The 11 Best Ferry Routes From the UK

So you fancy taking a ferry on your next holiday? Well, here are the best ferry routes from the UK, including how long they’ll take you to travel and how much you can expect to pay.

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For even more information on ferry routes, check out our friends at Discover Ferries. It is the UK ferry industry body that represents 13 ferry operators and its mission is to promote the joy of ferry travel!

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The Best UK Domestic Ferries

Let’s kickstart with some ferry routes that stay in the UK. After all, we’re lucky to live in such a beautiful country and the ferry is actually an amazing way to access some of those harder to reach destinations.

Scotland

The scenery on Scotland’s islands is sure to give you the wow factor! The good news is that there’s lots of ferry routes available in Scotland via Caledonian MacBrayne including:

Caledonian MacBrayne

From	To	Duration	Adult Foot Passenger	Car
Rothesay	Wemyss Bay, Isle of Bute	35 mins	£7.60 return	£27.10 return
Ardrossan	Brodick, Isle of Arran	55 mins	£9.20 return	£37.20 return
Oban	Craignure, Isle of Mull	46 mins	£8.50 return	£32 return
Mallaig	Armadale, Isle of Skye	30 mins	£7 return	£23.30 return
Kennacraig	Port Ellen, Isle of Islay	2 hours 10 mins	£15.80 return	£79.80 return
Ullapool	Stornoway, Isle of Lewis	2 hours 40 mins	£22.30 return	£121.30 return

Prices shown are lowest fares and concessions are available. The price of a car is in addition to the individuals travelling.

My Scotland Ferry Top Pick

Not only is the return ferry to Wemyss Bay an absolute steal at just £7.60 return, but it gives you access to the untouched beauty of the Isle of Bute – which has its own seal colony on Scalpsie Bay!

London

Didn’t realise London had its own ferry? It’s called the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers and it’s a great way to explore the capital by river!

The boat stops at 24 piers along the Thames so you’re able to hop on and off, though you could do the entire route if you fancied:

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers

From	To	Duration	Adult Foot Passenger	Child Foot Passenger
Barking Riverside Pier	Putney Pier	1 hour 57 mins	£22.10 unlimited travel	£11.05 unlimited travel

Prices shown are lowest fares and discounts may be available for additional adults, and also for children and infants. Family tickets are also available for 2 adults and up to 3 children (aged 5-15) for £44.20.

There’s also ‘Single’, ‘Return’ and ‘East Zone River Roamer’ ticket options available too.

My London Ferry Top Pick

I’ve used the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers quite a few times and it’s one of my favourite ways to see the city! For me, a must stop is Greenwich as you really can’t beat seeing the incredible architecture of the Old Royal Naval College as you sweep along the riverside. Make sure you pop in too and check out The Painted Hall. It is stunning!

Isle of Wight

Situated just off the south coast of England, the Isle of Wight is only two hours from London via ferry or hovercraft. Thanks to its diverse landscapes, pretty beaches and charming towns the island has earnt the nickname “England in miniature”.

There are three ferry operators that serve the Isle of Wight including Wightlink, Hovertravel and Red Funnel. Here’s an example of some of the available routes for each:

Wightlink

From	To	Duration	Adult Foot Passenger	Up to 7 Adults + Car	Foot Passenger Day Return
Portsmouth	Ryde Pier Head	22 mins	£21 one way £39 return	N/A	£27.40 pp
Portsmouth	Fishbourne	45 mins	£17.40 one way £32.40 return	From £77 return	£22.60 pp
Lymington	Yarmouth	40 mins	£17.40 one way £32.40 return	From £77 return	£22.60 pp

Prices shown are lowest fares and discounts may be available for additional adults, and also for children and infants. Kids even travel for free during school holidays!

Hovertravel

From	To	Duration	Adult Foot Passenger	Adult Foot Passenger Day Return	Car
Southsea	Ryde	10 mins	£23.50 one way £40.40 90-day return	£31.50	N/A

Prices shown are lowest fares and discounts may be available for additional adults, and also for children and infants. There are also family tickets (max 2 adults and up to 3 children) available online.

