Ferries to France from the UK
Popular crossings to France from the UK:
Ferry to France from the UK: choose the right crossing
There are 11 ferry routes from the UK to France, but the right one depends on more than the shortest sailing. The route map gives you a quick overview of the main corridors from Dover, Portsmouth, Newhaven, Poole and Plymouth to Hauts-de-France, Normandy and Brittany.
For most travellers, the choice comes down to three questions: do you want the fastest Channel hop, a cheaper short-sea option, or a longer crossing that saves driving in France? All main vehicle routes let you bring the car, caravan or campervan, which is why the ferry works so well for road trips, family holidays and longer stays in France.
Heads-up on price: the cheapest ferry ticket is not always the cheapest travel day. A low fare can disappear quickly once you add fuel, tolls, parking, extra driving time or a hotel stop. We would use the picks below as a starting point, then compare the routes that actually make sense from where you live and where you are going in France.
Which UK-France ferry should you choose?
- Shortest crossing: start with Dover-Calais. It is the obvious short-sea choice for many London and South East travellers.
- Best Dover alternative: compare Dover-Dunkirk. It takes longer than Calais, but the arrival point can work better for northern France, Belgium or onward routes towards the Netherlands and Germany.
- Best all-rounder for Normandy: look at Portsmouth-Caen. With the right sailing and a cabin, it can feel less like ‘lost travel time’ and more like starting the holiday on board.
- Best arrival experience: Portsmouth-Saint-Malo is hard to beat. You arrive close to the walled town, Brittany beaches, Cancale, Dinard and Mont-Saint-Michel.
- Best from South West England or Wales: check Plymouth-Roscoff or Poole-Cherbourg before driving across southern England to Dover.
- Best without a car: start with Newhaven-Dieppe or check the foot-passenger rules on the Brittany Ferries routes. Do not assume every Dover sailing accepts foot passengers.
Route map: ferries from the UK to France
UK to France by ferry, in short
- Main UK departure ports: Dover, Portsmouth, Newhaven, Plymouth and Poole.
- Main French arrival ports: Calais, Dunkirk, Dieppe, Cherbourg, Caen, Le Havre, Roscoff and Saint-Malo.
- Fastest crossing: Dover-Calais, usually around 90 minutes.
- Best for western France: Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth routes can save a lot of driving if you are heading for Normandy, Brittany or further south.
- Travelling with a car, caravan or campervan: enter the right vehicle size if you have a roof box, bike rack, trailer or high vehicle. Fixing this at the port can be more stressful than doing it properly when booking.
- Foot passengers: check before booking. Newhaven-Dieppe is one of the more useful options, and Brittany Ferries has dedicated foot-passenger guidance, but some short-sea Dover routes are vehicle-only.
- Overnight crossings: book cabins early, especially in school holidays and on longer western routes.
- Seasonal routes: western France schedules vary more than Dover. Check live timetables carefully, especially outside summer and on selected services such as Plymouth-Saint-Malo.
About the ferry crossings to France
The most popular way to reach France by ferry is the Dover-Calais route. It is the shortest classic ferry crossing between the two countries and usually the easiest to compare with LeShuttle. But it is not the ideal choice for everyone.
Think of the UK-France network in three corridors. The Dover Strait gives you speed and frequency. The Normandy routes take longer on the water, but can save driving if you are not starting in the South East or if your destination is further west. The Brittany routes are the longest, but on the right itinerary they can replace a hotel night and a large chunk of road travel.
- Dover-Calais and Dover-Dunkirk: shortest and most frequent, especially useful from London, Kent and the South East.
- Newhaven-Dieppe: a practical alternative for East Sussex, cyclists and some foot-passenger journeys.
- Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth routes: better for many Normandy, Brittany and western France trips, particularly if you want to reduce motorway miles.
- Overnight ferries: useful when the cabin turns the crossing into sleep time rather than another long travel leg.
- Saint-Malo and Roscoff: stronger choices when Brittany is part of the holiday, not just a place to drive through.
Must-knows before booking a ferry to France
Before you pick a route, look beyond the sailing time alone. The best ferry to France is often the one that gives you the easiest full travel day, not just the shortest crossing.
- Do not choose Dover by habit: Dover-Calais and Dover-Dunkirk are excellent short-sea routes, but they are not automatically best if you live further west or are heading for Normandy, Brittany or the Atlantic coast.
- Western routes can replace road miles: crossings from Portsmouth, Poole or Plymouth take longer on the water, but can put you much closer to your final destination in France.
- A cabin changes the journey: on routes such as Portsmouth-Caen, Portsmouth-Saint-Malo or Plymouth-Roscoff, an overnight sailing can work like a moving hotel. With children, we would book cabins early rather than leaving it to the last minute.
