The Dover alternatives: the West Route playbook to France
If the words Dover crossing make you picture queues, stress, and a motorway slog before the holiday even begins, you’re not alone. We’ve done the family road-trip thing with two young kids, and for us the calmer alternative is often the same: head west and let the ferry do the heavy lifting.
With ferries from Portsmouth and Plymouth to France, you can skip the Dover pinch point, swap some road miles for proper downtime, and arrive feeling like the trip has already started.
People often search for things like ‘Portsmouth to France ferry', ‘Plymouth to France ferry' or ‘skip Dover ferry to France'. That’s exactly what this page is: the friendly playbook version, with quick picks, real-life tips, and the routes that make the most sense.
Want the quick overviews first? Here are the route hubs: ferries from Portsmouth to France and ferries from Plymouth to France.
Set sail to (quick links)
- Quick picks
- West Route vs Dover
- What to do onboard
- Portsmouth routes
- Plymouth routes
- Best destinations
- Itinerary ideas
- Book-smart tips
- Atlantic coast road trip ideas
Best for: Normandy, Brittany, the Loire, Atlantic coast road trips (and anyone who prefers calm over chaos).
Why it works: fewer motorway miles, more rest, and you land closer to where you actually want to be.
The vibe: meals, sea air, a wander onboard, and (if you time it right) even a cabin nap.
Quick picks
- Most practical all-rounder: Portsmouth → Caen (great for Normandy and an easy first driving day). Think: Bayeux, the D-Day coast, and a gentle start to your road trip.
- Best for Brittany vibes: Portsmouth → Saint-Malo (arrive with instant character). Think: Saint-Malo, Dinan, the Emerald Coast, and Mont Saint-Michel as an easy add-on.
- Shortest, easy Portsmouth hop: Portsmouth → Cherbourg (we sailed it on the Santona — it’s a great reset crossing before a road trip). See our Portsmouth → Cherbourg experience. Good if you want a shorter crossing and a smooth start into Normandy/Cotentin exploring.
- Starting from the South West: see Plymouth → France routes (less backtracking if you’re in Devon/Cornwall).
If you just want the simplest decision: pick Caen for Normandy, pick Saint-Malo for Brittany, and you’re already winning.
Map: Portsmouth & Plymouth ferries to France (+ Poole & Newhaven)
Pins: Portsmouth, Plymouth, Poole, Newhaven, Caen/Ouistreham, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Saint-Malo and Dieppe.
West Route vs Dover: which is right for you?
Here’s the honest take. Neither is ‘better’ for everyone. It depends on where you’re going and how you like to travel.
Pick Portsmouth / Plymouth if…
- You’re heading for Normandy, Brittany or the Atlantic coast.
- You’d rather swap motorway miles for onboard downtime.
- You’re travelling with kids and want the travel day to feel less intense.
- You like the idea of arriving closer to your end destination.
Stick with Dover if…
- You want the shortest possible crossing and don’t mind the driving.
- Your first stop is near Calais/Lille (or you’re mainly heading east).
- You’re doing a quick dash and convenience beats comfort this time.
Quick comparison Dover vs West Route alternatives
| What matters | Dover-style crossing | West Route (Portsmouth/Plymouth) |
|---|---|---|
| Crossing time | Shorter | Longer |
| Driving load | Often more motorway on both sides | Often fewer miles if you’re going west in France |
| Travel-day stress | Can be higher (queues + concentrated road time) | Often lower (you can rest, eat, and reset onboard) |
| Best match | East / quick hops / tight schedules | Normandy / Brittany / Atlantic road trips |
Why the West Route works so well
1) You’re heading west in France, so why drive east first?
If your plan is Normandy, Brittany, or the Atlantic coast, the Dover corridor can mean extra UK and French motorway miles just to get started. The West Route flips that: you land closer to the regions you actually want, and your first holiday hours feel calmer.