Red Funnel

From	To	Duration	Adult Foot Passenger	Up to 7 Adults + Car	Foot Passenger Day Return
Southampton	East Cowes	1 hour	£12.60 one way £27.90 return	£46.75 one way	£12.90 foot passenger £59 with a vehicle & up to 7 passengers
Southampton	Cowes	28 mins	£6.45 one way	N/A	£33.20 pp £44.90 for family day return

Prices shown are lowest fares and discounts may be available for additional adults, and also for children and infants.

My Isle of Wight Ferry Top Pick

It has to be the 10 minute ferry between Southsea and Ryde since it’s the world’s longest running commercial hovercraft service, and only scheduled hovercraft service in Europe!

Isles of Scilly

The Isles of Scilly are one of those places that make you gasp and go ‘is that really in the UK?’ but yes, yes it is!

Travelling with Isles of Scilly Travel, it’s actually cheaper to do a day return journey but since you have to complete it in one day, it doesn’t give you much time to explore:

Isles of Scilly Travel

From	To	Duration	Adult Foot Passenger	Adult Day Return
Penzance	St Mary’s	2 hours 45 mins	£83.90 one way	£35 return

Prices shown are lowest fares and discounts may be available for additional adults, and also for children and infants. There are flights available too, as well as ‘Fly + Sail’ rates, though they are more expensive.

My Isles of Scilly Ferry Top Pick

This trip has been on my bucket list for ages and so I think I’d probably have to stay a little longer than just a few hours!! I love the idea of pairing this trip up with the overnight sleeper train from London to Penzance – what an epic trip this would turn out to be!

The Best UK to British Islands Ferries

If you’re wondering what counts as ‘British Islands’, you won’t be the first – nor the last! But it’s because the islands of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are not part of the United Kingdom. In fact, they each have their own parliament, government and laws!

But geography aside, all that really matters at this moment is that they are brilliant destinations to visit by ferry and if you’re travelling directly from the UK, you don’t even need to remember your passport to get there!

Isle of Man

Did you know that the Isle of Man is a UNESCO Biosphere reserve and Dark Sky area so great for nature and star gazing? And you can head to explore it with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company which has routes including:

Isle of Man Steam Packet Company

From	To	Duration	Adult Foot Passenger	1 Adult + Car	Day trip
Heysham	Douglas	3 hours 35 mins	£24.75 one way	£205.50 one way	£42.50 for foot passengers £128 for a car & 4 passengers
Liverpool	Douglas	2 hours 45 mins	£26 one way	£228.50 one way	£42.50 for foot passengers £128 for a car & 4 passengers
Belfast	Douglas	2 hours 45 mins	£34 one way	£228.50 one way	£42.50 for foot passengers £128 for a car & 4 passengers
Dublin	Douglas	2 hours 55 mins	£26 one way	£228.50 one way	£42.50 for foot passengers £128 for a car & 4 passengers

Prices shown are lowest fares and discounts may be available for additional adults, and also for children and infants. 3 Day return breaks for a car and two passengers start from £95.50 and 5 day return breaks are available from £125.50.

Channel Islands: Guernsey & Jersey

I think we forget just how close Guernsey and Jersey are to France and so what a great way to get that abroad feeling without having to travel too far!

Here’s some of the routes available with Condor Ferries:

Condor Ferries

From	To	Duration	Adult Foot Passenger	2 Adults + Car
Portsmouth	Guernsey	from 6 hours 15 mins	£50 one way	£160 one way
Portsmouth	Jersey	8 hours 10 mins	£45 one way	£160 one way
Poole	Guernsey	from 3 hours	£45 one way	£160 one way
Poole	Jersey	from 4 hours 15 mins	£50 one way	£160 one way

Prices shown are lowest fares and discounts may be available for additional adults, and also for children and infants

My British Islands Ferry Top Pick

A great option for heading to the Channel Islands is to do a day trip between Poole and Guernsey where an adult foot return is just £38, or a day return for a family (2 adults and 2 children) costs just £132!

The Best UK to Ireland Ferries

When I think of a ferry trip, my mind always goes to taking the crossing over to Ireland. I mean, what better way to prime yourself for a trip to the Emerald Isle than by enjoying a pint of Guinness on board beforehand?!

Ireland

There are lots of options for getting the ferry over to Ireland, with routes being offered by Irish Ferries, P&O Ferries, and Stena Line.