- Flexibility can be worth paying for: on longer France routes, a flexible ticket is cheap insurance if plans change at short notice and you need to move sailing or port
- Foot-passenger rules differ by route and operator: Newhaven-Dieppe is useful without a car, but some Dover routes are vehicle-only. Always check this before building a rail or coach itinerary around a ferry.
- Vehicle details matter: roof boxes, bike racks, trailers, caravans and campervans can affect the fare and the space needed on the car deck. It is better to enter the right dimensions when booking than to fix it at the port.
- Some services are seasonal or selected sailings only: this matters more on the western France routes than on the Dover corridor.
Ferry crossings to France, grouped by arrival region
Use these regional groups after the route picker. They are useful because a crossing that looks slower on the water can still be better for the full journey once you include the drive in the UK and France.
Dover Strait ferries
Dover-Calais and Dover-Dunkirk are the short-sea choices: frequent, quick and usually easiest to compare. In our Dover-Calais test, the crossing was not just about the time at sea. Border control, boarding flow, onboard space and the chance to take a proper break from the car all mattered.
Choose this corridor if you are coming from London or the South East, need maximum frequency or are comparing the ferry with LeShuttle. If you are heading for western France, do not assume Dover is best just because the ferry crossing is short.
Dover Strait crossings, in short:
- Dover-Calais: the shortest and busiest classic ferry corridor, with P&O Ferries, DFDS and Irish Ferries competing on the route.
- Dover-Dunkirk: a longer crossing than Calais, but useful for northern France, Belgium and onward routes towards the Netherlands or Germany. On DFDS this is a vehicle-only route.
Ferries to Normandy from England
Normandy ferries arrive in Dieppe, Le Havre, Caen or Cherbourg. They are longer than Dover-Calais or Dover-Dunkirk, but can make the whole journey easier if you are heading for Normandy, western France or the Atlantic side of the country.
Normandy crossings, in short:
- Portsmouth-Caen: a strong all-rounder for Normandy, with day and overnight options on many sailings. For families, the overnight version can be a very useful way to turn travel time into sleep time.
- Portsmouth-Le Havre: useful for Normandy and trips towards Paris, but check sailing days and times carefully.
- Portsmouth-Cherbourg: practical for western Normandy, Brittany and onward driving. We ended up using this route on Santoña after an unforeseen car issue meant changing from our planned Portsmouth-Caen sailing. That experience made the value of a flexible ticket very clear.
- Poole-Cherbourg: a good option from Dorset and parts of South West England if you want to avoid driving to Dover first.
- Newhaven-Dieppe: often one of the more useful UK-France routes for foot passengers and cyclists, as well as drivers.
- Looking mainly at Portsmouth? See our page with all crossings from Portsmouth to France.
Ferries to Brittany from England
Brittany routes are longer and more itinerary-driven. They make most sense when Brittany, the Atlantic coast or western France is part of the trip, or when you would rather sleep on board than add another hotel stop and a long drive.
- Portsmouth-Saint-Malo: the strongest arrival experience in this group. It is not the fastest route, but arriving close to the walled town, beaches, Cancale, Dinard and Mont-Saint-Michel is a real advantage.
- Plymouth-Roscoff: a logical choice from South West England, Cornwall, Devon and parts of Wales, especially if you are heading into Brittany or along the Atlantic coast.
- Poole-Cherbourg: not a Brittany arrival, but often relevant for western-France trips because it avoids the long drive to Dover.
- Plymouth-Saint-Malo: treat this as a selected winter sailing rather than a core everyday route. Check the live timetable before building your trip around it.
- Cabins matter more here: on the longer crossings, the difference between a seat and a proper cabin can change how fresh you feel on arrival.
Brittany Ferries cabins, tickets and upgrades: what to book
Not sure what to book on Brittany Ferries? We’ve bundled the essentials into one practical guide: which cabin, seat or lounger fits your crossing, what the difference is between Economy, Standard and Flexi, and which upgrades are worth considering on a longer sailing. You’ll find the full cabins, tickets and upgrades guide here.
Our take: on day sailings, upgrades are mostly about comfort. On overnight crossings, the cabin can decide whether the ferry feels like useful travel time or just a short night’s sleep. We would also look seriously at ticket flexibility on longer France trips, mainly because it gives you a bit of insurance for not too much extra.
Before you board: our ferry travel experiences
We have tested the main Dover-Calais options and several western France crossings ourselves. In the travel reports below, we focus on the details travellers actually worry about: check-in, boarding, cabins, food, children, car-deck flow, arrival and when a ferry is better than LeShuttle.
