Ferry to Portugal from the UK
Is there a direct ferry to Portugal from the UK?
There is no direct ferry between the UK and Portugal, and none is currently scheduled. If you want to reach Portugal by sea, there are two realistic ways to do it: sail to northern Spain and drive on, or take a short Channel crossing to France and drive the rest of the way. The route map gives you a quick overview of both corridors.
Sailing to Spain is the more comfortable option. You spend one or two nights on board, take your own car with as much luggage as you like, skip the airport entirely, and step off only a few hours' drive from the Portuguese border. If that is the trip you have in mind, our plane-free road-trip playbook walks through the whole thing. The France route puts you on the water for far less time, but leaves you with a long drive south. Which one is right depends on how much you value comfort over driving, and we walk through that choice below.
Ferry Map: from the UK to Portugal
Use the map to find the crossings to Spain and eventually Portugal. You can zoom in and out and view the routes in the ports. While there are no direct routes to Portugal, you can drive from Bilbao to Porto in about 6 hours.
The comfortable route: ferry to Spain, then drive to Portugal
Portugal is one of the most popular destinations for British travellers [1]Most popular tourist destinations for UK tourists, Statista, and while most people fly or drive, sailing to northern Spain and driving on is a more comfortable way to arrive. Every UK to Spain crossing is run by Brittany Ferries, from Plymouth and Portsmouth to Santander and Bilbao. These are proper cruise ferries rather than quick Channel boats, with cabins, restaurants and, on some ships, a pool. We have sailed on the Santoña, one of the newer ships Brittany Ferries also runs across the Bay of Biscay, so we can vouch for the onboard feel: you can see exactly what it is like in our first-hand review of sailing on the Santoña.
Santander or Bilbao: which is better for Portugal?
For Portugal, Santander has the slight edge. It sits a little further west, so the onward drive to Porto is around six hours and to Lisbon roughly eight to nine. The fastest crossing of all is Plymouth–Santander: about 20 hours, a single night at sea, sailing on the Pont-Aven, Brittany Ferries' flagship. If you would rather see a city first, Bilbao is worth choosing for the Basque Country and the Guggenheim, with a similar onward drive into Portugal.
From Portsmouth you can reach either port, but these are two-night crossings of roughly 28 to 33 hours. Choose Portsmouth if it is simply the easier port for you to reach, and Plymouth if you want the shortest time at sea.
Brittany Ferries reports that ferry travel to Spain keeps growing, with around 340,000 passengers choosing the crossing over flying in the last year. Fares are seasonal and change with demand, so treat the prices in the booking module as a guide and check live availability for your own dates. For the full picture of ports, ships and timings, see our guide to ferries to Spain from the UK.
Tickets
The shorter crossing: ferry to France, then drive south
If you would rather spend less time at sea, a short Channel crossing to France works too, but be honest with yourself about the drive that follows. From the Normandy ports it is roughly 15 hours to Porto and around 17 to Lisbon; from Calais it is closer to 18 and 19 hours. That is two long driving days for most people.
The crossings that make most sense heading south are:
- Dover–Calais, if you are on the eastern side of England
- Newhaven–Dieppe
- Portsmouth–Caen or Portsmouth–Le Havre
- Portsmouth–Cherbourg
- Plymouth–Roscoff
Which option should you choose?
There is no single best way to reach Portugal by ferry, so it comes down to what matters most to you.
- Choose the ferry to Spain if you want the most relaxed journey, you are travelling with children, a dog or a fully loaded car, and you would happily trade a higher fare for one or two nights of proper rest at sea and a short final drive.
- Choose the ferry to France if you want the cheapest, most frequent crossing and you do not mind two full days of driving through France and Spain to get there.
- Consider flying and hiring a car if speed is the priority and you are travelling light. You lose the comfort and the freedom of your own vehicle, but you gain time.
For most people heading to Portugal for a holiday rather than a deadline, the Spanish crossing is the one we would point to first. It removes the longest stretch of driving and turns the journey itself into part of the trip. The France route earns its place when budget or your departure point makes it the more practical choice. Once you have picked your crossing, our Atlantic coast road-trip guide maps out the best bases and stops through France, Spain and Porto.
Reaching Portugal by ferry from Ireland
The same logic works from Ireland. Brittany Ferries sails direct from Rosslare to Bilbao and Santander, so Irish travellers can reach northern Spain by sea and drive south to Portugal without routing through the UK at all. Crossings are typically twice weekly in the main season and, as with the UK sailings, they are overnight cruise ferries rather than quick hops. For the full picture, see our guide to ferries from Ireland to Spain.
