Jan Willem van Tilburg
Co-founder of FerryGoGo. I write about routes, fares and crossings we have actually taken – and try to answer the questions the timetable never does.
FerryGoGo grew out of a shared frustration: the ferry guides they found online covered the basics but missed what actually matters when you are standing in a check-in queue with a car full of kids, a dog and no idea whether the cabin upgrade is worth it.
Jan Willem’s part of that is the travelling, the writing and the research. He covers fares, route logic and the first-hand bits: what the port is actually like, whether the cabin makes sense, how the crossing goes with a dog or a family, and whether the route still holds up once you factor in the full journey.
- Co-founder and author at FerryGoGo
- Based in the Netherlands – useful when your main beat is North Sea crossings
- 25+ ferry crossings across Europe and Southeast Asia
- Sailed with family, with a dog, overnight in a cabin, as a foot passenger and on Rail and Sail
- Quoted in Euronews, De Telegraaf, AD, NPO Radio 1, Time Out, Shippax and more
- Particular soft spot for night ferries where the journey becomes part of the trip
About Jan Willem van Tilburg
Jan Willem is one of the co-founders of FerryGoGo. This author page is mainly about his own writing, research and ferry trips. Not every guide on FerryGoGo is written by him, and he likes to be clear about that.
FerryGoGo started from a simple frustration: ferry information is often scattered, vague or just not very helpful when you are actually trying to choose a route. Which port makes sense? Is a cabin worth it? Does this crossing save you a long drive, or simply move the driving to the other side? And what does the trip really cost once you add the car, passengers, cabins, fuel, tolls and onward travel?
That is the bit Jan Willem enjoys digging into. His work is a mix of route research, fare checks and actually getting on board to see how a crossing feels in real life. Timetables are useful, but they do not tell you everything. The walk from the terminal, the boarding process, the cabin, the food, the sleep, the onward drive, those are often the details that decide whether a route is a good choice or not.
Over the years, he has tested North Sea overnight crossings, Channel routes, Brittany Ferries sailings, Irish Sea routes and island ferries in places like Thailand, Croatia, Greece, Malaysia, Mexico and Indonesia. Some trips were smooth. Some were not. Having the AA turn up at Portsmouth Harbour after arriving from Saint-Malo was not exactly part of the plan, but it did make the write-up more useful.
The question behind most of his ferry content is simple: which crossing actually fits this trip, and is it worth what it costs?
What we usually look at
- Is this crossing actually convenient, or just the one everyone searches first?
- Does the route save a painful drive — or just move the problem further along?
- Is a cabin, lounge or upgrade worth paying for on this specific crossing?
- What does the full trip cost? Not just the ticket.
- How does it actually go with a dog, a family or a campervan?
Data-led research
Fare studies, route comparisons and destination-cost research help travellers see what a ferry trip really costs, including cabins, driving, timing and alternative routes.
First-hand ferry testing
The useful details often show up at the port or onboard: boarding flow, cabin comfort, dog areas, queues, waiting around, stairs, decks and the general feeling of the crossing.
Route-first planning
He looks beyond the obvious crossing and weighs up drive time, arrival location, onboard comfort, price and how the route fits the wider trip.
Comfort where it counts
From Captain’s Class cabins to family crossings and night ferries, the question is simple: does the extra comfort make the journey better, or just more expensive?
How we review ferry routes & crossings
A good ferry review starts well before the ship leaves the harbour. We look at the whole trip: booking, getting to the port, check-in, boarding, cabins or seats, food on board, travelling with kids or a dog, arrival, and the drive or train connection afterwards. Because a ferry route can look great on paper, but it only really works if the full journey makes sense.
‘We had just flown back from Seoul with the kids – about 15 hours before the train to Harwich. Not ideal planning, but this is exactly where a good night ferry earns its place. The Rail and Sail cabin was ready, there was room to move around, and in the morning Hook of Holland appeared through the porthole. When a night ferry works like that, it stops feeling like transport and starts feeling like part of the trip.’
Harwich to Hook of Holland, Captain’s Class, April 2026. Read the full review
Ferry routes and moments personally travelled
Routes we have taken ourselves. Some have published reviews, some are still in the queue. Together they explain the scope of what the FerryGoGo first-hand coverage is actually drawing on.
Selected author work
A tighter selection of Jan Willem’s FerryGoGo work, grouped by what it adds: price research, route decision-making and first-hand ferry experience.
Europe's dinner price map
Research & pricing
Destination-cost research on where dining out is cheapest and priciest across Europe.
What ferry crossings really cost
Research & pricing
A data-led look at ferry pricing, average costs and value by route.
Ferries to France from the UK
Route decision guide
A practical decision guide comparing Channel crossings, departure ports, journey times and ticket options.
To Spain and Portugal without the plane
Route playbook
A long-distance route guide built around overnight sailings, onward driving and avoiding the default flight-first mindset.
Harwich to Hook: cabins, tickets and upgrades
Cabins & comfort
A practical look at cabins, onboard choices and what is worth booking on the Stena Line Harwich-Hook crossing.
Saint-Malo to Portsmouth: first-hand experience
First-hand review
A Brittany Ferries crossing with onboard impressions, route context and a very real post-arrival car trouble moment in Portsmouth.
Where his work connects outside FerryGoGo
A small selection of places where Jan Willem, FerryGoGo or FerryGoGo research has been quoted, referenced or listed outside our own websites.
Why his author work is useful
The most useful ferry content sits at the overlap of data and real travel. A route can be cheap but badly timed, fast but stressful, or longer on paper but much easier once you factor in the full journey.
That is why Jan Willem combines the numbers with the first-hand bits. Fares, route comparisons and total trip costs alongside observations about cabins, boarding flow and what the crossing actually feels like. Not comprehensive. Useful for the decision you are trying to make.
For readers, that usually means
- A clearer choice between two or three competing routes
- A better sense of what the trip actually costs, end to end
- Honest advice on cabins, sail times and comfort – what is worth it and what is not
- A better alternative when the obvious crossing is not the right one for your trip
Read more research, guides and first-hand route notes
Want the parts of FerryGoGo that best reflect Jan Willem’s author work? Start with the research desk, UK route hubs and the first-hand ferry review archive. For broader editorial questions, use the FerryGoGo contact page.
FerryGoGo may earn commissions from some bookings and partner links. Where this is the case, the aim remains the same: useful, honest, independent ferry guidance. This page is about Jan Willem’s author work within FerryGoGo, not a claim that one writer represents every page on the site.
