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ALL
2021 INFORMATION IS PROVISIONAL AND THE OPERATION AND SCHEDULES OF ALL
SERVICES ARE DEPENDENT ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE COVID PANDEMIC AND
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
From the shortest crossing, Dover - Calais, to the longest, Hull - Zeebrugge and Plymouth - Roscoff, there is a good choice of ferry and tunnel operators running from a number of UK ports.
► Booking directly with the ferry company protects you from any possibility of a third-party failure, and may make it easier and cheaper to change or cancel a booking if you have to change your ticket. Though take note: most of the cheapest tickets available are now sold on a "no change / no refund / no cancellation" basis, and in this case it make little difference if you have booked directly through the ferry company, or through a fare-comparison site. And since the cost of a flexible ticket is almost the same as the cost of a new cheap-rate ticket anyway, paying extra for flexibility doesn't make sense unless you really think you might miss that ferry !
► Which route ? It depends on your priorities, and where you're going.
From the shortest crossing, Dover - Calais, to the longest, Hull - Zeebrugge and Plymouth - Roscoff, there is a good choice of ferry and tunnel operators running from a number of UK ports.
► Booking directly with the ferry company protects you from any possibility of a third-party failure, and may make it easier and cheaper to change or cancel a booking if you have to change your ticket. Though take note: most of the cheapest tickets available are now sold on a "no change / no refund / no cancellation" basis, and in this case it make little difference if you have booked directly through the ferry company, or through a fare-comparison site. And since the cost of a flexible ticket is almost the same as the cost of a new cheap-rate ticket anyway, paying extra for flexibility doesn't make sense unless you really think you might miss that ferry !
► Which route ? It depends on your priorities, and where you're going.
- Price :For the cheapest crossings, take a ferry from Dover, and avoid peak periods and peak hours. Early morning or late night crossings are cheapest.
- Speed of crossing: Take the Eurotunnel shuttle, it's fastest but expensive
- Convenience: (and maybe price and speed too) Drivers bound for the western half of France or Spain should check out crossings from Portsmouth or further west. They are more expensive, but can result in much shorter driving distances. For example a journey from the western outskirts of London to Tours or anywhere in southwest France involves about 320 kilometres or over 200 miles less driving if taking a Portsmouth-Caen crossing, rather than Dover-Calais. Or a trip from Birmingham to central Normandy is a 500 km drive via Portsmouth but 820 km via Dover. By taking a night crossing, you can also save time or a hotel bill.
Route | Ferry operator |
---|---|
► See Eurostar page for trains from London or Ashford to France and Belgium | |
Dover
- Calais - three
carriers including Eurotunnel (from Folkestone) The shortest and quickest services to France. Appropriate for reaching any region of France. Check out Routes from Calais |
Eurotunnel le Shuttle - up to 4 crossings each hour |
DFDS Seaways Up to 10 crossings a day | |
P&O Ferries Up to 23 crossings a day | |
Dover - Dunkirk | DFDS Seaways Up to 9 crossings a day |
Hull Zeebrugge (Belgium) The least hassle from the North of England . Quick access to France | P&O Ferries 1 overnight crossing in each direction |
Newhaven - Dieppe | DFDS Seaways Up to 3 crossings a day |
Portsmouth - Le Havre | Brittany Ferries Seasonal late March to late October: usually 1 crossing each day, generally leaving at 7 a.m. from Thursday to Sunday, or 11.15 Monday to Thursday |
Portsmouth - Caen. May save time for trips to western France ... but usually much more expensive than short crossings. | Brittany Ferries
Daily up to 3 sailings a day |
Portsmouth - Cherbourg | Brittany Ferries 1 sailing a day by fast catamaran - 3 hrs. Seasonal: late April - early September |
Portsmouth - St Malo | Brittany Ferries 1 sailing most nights; outward crossing departs 8.15 pm. Crossing time about 11 hours |
Poole - Cherbourg | Brittany Ferries Daily 3
Jan to 8 March, then 30 Apr. to 01 Nov. One sailing a day
usually at 8.30 am - outward. |
Plymouth - Roscoff (Brittany) Useful only for reaching Brittany and the Atlantic regions of France | Brittany Ferries
Seasonal : sporadic in winter, daily from 12th
March to
25th Sept. One crossing a day - very varied departure times depending
on day |
**
It is also possible to sail to France using Condor Ferries, but
most UK-France sailings on Condor involve a change of ships in the
Channel Islands
- Flying to France: check out the Flight guide for France information page
- By train from London : check out direct train services from London to France
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