Ferries that
sail to Spain from England
The United Kingdom is connected
to Europe by numerous ferry routes
that cross the Cantabrian Sea
and the English Channel transporting
passengers and vehicles on their
way from
England to Spain via France
or to many other European destinations.
Travelling to Spain by ferry and
taking your own car can often
be cheaper than flying and then
hiring a car once you arrive in
Spain, especially if you have
a large family and are travelling
in high season. And for families
heading for a Spanish campsite
ferry travel is a must.
The length of the ferry crossing
depends on each route and each
ferry company. The ferries are
equipped with shops, cinemas,
bars, restautants. You are normally
allowed to take pets with you.
On the longer routes there are
different types of cabins from
luxury to standard etc. The different
prices of ferries depend not only
on the length of the crossing,
but also on the size and speed
of each vessel and sailing times.
This means that the price of the
same route with the same ferry
operator can vary, so check carefully
before booking.
Ferry Routes
to Spain:
-
 Plymouth
- Santander.
An excellent choice if you want
to arrive in Spain without having
to travel through France. The
Brittany ferry operating this
route is very large and modern,
and is well equipped for families
with children of all ages (see
photos
of Santander-Plymouth ferry).
It has a small pool on one of
the upper decks, a large restaurant
serving reasonable meals, a
games room, kids club, cinema
etc. There are also all sorts
of cabins available from standard
interior/exterior to club category
(with satellite TV) and luxury.
High season prices range from
about £958.00 GBP for
a standard 4-berth cabin with
WC and shower + family car to
about £1200.00 GBP for
a deluxe 4-berth outside cabin.
The earlier you book, the easier
it is to get low prices.
-
Portsmouth
- Bilbao. The alternative
route for travellers preferring
to come straight to Spain,
operated by P&O Ferries.
Similar prices and facilities
as the Brittany route to Santander,
except that no four-berth
de luxe cabins are available,
so families need to either
book 2 cabins (which is rather
expensive) or go for a standard
4-berth one.
Ferry routes
to Spain via France:
These are some
the the existing routes and their
advantages (click to get maps
on google to help you plan your
route in more detail following
disembarkment):
-
-
Ferry crossing
only takes 210 minutes
-
Excellent
motorway connection to Portsmouth
(M27, M3 and M25) for travelling
from London, the Midlands
and the North.
-
Easy access
to Paris and the East of
France, for example the
Loire Valley and then down
to Spain via Perpignan and
Barcelona.
-
- Easy access to Britanny
and French Normandy and then
down to Spain via Bourg-Madame,
if you take the N-20.
- The most Southern port in
France. Easy access to and
from the Loire Valley.
- Portsmouth
(UK)
- Cherbourg (France)
- From Cherbourg take the
N-13 and then take the national
roads from Normandy and Brittany.
Easy access to the Loire Valley.
- Ferry crossing takes just
180 minutes
- Poole
(UK)
- Cherbourg (France)
- From Cherbourg (advantages
mentioned above).
- Crossing 135 minutes
- From Poole easy access to
Bath and the M3 and M27
motorways (also the A35) for
travelling either East or
West.
- Plymouth
(UK)- Roscoff
(France)
- Roscoff is one of the prettiest
ports in this part of France,
ideal for travelling to or from
or to Brittany and down towards
Spain
 Poole
(UK) - St. MalO (France)
- A very popular route as
the crossing takes just 5
hours and the Condor ferry
is small, so boarding on and
off is relatively quick and
painless
- Seats available in standard
and club class. The central
area can get very crowded
and very noisy in high season,
so it can be worth paying
a little extra if you would
appreciate a more peaceful
crossing.
Reservations can be made directly
via the home page of Brittany Ferries
and P&0 or Condor, and large
groups are often offered discounts.
Brittany offers 33% discount to
property owners in France and Spain,
for both passengers and vehicles.
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Travel
guides to Spain