On board and route maps
Prices and availability for this crossing
You can compare tickets to Spain from the UK easily with the booking module below.
Practical things to know before you sail
- Bring your passport. Since Brexit, a driving licence or ID card is no longer enough for travel to Spain, France or Portugal. Our passport, ETA and border checklist covers exactly what you need.
- Download entertainment in advance. On longer night crossings, onboard Wi-Fi can be expensive and roaming at sea costs more, so load up films or series before you board.
- Foot passengers. Not every crossing takes foot passengers, so check before booking if you are travelling without a car.
- Pets. Dogs are welcome on most crossings for an extra fee, usually in dedicated kennels or pet-friendly cabins, and some destinations need specific vaccinations and a pet passport. See our guide to travelling with your dog on the ferry before you go.
- Driving on the right. Remember to switch sides after you disembark. It feels odd for the first ten minutes and then becomes second nature.
- Seasickness. The Bay of Biscay can be lively, so if you are prone to it, our tips to avoid seasickness are worth a read.
- Travelling with young children? A night crossing can be far easier than a flight with kids. We have practical tips for ferry travel with children.
Will there ever be a direct ferry from the UK to Portugal?
It is the question we get asked most, and the honest answer is: not for now. Brittany Ferries looked seriously at a Plymouth to Porto route back in 2021, even sending a team to assess the port, but shelved the plan once Spain reopened to British travellers and the numbers no longer added up. There is clear demand, including a long-running petition from UK residents in Portugal, but no operator has confirmed a direct service since. If that changes, we will update this page.
Until then, the fastest realistic way to reach Portugal by sea is Plymouth–Santander: around 20 hours and a single night on board the Pont-Aven, followed by a drive of roughly six hours to Porto. It is not direct, but for a comfortable, car-and-all journey that skips the airport, it is the closest thing there is, and a crossing we would happily point travellers towards.
JW van Tilburg
References
| ↑1 | Most popular tourist destinations for UK tourists, Statista |
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Are there any plans for a ferry route from Santander to southern Portugal around Albufeira
Hi Terry,
Thanks for your question, at the moment there is no ferry from Santander to Portugal. There are however trains that will take you from Santander to the Algarve region, or Lissabon and Porto.
When there is news about this we will inform you.
Thank you for this article, very imformative.
Yes very infomative,
Oh i do wish Brittany ferries would do a crossing from Portsmouth to porto.
That would be a lovely little cruise.
I love Portugal, i dont fly but enjoy ferries and train journeys, trains from santander to porto can take a while upto 28hr waiting for connections.
The crossing from Portsmouth to Bilbao requires a vehicle if you are traveling with a pet. Even if you book a pet friendly cabin it requires a vehicle. Do you know of any other options if you don’t have a vehicle?
Best,
Catherine
Hi Catherine,
Thanks for your question.
Unfortunately, it's not possible to travel with a pet on Brittany Ferries without a vehicle. This is confirmed in their official FAQ, which you can find here:
Brittany Ferries Pet Travel FAQ: https://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/information/faqs/pet-travel/can-i-take-a-pet-if-i-am-travelling-as-a-foot-passenger
What about other options
Eurostar: Sadly, pets are not allowed on Eurostar trains (except registered assistance animals), so this route wouldn’t work either.
European trains: Once in France, however, most domestic and international trains are pet-friendly and allow animals in carriers or on leads, depending on size.
Pet Shuttle Services
If you’re travelling without a car, you could consider a pet taxi or shuttle service to cross the Channel. For example:
Dover–Calais Pet Travel Shuttle: https://www.dover-sherwantaxis.com/dover-calais-pet-travel/
Irish Ferries: A Foot-Passenger Option
One alternative is Irish Ferries, which does allow pets to travel with foot passengers; provided you can carry your pet in a suitable rigid carrier, and follow their onboard kennel or carrier guidelines.
Irish Ferries Pet Policy: https://www.irishferries.com/ie-en/frequently-asked-questions/pet-travel-all-routes/pets-ireland-britain-routes/
I hope this gives you a useful starting point for planning. Let us know if you’d like help narrowing down a route or figuring out next steps.
Best regards, Jan Willem
PS. Maybe if you reach out by phone to one of the ferry companies they can make an exception? Hopefully?
It would be great for all the scared fliers to be able to sail to Portugal from the UK. We have travelled by Brittany Ferries to Spain twice a year, for the passed 13 years and love it but we would prefer to go to Portugal direct. |There are many, many peope who sail with Brittany Ferries who go on to Portugal, I meet them every time we sail, they all say the same and hope Brittany Ferries will very soon sail to Porto or lisbon.
Many thanks for a great service which could be evne better by sailing to Portugal.