Taking the ferry is one of the most popular ways for holidaymakers and second-home owners to reach France. Of the 15 million people who travelled by ferry from the UK in 2023, 72% travelled to France according to the latest UK government data.
But what are the best ways to ensure you get a good price for ferry tickets? We take a look.
Ferry companies to France
Current ferry routes from the UK are:
- Dover to Calais (Irish Ferries, Stena Line, P&O Ferries, DFDS, and Condor Ferries);
- Dover to Dunkirk (DFDS); Plymouth to Roscoff (Brittany Ferries);
- Poole to Cherbourg (Brittany Ferries);
- Poole to Saint-Malo (Condor Voyager);
- Portsmouth to Saint-Malo (Brittany Ferries);
- Portsmouth to Caen (Brittany Ferries);
- Portsmouth to Cherbourg (Brittany Ferries);
- Portsmouth to Le Havre (Brittany Ferries);
- Newhaven to Dieppe (DFDS).
The most popular route, and the quickest, at around 90 minutes, is Dover to Calais. It has around 31 daily crossings.
You can also travel to Brittany and Normandy from Dublin, Rosslare and Cork in Ireland: Cork to Roscoff (Brittany Ferries); Dublin to Cherbourg (Irish Ferries); Rosslare to Cherbourg (Brittany Ferries and Stena Line); Rosslare to Le Havre (Brittany Ferries).
Book ferry in advance
Ferry crossings for peak summertime (August) were cheapest when booked in January according to a comparison by British consumer magazine Which?.
This is the month many ferry companies release their peak season tickets, often with offers to increase demand.
However, it found the cheapest deals varied by route and destination, so it is always worth comparing.
Brittany Ferries’ ‘early bird’ tickets are available over 60 days before the sailing and are the cheapest tickets available.
Early booking means you will have your pick of cabins, which can be useful if you have special requirements, such as needing a pet-friendly cabin.
Read more: Trains are faster than planes on these French routes
Use ferry price-comparison websites
Several websites allow users to compare the price of different ferries and routes.
These include Ferrysavers and Direct Ferries. Users can enter their preferred route, date and time and the sites will show them the different options. For example, for the Dover to Calais route, users can compare the price of a ticket with P&O, DFDS and Irish Ferries.
Choose a cheap route, eg Dover-Calais
Dover to Calais and Dover to Dunkirk tend to be the most reasonably priced routes, with tickets starting from £30 for foot passengers. However, take fuel prices into consideration if you face a longer drive once you get to France.
Also worth noting is that Dover to Calais was found to have two of the worst ferry routes to France from the UK in a survey of Which? readers.
It suggests opting for DFDS’s Dover-Dunkirk route, which was more highly rated. It takes a little bit longer, at two hours compared to 90 minutes.
Plymouth to Roscoff with Brittany Ferries was rated the best route by Which? readers.
Be flexible with sailing times
If you can be flexible with your sailing day and time, you could save money. Avoid peak times such as school holidays and weekends. Mid-week sailings (Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays) at very early or evening times tend to be the cheapest.
Ferry company have special offers
Flash sales and other offers are a good way to save. Many ferry companies hold early bird and last-minute deals or offer deals for group bookings or large vehicles.
Sign up for ferry companies’ newsletters or bookmark their websites to keep up to date with the latest offers.
Read more: Reader tips on how to save money buying food in France
Risk last minute?
A potentially risky choice, but perhaps worth it for people who are flexible or do not have fixed plans, is to look at prices during the summer. It is not uncommon for ferry companies to offer deals in August if demand is down.
The cheapest ferries from France to Ireland in 2024 were in August, when companies held summer promotions.
Don’t bother with a cabin
While some overnight ferries require you to have a cabin, others will let passengers book a seat, which is cheaper, if a lot less comfortable. However, if you are keen to save money it could be a viable option.
Take a packed lunch
Buying items on board can be pricey, so take your own food and drink.
Book one-way crossings
Sometimes booking two one-way crossings is cheaper than booking a return. You could choose a different operator for each leg, going for the cheapest one.
Loyalty programmes
Many ferry operators offer loyalty programmes and discounts for frequent travellers. Brittany Ferries’ Club Voyage offers regular travellers savings of up to 35% on journeys from the UK to France, 15% between the UK and Spain and discounts on food and Wi-Fi onboard etc. It costs £60 to join and then £60 annual fee.
Stena Line has its Extra loyalty programme, which gives travellers points for every journey, which they can then use to save money on future trips.
It is free to join, and members get exclusive access to offers and early access to sales. Extra Gold offers double points. Irish Ferries Club is another loyalty scheme that gives travellers points to get money off future trips.
Newhaven to Dieppe discount
On this route, DFDS offers a 20% discount for over-60s, students aged 18-27, young people under 25 and passengers with a disability.
To qualify, you will have to be the lead passenger and will need to present proof of age, student card or disability card at the port.
The discount is for the crossing only and does not apply to pets or cabins. To secure this discount, book via telephone (+44 33 058 787 87) or at the ferry terminal.
Read more: Growth of French car hire means more choice for second-home owners
Reader tips on saving money
We use our Tesco points! You no longer get triple value, but you do still get double the face value. We use the Tunnel, but some ferries also accept them. MO
The Brittany Ferries Club Voyage scheme is great value. You can recoup the cost on a single crossing. PA
Brittany Ferries has a French property owners’ club. With DFDS, if you’re a pensioner, you’re entitled to a discount. Otherwise, travel off-peak and make use of special offers! AW
Avoid travelling on Fridays, weekends, or bank holidays – especially during school holidays – and check both UK and French school term dates. Take your own food and drink, and consider travelling from Dunkirk instead of Calais. The DFDS over-60s discount only applies to Newhaven–Dieppe and must be booked by phone. SM
Swim. DM
I travel from Caen to Portsmouth once or twice a year. If you book via Brittany Ferries UK website it is always cheaper than the French one, even allowing for exchange rates. IP
Do you have any other tips for saving money when travelling on a ferry between France and the UK? Please let us know via feedback@connexionfrance.com
