The ferry gets you started. If you’re planning a proper road trip (Northern Spain, down the coast, maybe even Portugal), the overnight ferry can be a surprisingly good way to begin: you swap airport stress for actual downtime, arrive fresher, and the travel day feels more like part of the holiday than something to survive.

It’s also a lovely form of slow travel: less rushing, more breathing space, and you arrive feeling like the holiday has already begun.

For us, this is the sweet spot: the journey becomes part of the holiday. Not in a glossy brochure way – more in a real-life, ‘we’ve done this with kids, and we like arriving in one piece’ way.

Set sail to (quick links)

• A quick real-life snapshot
• Perfect for vs maybe fly
• Why ferry beats flying (for road trips)
• Northern Spain by ferry: Santander or Bilbao?
• Overnight to Spain: cabin vs lounge
• What to do on board (mini-cruise feel)
• Family travel: why it’s often easier than flying
• Your on board bag (small checklist)
• Why cabins can be great value
• Great regions to visit (Portugal & Spain)
• Itinerary starters: Spain + Portugal without flying
• Ready to plan your sailing
• Quick FAQs

In a nutshell: Skip the plane by ferry to Portugal or Spain.

• Best for: road trips, slow travel, family travel, and anyone who hates airport palaver.
• Why it works: real rest (especially with a cabin), your own car, and you arrive ready to drive.
• Best mindset: treat the crossing as night zero of your holiday, dinner, unwind, sleep, and Spain.

A quick real-life snapshot (why this works)

Here’s what the plane-free version looks like in practice: you board, do one quick wander, check out the on-board facilities (kids burn off the first burst of energy), grab something to eat, and then it’s wind-down mode. If you’ve got a cabin, that becomes your little base: pyjamas, teeth, a story, and suddenly it feels like the holiday has started rather than a travel day you have to survive.

And in the morning? You roll into Northern Spain without the usual airport hangover, and there’s a decent chance everyone is still speaking to each other. That’s a win in our book.

Ferry or fly: what you’ll thank yourself for later

Ferry is perfect if…	You might still fly if…
You’re doing a multi-stop road trip (Spain, then maybe Portugal)	You’re doing a 3–4 night quick break with a tight schedule
You want your own car + your own stuff (kids' gear, surfboards, camping kit)	You don’t need a car at all, and you’re staying in one city
You hate airport stress and prefer one smooth rhythm	Fastest possible on the clock is the only thing that matters this time
You’d love to arrive more rested (cabin = game changer)	You know you won’t sleep on board, and you’d rather do a daytime flight
You like slow travel, and you’re happy trading speed for comfort	You want the quickest possible travel day, even if it’s more intense

If you’re still on the fence (especially with kids), we’ve written a fuller, real-life comparison here: from cabin to cockpit: family ferry vs flying.

Why a ferry can beat flying (without pretending it’s for everyone)

Let’s be honest: if you’re doing a quick city break, flying can be the obvious choice. But for a road trip – especially with kids, luggage, or simply bringing the extra bits that make a family holiday work – the ferry starts making a lot of sense.

• You arrive more rested: an overnight crossing with a cabin can feel like a proper reset. You wake up closer to the good bits, rather than starting day one already tired.
• No airport stress: no security queues, no gate drama, no ‘where did our bag go?’ roulette. You drive on, find your rhythm, and the trip calms down fast.
• Freedom to move: you’re not strapped to one seat for hours. You can walk, eat, stretch, and generally behave like a human.
• Road-trip ready: you’ve got your car with you, which means the trip can start immediately when you arrive: no hire-car desk, no extra transfers, no reshuffling bags.
• It feels like the holiday already started: the crossing can have that mini-cruise feel – dinner, a wander, a drink, a film or book, then sleep.

One thing people forget: flying often turns into a series of little stresses stacked on top of each other. The ferry tends to be one smoother, more predictable rhythm. For many travellers, that’s the difference between arriving drained and arriving excited.

Northern Spain by ferry: Santander or Bilbao as your road-trip launchpad

Think of Santander and Bilbao less as ‘arrival ports’ and more as your first chapter. Both are brilliant starts – it just depends on what kind of road trip you want.

Santander: the easy first-day start

Best for: Cantabria, a relaxed coastline start, and a scenic loop via the Picos de Europa.

