Ferries

UK ferry routes, ports and operators.

From the Channel ports to the Western Isles, the UK has one of Europe's busiest passenger and vehicle ferry networks.

Vehicle ferry departing a UK port

The UK is served by around 120 scheduled vehicle ferry routes. The southern Channel ports — Dover, Folkestone (via Eurotunnel) and Portsmouth — connect drivers to France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain.

On the east coast, Hull and Newcastle serve the Low Countries and Scandinavia. On the west, Holyhead, Liverpool and Cairnryan link Britain to Ireland, while CalMac and NorthLink operate the lifeline services to Scotland's islands.

Where & what to know

Dover

Channel
Kent, England

The UK's busiest ferry port. P&O Ferries, DFDS and Irish Ferries to Calais and Dunkirk. Crossings every 30–60 minutes.

Portsmouth

Channel
Hampshire, England

Brittany Ferries and DFDS to Caen, St Malo, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Santander and Bilbao. Day and overnight sailings.

Newhaven

Channel
East Sussex, England

DFDS service to Dieppe, four sailings per day. A quieter alternative to Dover for southern France.

Hull

North Sea
East Yorkshire, England

P&O Ferries overnight to Rotterdam (Europoort) and Zeebrugge. Cabins on every sailing.

Harwich

North Sea
Essex, England

Stena Line to Hook of Holland. Both daytime and overnight crossings.

Newcastle (North Shields)

North Sea
Tyne & Wear, England

DFDS Newcastle–Amsterdam (IJmuiden), overnight only, daily.

Holyhead

Irish Sea
Anglesey, Wales

Stena Line and Irish Ferries to Dublin and Dublin Port. Around eight sailings per day combined.

Liverpool (Birkenhead)

Irish Sea
Merseyside, England

Stena Line to Belfast; P&O Ferries to Dublin. Overnight services with cabin accommodation.

Cairnryan

Irish Sea
Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland

Stena Line and P&O Ferries to Belfast and Larne. Shortest sea crossing to Northern Ireland.

Pembroke / Fishguard

Irish Sea
Pembrokeshire, Wales

Irish Ferries and Stena Line to Rosslare. Useful for southern Ireland.

Oban & Mallaig

Hebrides
Argyll / Highland, Scotland

CalMac hubs for Mull, Coll, Tiree, Barra, South Uist and the Small Isles.

Aberdeen & Scrabster

Northern Isles
Aberdeenshire / Caithness, Scotland

NorthLink Ferries to Orkney (Kirkwall, Stromness) and Shetland (Lerwick).

Practical tips

Check in early

Most operators require check-in 60–90 minutes before sailing. Eurotunnel asks for 30 minutes minimum.

Carry ID

Passport required for all international sailings. Some Irish Sea routes accept photo ID — check operator rules.

Book ahead in summer

Channel and Irish routes can sell out at weekends. Hebridean services are often fully booked weeks ahead in July–August.