Cross Channel Ferries to France
For decades cross channel ferries have provided a convenient mode of transport for British holidaymakers heading to the continent. Despite the availability of low cost flights to a host of European destinations cross channel ferries remain a firm favourite, and during the Icelandic volcanic eruptions of 2010 and the resulting air traffic problems that ensued ferry operators reported complete occupancy on all of their ferry routes.
Ferry crossings are available from several ports in the UK with various destination ports in France. The most popular and well known is undoubtably Dover to Calais, but there are alternatives for both daytime and overnight crossings. There are also a handful of different ferry operators, although most routes are exclusive to specific operators.
Shorter daytime ferry crossings are, not suprisingly, cheaper than overnight ferries, and tend to depart from the South east of the UK (where the English Channel is narrowest). Overnight ferry crossings remainj popular however, as they provide a welcome break for self drive holiday makers and can often deliver you closer to your holiday destination, requiring less driving once in France.
Although cross channel ferry crossings are particularly popular with self-drive tourists with destinations in France, but cheap ferry tickets have also spurred an interest in day trippers. Although a few years ago it was common for the ferries servicing the shorter routes to be filled with hire vans stacked to the roof with discounted booze the strength of the Euro against the Pound has meant that in recent years this practice has fallen out of favour somewhat.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to travel to the continent on this website you will find information about the cross channel ferries to France that run from UK ferry ports. More information is available by viewing individual pages.
Portsmouth to Cherbourg Ferries
The Portsmouth to Cherbourg route provides the shortest ferry crossing to France from Portsmouth. While useful for daytime crossings this benefit is lost on overnight crossings when ferries intentionally slow down, although prices are often cheaper than other ferry crossings available from Portsmouth.
Portsmouth to St Malo Ferries
Although one of the longest ferry routes to France from the UK, Brittany Ferries run an excellent service from Portsmouth to Saint Malo, with crossings up to 24 times per week. The ferry crossing itself takes about 10 hours and 45 minutes, so Brittany Ferries run one of their luxurious cruise ferries in order to cater for your every need. Enjoy the onboard cinema, restaurants and bars or simply relax in your cabin so that you're perfectly refereshed to enjoy your holiday in France.
Portsmouth to Caen Ferries
The Portsmouth to Caen ferry service is one of Brittany Ferries most popular. Both daytime and overnight crossings are available, with average journey times of 6 hours and 7 hours respectively.
Poole to Cherbourg Ferries
The port towns of Poole and Cherbourg are twinned with each other, so it stands to reason that there should be an excellent ferry service linking them. In fact Poole to Cherbourg is Brittany Ferries' shortest crossing and there is even a choice of ferry services. You can either take a cruise ferry with a typical journey time of 4 hours 30 minutes for a daytime sailing (roughly 6 hours 30 minutes overnight), or you can opt for a fastcraft crossing taking just over 2 hours!
Plymouth to Roscoff Ferries
Although Plymouth to Roscoff is one of the longer cross channel ferry routes it's ideal if you're planning to explore the rugged Western coast of Brittany. It's also an attractive option if you're heading for the Atlantic coast or indeed any of Western France. The Plymouth to Roscoff ferry route is serviced solely by Brittany Ferries who operate their luxury flagship cruise ferry on the route.
Dover to Calais Ferries
Dover to Calais is the shortest and busiest of all the cross channel ferry routes. Both P&O and SeaFrance operate frequent ferry services on this route, with prices that are kept low by the healthy competition.
Dover to Dunkirk Ferries
The Dover to Dunkirk ferry route is serviced by Norfolkline, with frequent daily crossings (as many as 12 per day) each taking approximately 2 hours. Although not as popular as the Dover to Calais crossing, if you're planning a touring holiday then Dunkirk is well located for access to Holland, Belgium and Germany, as well as European holiday destinations further afield.