UK ferry routes: choose the right crossing
Start with the whole journey, not the shortest ferry
The UK has several very different ferry corridors. Dover is excellent for a fast crossing to northern France, Harwich, Hull and Newcastle open up the Netherlands and northern Europe, Holyhead and Cairnryan serve Ireland, while Portsmouth and Plymouth are the key departure ports for western France and Spain.
The useful question is therefore not simply which ferries leave the UK? It is which crossing makes the complete trip easier from your front door to your destination?
That is how we organise FerryGoGo. The country guides below are the main decision pages. Route pages sit underneath them, and our first-hand reviews show what selected crossings are actually like once you reach the port and get on board.
Tested, not just listed
Across the FerryGoGo team we have travelled the main Channel options, Portsmouth-Cherbourg, Saint-Malo-Portsmouth, all three direct UK-Netherlands corridors, Holyhead-Dublin and, most recently, one of the direct UK-Spain crossings. That does not mean we have tested every route on this page. Where we have first-hand experience, we link it clearly.
If you are not sure which port or route to start with, use our best ferry route from the UK decision guide. It compares the main crossings by destination, UK starting point and travel style.
Main ferry destinations from the UK
These are the country hubs we would use first. They carry the main route comparisons, maps and onward-travel logic, with individual crossings linked underneath.
| Destination | Start here | What the guide helps you decide |
|---|---|---|
| France | Ferries to France from the UK | Dover versus Newhaven, Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth, depending on where in France you actually want to arrive. |
| Ireland | Ferries to Ireland from the UK | Dublin, Rosslare, Belfast or Larne, and which UK departure makes sense from England, Wales or Scotland. |
| Netherlands | Ferries to the Netherlands from the UK | Harwich-Hook of Holland, Hull-Rotterdam or Newcastle-IJmuiden. We have travelled all three. |
| Spain | Ferries to Spain from the UK | Portsmouth or Plymouth, Santander or Bilbao, cabin choice and the onward road trip. |
| Portugal | Ferry to Portugal from the UK | There is no direct ferry. Compare the practical route via northern Spain with a shorter ferry to France and a much longer drive. |
| Norway | Ferry to Norway from the UK | There is no direct ferry today. Compare the Netherlands or France as the first leg, then continue via Germany or Denmark. |
Choose by ferry corridor
Channel and western France
Use this corridor for France, Belgium and much of western Europe. Dover-Calais is the obvious fast ferry from the South East, but it is not automatically the best route for Normandy or Brittany.
North Sea: Netherlands and onward to northern Europe
This is one of FerryGoGo’s strongest first-hand clusters. We have travelled Harwich-Hook of Holland, Hull-Rotterdam and Newcastle-IJmuiden, and they suit very different UK starting points.
Irish Sea
For Ireland, the route decision is mainly geographical. Holyhead is the natural gateway for Dublin, the South Wales routes point towards Rosslare, and Cairnryan is the key Scottish departure point for Northern Ireland.
Spain and Portugal
The direct Spain ferries are long crossings, but they can remove a very large section of motorway from a road trip. Portugal has no direct UK ferry, so the real decision is Spain versus France.
Scandinavia and Germany
There are currently no direct passenger ferries from the UK to Norway, Denmark or Sweden. That makes the first crossing to mainland Europe part of the route decision rather than the final destination.
- UK to Norway ferry options
- UK to Denmark ferry options
- UK to Sweden ferry options
- UK to Germany ferry options
For most travellers, the Netherlands is the cleanest first leg from central and northern Britain, while France remains useful from the South and South East.
First-hand ferry reviews
A route map tells you where a ship goes. It does not tell you whether the boarding flow is awkward, whether a cabin is worth paying for, what happens with children at bedtime or how useful an overnight sailing feels when you still have a long drive ahead.