2) Longer crossing, easier journey
On paper, Dover can look faster. In reality, the West Route often wins on comfort: less tense driving, a proper meal, time to decompress, and kids who can move around rather than being strapped in for hours.
Ferrygogo tip: If you can swap driving time for onboard time, the travel day often feels noticeably easier.
3) You can arrive fresher, especially with kids
We’ve found that starting the trip onboard makes a big difference. The kids get a change of scene, you can actually sit down, and there’s a clear shift from travel mode into holiday mode as soon as the ship leaves port. A quick deck walk after boarding is, for us, often the difference between chaos and chill.
We’ve sailed the Saint-Malo ↔ Portsmouth route ourselves and wrote up our experience with photos and a quick visual impression. If you’re wondering what the crossing feels like in real life (and what it’s like with kids), this one’s for you: Read our Saint-Malo ↔ Portsmouth experience.
What is there to do on the West Route ferries?
This is where the West Route earns its keep. You’re not just getting across, you’re starting the holiday. Depending on the sailing and ship, think:
- Food and drink: a proper sit-down meal (or at least a calm coffee) without juggling motorway exits.
- Cabins: brilliant for proper rest, especially on longer crossings.
- Deck time: fresh air, sea views, and the simple joy of doing nothing for a bit.
- Space to roam: a genuine lifesaver with young children.
Travelling with kids? This is what helps most
One small upgrade that can make a massive difference: a cabin. Not just overnight, but also on day sailings. For naptime, it’s basically a reset button. We’ve had crossings where a one-hour cabin nap turned the whole afternoon from wobbly to wonderful.
- Cabin for day crossings: perfect for naptime, changing, snacks, and a quiet base when the ship gets busy.
- One small onboard bag: snacks, wipes, chargers, spare layer, and anything you’d rather not dig out of the car deck.
- Deck walk early: it burns off energy and makes later downtime much easier.
- Keep one comfort routine: a book, a small toy, or a familiar snack at the right moment can be pure magic.
More family ferry tips here: how to travel comfortably with children on the ferry.
We did the Portsmouth → Cherbourg crossing on Brittany Ferries’ Santona and wrote it up with our impressions: Read our Portsmouth → Cherbourg (Santona) experience.
Portsmouth or Plymouth: which one should you pick?
Here’s the simple way we’d choose it.
Pick Portsmouth if…
- You want more choice of routes and sailing times.
- You’re aiming for Normandy (easy launchpad for a road trip).
- You like the idea of arriving close to the action and driving less once you land.
Two Portsmouth routes we keep coming back to: Portsmouth → Caen (a brilliant all-rounder for Normandy) and Portsmouth → Saint-Malo (ideal if Brittany is your main goal, with a lovely arrival moment).
If you want a shorter hop with a great onboard vibe, Portsmouth → Cherbourg is also a really handy option. We sailed it on the Santona here: Portsmouth → Cherbourg experience.
For the full menu of options, see all ferries from Portsmouth to France.
Ready to book? Compare sailings
Map: Portsmouth ferries to France
Pins: Portsmouth, Caen/Ouistreham, Le Havre, Cherbourg, Saint-Malo.
Pick Plymouth if…
- You’re coming from the South West and want to avoid backtracking.
- You’re heading straight for Brittany and love coastal road-trip vibes.
- You want the cleanest straight-into-holiday option from Devon/Cornwall/Wales.
If you’re starting from Devon/Cornwall (or you simply want the most direct western France vibe), have a look at our full overview of ferries from Plymouth to France.
Map: Plymouth ferries to France
Pins: Plymouth + French arrival ports from the Plymouth hub.
For which destinations does the West Route make the most sense?
Normandy (easy wins)
- Caen & the D-Day coast – great for history, beaches, and family-friendly stops.
- Bayeux & inland Normandy – a lovely first night if you want to keep driving light after arrival.
- Honfleur / Deauville – classic coastal towns with an easy road-trip feel.
