Ferry to Germany from the UK
Ferry to Germany from the UK
A lot of people are searching for a direct ferry connection from the UK to Germany. Unfortunately, there are no direct ferries from the UK to Germany. This means you need to travel via ferry connections between the UK and the Netherlands and/or the UK and France, and then continue to Germany by car or train.
Travel routes to Germany
On this page, information is gathered for tourists seeking more guidance when making this trip. And to get a bit of an overview you can take a look at the ferry map with the current routes between the UK and Germany.
You can use the booking module and select the UK as place of departure to find the crossings to the continent. Depending on where you need to be in Germany you can either travel via the Netherlands or the French crossings.
Ferry Map: ferry routes to Germany from the UK
Use the interactive map to find the right crossing and ferry company. You can zoom in and out and view the routes in the ports.
Crossings to Germany via France or Holland
Ferry Guide to Germany
Step 1: Get a Ferry to Holland or France First!
To get to Germany, you can travel via France (Dover to Dunkirk or Calais) or travel to the Netherlands and then drive to your destination in Germany.
From the UK, several ferries depart for both France and the Netherlands:
- From Northern UK or Scotland:
- Newcastle to IJmuiden (Amsterdam)
- From Central UK:
- Hull to Rotterdam
- From Southern UK:
- Harwich to Hook of Holland (near Rotterdam)
- Dover to Dunkirk
- Dover to Calais
Both Dunkirk and Calais in France are within a 30-minute drive of each other, making them convenient options for continuing your journey to Germany by car.
These are the five ferry options you can consider:
- Newcastle to IJmuiden (Amsterdam)
- Hull to Rotterdam
- Harwich to Hook of Holland
- Dover to Dunkirk
- Dover to Calais
When departing from the south or centre of England, consider booking a ferry from Dover or Harwich. Hull and Newcastle are the best choices when departing from the north.
Step 2: Get to Germany from the Ferry Ports
Once you arrive at the ferry ports, getting to Germany is straightforward.
From the Netherlands:
- It takes roughly 2 hours to drive from Amsterdam or Rotterdam to the border between the Netherlands and Germany. This can be a short trip depending on your destination in Germany.
From France:
- If you are travelling via Dover to Dunkirk or Calais, the drive is a bit longer. In about 4 hours, you can reach the border area of Maastricht – Aachen.
Choose the route that best fits your travel plans and enjoy a smooth journey into Germany.
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I am planning a trip to Europe. Why was ferry boat service from the UK to Germany stopped? Was it economic? political?
Hi Larry,
Thanks for the question. A lot of the ferries from the UK to Northwestern Europe have ceased operations in the past 20 years. Mainly due to a combination of additional environmental & fuel legislation and low-cost airlines. We do however see greener passenger ferries emerge and a renewed interest in sailing from the UK to Germany and Scandinavia. Hopefully this leads to re-establishing a new ferry to Northwestern europe from the UK. You can also find more about the disappearance of ferries between the UK, Germany & Scandinavia here: https://ferrygogo.co.uk/historic-ferry-crossings-from-the-uk-to-scandinavia/
In the meantime you could use the ferries from and travel from there to Germany. From most of the Dutch (Holland) ports, you'll be in Germany in about 2 hours driving.
Newcastle to Amsterdam
Hull to Rotterdam
Harwich to Hook of Holland
Dover to Calais.
Hope this helps and answers your question.