These are some of the UK corridors we have actually travelled:
| Crossing | What we tested | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Dover-Calais | P&O Ferries, DFDS, Irish Ferries and LeShuttle back-to-back. | Full comparison |
| Harwich-Hook of Holland | Car crossing, ship visit, cabins and overnight Rail & Sail from London. | Rail & Sail review |
| Hull-Rotterdam | Overnight P&O crossing, cabin and onboard experience. | Our experience |
| Newcastle-IJmuiden | DFDS family crossing with young children. | Route and first-hand tips |
| Holyhead-Dublin | Dublin Swift out, Stena Line cruise ferry back. | Tested route verdict |
| Portsmouth-Cherbourg | Santoña, including boarding, cabin and onboard facilities. | Our crossing |
Travelling to the UK by ferry?
Most international ferry routes work in both directions. If the UK is your destination rather than your starting point, these guides organise the main inbound options without duplicating every route above.
For Spain, use the main UK-Spain route guide: the same Santander and Bilbao routes operate in the return direction.
Practical ferry planning
Once you have chosen the corridor, these guides cover the things that tend to cause the most questions at the next stage of planning.
| Planning topic | Use this guide | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Passports and borders | UK-Europe ferry border checklist | Passport validity, ETA, EES/ETIAS, vehicle papers and your onboard grab bag. |
| Travelling with a dog | Dog on ferries | Pet cabins, kennels, vehicle rules and current pet paperwork differ by route. |
| Travelling with children | Ferry travel with children | Cabins, naps, bed rails, onboard bags and keeping the travel day manageable. |
| Cabins and upgrades | Brittany Ferries cabins | On longer crossings, the cabin and ticket type can matter more than a small difference in sailing time. |
| Price and CO2 research | Research desk | Use FerryGoGo’s own fare, CO2 and travel research for context beyond a single live fare. |
UK islands and domestic ferry guides
The main international corridors above carry most of the UK ferry-planning intent. For island travel within and around the British Isles, use these dedicated hubs instead.
Full UK ferry route directory
The curated links above are where we would start. If you already know the exact ports you want, browse the route cards below.
Ferry Talk
Questions or experiences? We'd love for you to share them.
Can you help me? We are a family of 5, and we want to travel to the UK from France in September 2023. We don’t have a car, is it possible to ferry without a car? And which ferry to take?
Hi Day-M,
Most people take the ferry from Calais to Dover with P&O Ferries if they ferry travel without a car as with DFDS you can’t book without a car (only with a bike) and with Irish Ferries it also doesn’t seem possible (they are more unclear about it, when you book as passenger though there don’t seem to be any ‘sailings’ which is odd).
Check out the route here: https://ferrygogo.co.uk/france/dover-calais/
how quickly can I get from Norway to UK by ferry? 2 adults, a child and a pet, no car.
@hanna Then why go by ferry? I would consider going by plane and/or if you got by Train I would take a look on Trainline.com
Im looking at travelling from Dover to Calais; can I take my two dogs?
Yes on all ships on the Calais-Dover route dogs are allowed.
Hi
Would anyone know if there is a ferry crossing from Plymouth to Hull or Sheffield or even to Portsmouth then one from Portsmouth to Hull or Sheffield ?
Thanks
Hi Angie,
There isn’t a ferry available. The majority would opt for driving or using public transportation.
best,
What is the furthest south you can travel in Europe from the UK on a ferry
Hi Gary,
From the UK, you can take a direct ferry to Northern Spain. You can sail from Portsmouth and Plymouth to either Bilbao or Santander. You can find more details about this crossing on our page: From the UK to Spain. This way, you’ll arrive in Northern Spain.
If you’re heading to Southern Spain, you could take a ferry to the Canary Islands. You can find that guide here.
Are you aiming for the Mediterranean? In that case, you can also travel from Barcelona and nearby ports to destinations such as the Balearic Islands, Sicily (with a detour), Mallorca, and Corsica. I’ve included links for all these destinations.
I hope this helps with your search!