• First-night idea: pick a simple base near the coast so day one stays gentle.
• Drive style: shorter hops, more stops, less motorway grind.
• If you’re travelling with kids, this is one of the easiest ‘arrive, settle, beach’ starts in Spain.

Bilbao: food cities + Basque Country energy

Best for: Basque Country, coastal drives, and a ‘cities + coast’ mix without rushing.

• First-night idea: base just outside the city (easy parking, easy day one), then dip in for the highlights.
• Drive style: food stops + viewpoints, with brilliant short drives along the coast.
• If you’re travelling with kids: lots of easy day trips and short bursts of exploring.

Map: Northern Spain road-trip starters (Santander & Bilbao)

This map is packed with handy Atlantic bases and lovely stopover cities, including options in France, Spain and Portugal.

Overnight to Spain: cabin vs lounge (what actually feels Ferry vs plane overnight: why the crossing can be the best part

This is where the ferry really earns its place. With flying, your ‘travel day’ is usually lots of little stress stacked together – drive to the airport, queues, boarding, luggage, then still needing to get a car and get going. With an overnight ferry, you can turn that same chunk of time into something genuinely useful: dinner, a bit of calm, sleep, and you wake up closer to where you actually want to be.

It also dodges a classic holiday mood-killer: the crack-of-dawn alarm and the ‘should we book an airport hotel?’ debate. With an overnight crossing, you’re travelling while you sleep, not sprinting through the morning.

So the trick is simple: don’t treat the ferry like transport you have to endure. Treat it like night zero of your holiday. If you do that, you arrive feeling far more human, and for families, that often means day one starts on a high rather than a survival mission.

Cabin vs lounge: how to get the ‘arrive rested’ advantage

Option	Best for	Why it feels good	Trade-off
Cabin	Overnight crossings, families, light sleepers	Privacy, proper sleep, a base for naps/changes/snacks, you arrive fresher	Costs more than a seat (but often pays back in how you feel)
Lounge / reserved seating	Budget-minded travellers, short naps, ‘we’ll cope’ mode	Still comfortable, less expensive than a cabin	Less privacy, sleep quality varies, can feel busier

If you’re choosing one comfort upgrade to make the whole trip feel smarter, it’s usually the cabin. Not because it’s fancy, but because sleep is the difference between day one being brilliant and day one being a write-off. And even on some day sailings with kids, a cabin can be a surprisingly useful base for naptime and a quick reset.

What to do on board (so it feels like a mini-cruise)

The secret is to build a simple on-board routine. You don’t need a packed schedule – you just want the crossing to feel like time well spent.

• Do one ‘proper’ thing early: a meal, a calm coffee, or a wander to get everyone settled.
• Deck time: a bit of fresh air and sea views is the quickest way to switch into holiday mode.
• Entertainment (when available): this is where ferries quietly win, especially with kids – you can actually move around, grab food, and let the little ones burn off energy. On many sailings, you’ll find restaurants, bars, lounges and children’s play areas. We’ve done it on the Santona (often on the Spain runs), and we’ve put a proper ‘what it’s actually like’ post together here: life on board the Santona.
• Then keep it simple: book, film, early night. The goal is arriving in Spain feeling human.

Family travel: why the ferry is often easier than flying

Flying with kids can be fine, until it isn’t. The ferry removes a few pressure points: you’re not pinned to one seat, you’ve got space to move, and you can create a little on board routine that keeps everyone happier.

• Freedom to roam: little walks and mini-breaks can prevent meltdowns before they start.
• Cabin as a base camp: even on a day sailing, a cabin can be a naptime reset button (and a quiet space when it gets busy).
• Meals are easier: feeding kids is less stressful when you’re not trying to time it around boarding calls and seatbelt signs.

For family-specific tips, this fits nicely alongside this post: how to travel comfortably with children on the ferry.

And if you want the full comparison, this one’s a good companion read: family ferry vs flying.

Your on board bag (small checklist)

This is the one practical thing that makes the crossing smoother: pack one small on board bag so you don’t have to go back to the car deck for essentials, because often you can't go back to the car deck during the crossing.