Portsmouth to Cherbourg by Ferry: Sailing on the Santona with Brittany Ferries
By ferry from Saint-Malo to Portsmouth: our experience and a visual impression
We tried every way to cross the Channel from Dover to Calais
Photos from our Channel and Brittany Ferries crossings
UK to France crossings
| Crossing | Sailing time | Distance | Sailings | From price | Operated by: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover ↔ Calais | 1h 30m | 26 miles | Up to 35 times per day | £80.00 | P&O, Irish Ferries, DFDS |
| Dover ↔ Dunkirk | 2 hours | 47 miles | Up to 8 times per day | £81.00 | DFDS |
| Portsmouth ↔ Caen | 5h 45m | 112 miles | Up to 3 times per day | £126.00 | Brittany Ferries |
| Portsmouth ↔ Le Havre | 5h 30m | 106 miles | Up to 5 times per week | £77.00 | Brittany Ferries |
| Portsmouth ↔ Cherbourg | 6–8 hours | 84 miles | Up to 3 times per week | £99.00 | Brittany Ferries |
| Poole ↔ Cherbourg | 4h 30m | 77 miles | Up to 1 time per day | £121.00 | Brittany Ferries |
| Newhaven ↔ Dieppe | 4 hours | 78 miles | Up to 4 times per day | £75.00 | DFDS |
| Plymouth ↔ Roscoff | 5h 30m / 11 hours (overnight) | 112 miles | Up to 8 times per week | £146.00 | Brittany Ferries |
| Poole ↔ Saint-Malo | 6h 20m / 12 hours (overnight) | 143 miles | Up to 4 times per week | £184.00 | Condor Ferries |
| Portsmouth ↔ Saint-Malo | 11 hours | 156 miles | Once per day | £165.00 | Brittany Ferries |
Compare prices and availability for ferries to France
Ferry prices to France can change a lot by route, season, sailing time, vehicle type and how early you book. The route cards and tables are useful for orientation, but live availability and operator rules should decide the final booking.
If your travel dates are flexible, compare a few nearby dates and ports before choosing. A slightly longer crossing can sometimes save driving time, fuel, tolls or even a hotel night.
Use the booking tool below to compare live sailings, operators and fares for your trip across the Channel.
When a longer ferry can be the better choice
The common mistake is to compare only the time on the water. A five-, six- or overnight crossing can still be the smarter choice if it avoids a long detour to Dover or puts you closer to your final destination in France.
Choose a western crossing if…
- you live in South West England, Wales or the western side of the Midlands;
- you are travelling to Normandy, Brittany, the Atlantic coast or further into western France;
- you want to sleep on board instead of booking a hotel near the port;
- you are travelling with children and would rather break the journey with a cabin, meal and time on deck.
Stick with Dover if…
- you are coming from London, Kent or the South East;
- you need the highest sailing frequency and the most flexibility;
- you are heading to northern France, Belgium, the Netherlands or Germany;
- you are comparing the ferry directly with LeShuttle and want the shortest ferry crossing.
FerryGoGo tip: compare the full route from home to your first overnight stop in France, not just port-to-port sailing time.
Good to know before taking the ferry to France
Once you have chosen your route, a few practical checks can make the crossing and onward drive a lot smoother.
- Bring your passport: since Brexit, a driving licence or ID card is not enough for UK-France travel. Check that every passenger has the right travel document before you head to the port.
- Travelling overnight with children? A cabin can make a huge difference, especially on longer crossings. We’ve shared more tips for travelling with kids by ferry here.
- Download before you sail: on longer or overnight crossings, download films, series, playlists, audiobooks and offline maps before boarding. Ferry Wi-Fi can be limited or paid, and maritime mobile networks at sea can be much more expensive than normal roaming. We would switch off data roaming at sea and use downloaded content instead.
- Think about seasickness: longer western crossings can be more exposed than the short Dover routes. These tips for avoiding seasickness on ferries may help.
- Travelling with pets? Rules, fees and onboard arrangements vary by route and operator. Check our guide to travelling with pets on ferries.
Driving on after arrival in France
Remember that you drive on the right in France. The first few minutes after leaving the port can feel a bit odd, especially at roundabouts, petrol stations and motorway slip roads, so take it slowly until you are back in the rhythm.
If you are driving deep into France, also remember that many motorways are toll roads. The individual charges may not feel huge, but they can add up on a long journey towards Brittany, the Dordogne, the Alps or the south of France. Sometimes the best ferry route is the one that saves you the most driving after arrival, not just the one with the shortest crossing.
JW van Tilburg
Useful for travellers to France
Tips for ferry travellers
Fastest ferry route uk to france
Hi Kenneth,
That would be the Dover to Calais crossing – approx 90 mins.