P&O Ferries

From	To	Duration	Adult Foot Passenger	2 Adults + Car
Cairnryan	Larne	2 hours	£33	£160 one way

Prices shown are lowest fares and discounts may be available for additional adults, and also for children and infants

Stena Line

From	To	Duration	Adult Foot Passenger	2 Adults + Car
Cairnryan	Belfast	2 hours 15 mins	£36	£171 one way
Liverpool	Belfast	8 hours	£36	£177 one way
Holyhead	Dublin	3 hours 15 mins	£36	£181 one way
Fishguard	Rosslare	3 hours 30 mins	£36	£181 one way

Prices shown are lowest fares and discounts may be available for additional adults, and also for children and infants. A day trip to Belfast from Cairnryan costs as little as £20.

Irish Ferries

From	To	Duration	Adult Foot Passenger	1 Adult + Car
Pembroke	Rosslare	4 hours	N/A	£144 one way
Holyhead	Dublin	3 hours 15 mins	£36	£144 one way

Prices shown are lowest fares and discounts may be available for additional adults, and also for children and infants

My Ireland Ferry Top Pick

Being from North Wales originally, how could I not give a nod to getting the Ferry from Holyhead over to Dublin?! Also, a top tip is to look into the Rail and Sail fares which mean I was able to jump on the train from London, get a direct train to Holyhead, change onto the ferry to Dublin – all for around £50!!

Also, a shout out to the Cairnryan – Belfast route on Stena Line as selected ferries have an onboard spa!

The Best UK to Europe Ferries

Growing up, the ferry was the answer to many of the holidays my family would take if we wanted to leave the UK. As there were six of us, it often worked out as the cheapest way. That, and there’s nothing quite like not having to worry about baggage allowances when you have a car to fill up instead!

France

Now, there’s quite a few options here from different ferry operators, including DFDS, Irish Ferries, P&O Ferries, Brittany Ferries and Condor Ferries.

Here’s some of our favourite routes:

DFDS

From	To	Duration	Adult Foot Passenger	4 Adults + Car	Day Return
Dover	Calais	1 hour 30 mins	N/A	£76 one way	£39 for a car and 4 passengers
Dover	Dunkirk	2 hours	N/A	£76 one way	£39 for a car and 4 passengers
Newhaven	Dieppe	4 hours	£23 one way	£78.50 one way	N/A

Prices shown are lowest fares and discounts may be available for additional adults, and also for children and infants. Travellers can take advantage of short break offers to Dover-France including a 3 day return from £99 or a 5 day return from £129 for a car and up to 4 passengers.

Irish Ferries

From	To	Duration	Adult Foot Passenger	9 Adults + Car
Dover	Calais	1 hour 30 mins	N/A	£78 one way

Prices shown are lowest fares and discounts may be available for additional adults, and also for children and infants. Currently travellers can book a 3 day return short break to France for a car and up to 9 passengers from £98 or 5 days from £128.

P&O Ferries

From	To	Duration	Adult Foot Passenger	4 Adults + Car	Day Return
Dover	Calais	1 hour 30 mins	£30	£76 one way	£43 for a vehicle & up to 9 passengers

Prices shown are lowest fares and discounts may be available for additional adults, and also for children and infants. Short break offers include a 3 day return from £99 or a 5 day return from £129 for a car and 9 passengers.

Brittany Ferries

From	To	Duration	Adult Foot Passenger	2 Adults + Car
Portsmouth	Le Havre	6 hours	£40	£73 one way
Portsmouth	Caen	5 hours 45 mins / 7 hours overnight	£49	£73 one way
Portsmouth	Cherbourg	8 hours overnight	£49	£123 one way
Portsmouth	Saint Malo	11 hours overnight	£49	£179.50 one way
Poole	Cherbourg	4 hours 30 mins	£49	£123 one way
Plymouth	Roscoff	5 hours 30 mins / 9 hours overnight	£80	£123 one way

Prices shown are lowest fares and discounts may be available for additional adults, and also for children and infants. Fancy a budget-friendly short break? Book a 30 hour return trip to France from £26 per person when travelling as a foot passenger. Or book a 5 day return for a car and 2 passengers from £186.