Brittany (where this route feels made for road trips)
- Saint-Malo & the Emerald Coast – instant character, great first-stop energy.
- Mont Saint-Michel – an easy add-on if you land in the right corner of France.
- West Brittany (Finistère) – beaches, smaller towns, and big coastal drives.
Loire & Atlantic coast road trips
- Nantes / La Rochelle direction – if your plan is coastal France without the Paris traffic.
- Basque Country / Northern Spain (via France) – a slower, scenic approach where the journey is part of the fun.
Ferrygogo tip: If your itinerary is Normandy/Brittany/Atlantic coast, the West Route often saves your energy where it matters most: the first two days.
Three easy itinerary ideas (to steal)
- 3–4 days in Normandy (easy mode)
Sail from Portsmouth to Caen, base yourself near Bayeux or the coast, and spend a couple of days exploring a few beach towns, followed by a big day out, keeping the driving gentle. - 5–7 days Brittany + Mont Saint-Michel
Sail Portsmouth → Saint-Malo, do Saint-Malo & the Emerald Coast, add Dinan, and finish with a Mont Saint-Michel day trip (early start helps a lot). - Atlantic coast starter (France → Spain → Portugal vibes)
Start in western France, follow the coastline south, and build a proper slow-travel road trip where the coastline does the planning for you.
Book-smart tips (small things that make a big difference)
- Cabins go first, especially in school holidays. If your dates are fixed, book sooner rather than later.
- Day sailing with kids: a cabin can be a brilliant naptime base camp, not just an overnight luxury.
- Choose your smoothest travel day: if possible, avoid peak changeover days and allow yourself a relaxed buffer on both ends.
- Be route-flexible: compare Caen vs Saint-Malo. Small tweaks can make the whole trip feel easier.
- Keep your essentials with you: one small onboard bag saves rummaging around later.
Where next? Turn it into an Atlantic coast road trip
If you’re already landing in the right corner of France, it’s a shame to stop at one region. We’ve put together a pick-and-mix guide to the best Atlantic coast stops across France → Spain → Portugal, with maps and city ideas you can plug into your itinerary: Atlantic coast cities to pick (France, Spain & Portugal).
Next step: compare sailings
Ready to plan? Start here: compare Portsmouth → France sailings or compare Plymouth → France sailings.
Portsmouth-Caen
Portsmouth-Saint Malo
So, is it worth it?
If you love the quickest possible crossing, Dover can still be the obvious choice. But if you prefer a calmer start, fewer road miles, and a journey that feels like part of the holiday, then Portsmouth and Plymouth are genuinely brilliant.
We’ll keep updating this playbook with our own sailings, family tips, and route-by-route notes. If you’re planning a specific trip (kids, dog, overnight, cabins), the logbook links above will give you a real feel for it.
Quick FAQs – West Route playbook to France
Isn’t this slower than Dover?
Sometimes, yes, on paper. But you may do fewer motorway miles, take proper breaks on board, and arrive closer to your end destination. For many road trips, it feels easier overall.
Do I need a cabin?
Not always. For daytime crossings, a comfy seat and a good plan can be enough. For overnight (or if you want the kids to properly reset), a cabin can be the best money you spend on the whole trip. And for day sailings with young children, a cabin can be a brilliant naptime base camp.
When should I book?
Peak season crossings (and especially family-friendly cabin options) can go early. If your dates are fixed, it’s worth sorting sooner rather than later. Start booking in November, December and January for the best prices
JW (Jan Willem) van Tilburg is one of the co-founders of FerryGoGo, has a passion for food, drink and travel. He loves exploring data and the history of the destinations featured on FerryGoGo, and he’s always curious about the population of each place. He’s also sailed many of the ferry routes between the UK and the continent himself; from Saint-Malo–Portsmouth to overnight crossings such as Portsmouth–Cherbourg and Newcastle–Amsterdam - so his guides are grounded in first-hand experience.