• Chargers + a power bank
• Snacks and refillable water bottles
• A warm layer (decks can be breezy)
• Kids’ bedtime bits (pyjamas, toothbrush, comfort item)
• Wipes, spare top, and anything ‘emergency small’

Why cabins can be great value (in context)

This is where it helps to compare like-for-like. A cabin isn’t just a nicer seat, it can replace the need for a recovery day, and sometimes even a hotel night. And if you’re doing a road trip, having your own car with you can remove a whole stack of airport add-ons (parking, transfers, luggage fees, hire-car admin) in one go.

If you like planning the numbers side of things, we also track ferry fares (summer 2026) and how to save. It’s useful for setting expectations before you start comparing sailings.

And if you’re choosing between regions based on where feels good value, our dinner price map for Europe is a surprisingly handy reality check.

Great regions to visit (Portugal & Spain): three easy winners

If you’re arriving in Northern Spain by ferry, you’re perfectly placed for slow travel. Here are three regions that work brilliantly for a plane-free road trip – and each has a different flavour.

1) Basque Country (Spain): food cities + dramatic coast

Why go: coastal drives, pintxos, lively cities, and some of the best ‘small town + big scenery’ combos in Spain.

• Perfect if: you want a high-reward first week without long driving days.
• Combine with: Cantabria or a gentle push west along the north coast.
• Ferrygogo angle: arrive, eat well, do short drives, repeat.

Handy inspiration link: ferry to San Sebastián (road trip idea).

2) Cantabria + Picos de Europa (Spain): beaches, green hills, and mountain days

Why go: Northern Spain’s green side. It’s scenic, calmer, and ideal if you want nature without constant long drives.

• Perfect if: you’re travelling with kids (or you just want a calmer pace).
• Combine with: Asturias for even more wild-coast energy.
• Ferrygogo angle: the ferry drop-off makes this feel instantly accessible.

3) Northern Portugal (Porto + Douro + coast): the best ‘keep going’ upgrade

Why go: once you’re already in Northern Spain, Portugal suddenly feels much closer than it does from an airport. Porto is a brilliant city break within a road trip, and the Douro Valley gives you that ‘we did something special’ feeling.

• Perfect if: you’ve got 3–5 extra days and want to add something memorable.
• Combine with: Galicia on the way down (very doable at a relaxed pace).
• Ferrygogo angle: no plane needed, just keep the Atlantic on your left and enjoy the ride.

Planning the plane-free version all the way? Here’s your hub: ferry to Portugal from the UK.

Itinerary starters: Spain (and Portugal) without flying

If you like the idea of the ferry because it turns travel into holiday, here are a few easy starter itineraries that work well from Northern Spain.

Want a ready-made slow-travel backbone? Our Atlantic coast guide is a great plug-in here: France → Spain → Portugal: Atlantic sea cities to pick.

1. Northern Spain escape (about 10 days)
   Start in Santander or Bilbao, do a mix of coast + inland, and keep driving days short. This is the proper reset version. (Add/link your deal page here if you want: ‘10-day Spain escape’.)
2. The north coast slow-travel loop
   Pick one arrival port, follow the coastline west for a few days, then loop back inland. Think viewpoints, beach towns, and ‘stop when it looks nice’ energy.
3. Spain → Portugal, Atlantic coast style
   If you’ve got the time, keep heading west and south and let the Atlantic coast do the planning. The ferry makes this kind of trip feel coherent: you’re not rushing to make a flight home, you’re travelling properly.

Ready to plan your sailing?

If this sounds like your kind of trip, the easiest next step is to compare the route options and see what fits your dates. You don’t need to decide everything today, just check timings, cabin availability, and whether the ‘arrive in Spain and start driving’ idea fits your plan.

Frequently asked about ferry travel

Is the ferry slower than flying?

On a clock, often yes. But for road trips, total hassle matters more than total minutes. The ferry can remove airport stress, give you real rest, and drop you straight into road-trip mode with your own car. For many travellers, that feels faster in the only way that matters: you arrive ready.

Is a cabin worth it?

If you’re doing overnight, a cabin is usually the upgrade that changes everything. Better sleep, more privacy, and a calmer start on day one. With kids, it can be the difference between arriving fresh and arriving frazzled.

What if we’re on a budget?

Lounge or reserved seating can still work well, especially if you’re good at napping anywhere. A good compromise is to price-check both: sometimes the cabin upgrade is smaller than you’d expect, especially once you factor in how much better day one will feel.