Motorcycle Ferry Routes to Europe from the UK and Ireland

How to choose

Work backwards from the riding. Pick the region you want to reach, look at the motorway time from each port, and weigh that against the crossing time and fare. An overnight ferry with a cabin turns travelling time into sleeping time, and you ride off fresh. A short crossing is cheap and flexible, but if your riding is in Brittany, Spain or northern Germany you will spend a day getting there.

Routes, timetables and operators change from season to season. The list below covers the main routes; check each operator’s own website for current sailings before you plan around one.

The short crossings: Kent to northern France

• Folkestone to Calais by LeShuttle. Around 35 minutes through the tunnel. You stay with the bike on the train. Fastest and the least affected by weather.
• Dover to Calais. About 90 minutes, with frequent sailings from several operators. The default crossing for most riders.
• Dover to Dunkirk. About two hours with DFDS. Dunkirk puts you slightly further east, handy for Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

Best for: the Ardennes, the Eifel, the Vosges, and the Alps if you do not mind two days of motorway. Our first European tour guide has first-day routes from Calais.

The Western Channel: Sussex and Hampshire to Normandy

• Newhaven to Dieppe. About four hours with DFDS. Lands you in Normandy with quiet roads south towards the Loire and west towards the coast.
• Portsmouth to Caen (Ouistreham). With Brittany Ferries, a day sailing of around six hours, or overnight.
• Portsmouth to Cherbourg. With Brittany Ferries; Cherbourg puts you at the top of the Cotentin peninsula, a good start for Brittany and the Atlantic coast.

Best for: Normandy, the Loire, western France, and the Massif Central. Also a good way to the Pyrenees without the Paris ring road.

Brittany: Portsmouth and Plymouth to St Malo and Roscoff

• Portsmouth to St Malo. Overnight with Brittany Ferries. You arrive in the morning in a walled town on the edge of Brittany.
• Plymouth to Roscoff. Brittany Ferries, the shortest crossing from the West Country.

Best for: Brittany itself, the Atlantic coast down to the Gironde, and riders from the south-west of England who would otherwise ride to Kent first.

Spain: Portsmouth and Plymouth to Santander and Bilbao

Brittany Ferries sails to Santander and Bilbao on the north coast of Spain, from Portsmouth and, on some sailings, Plymouth. Crossings take a day and a night or longer, so a cabin is part of the plan. You land within an hour or two of the Picos de Europa, with the Spanish side of the Pyrenees a day’s ride east. Riding the same distance through France takes at least two days each way, so the long crossing often pays for itself. See biker-friendly stays in Spain.

The North Sea: England to the Netherlands

• Harwich to Hook of Holland. Stena Line, around seven hours, day or night sailings.
• Hull to Rotterdam (Europoort). P&O, overnight.
• Newcastle (North Shields) to IJmuiden near Amsterdam. DFDS, overnight, around 16 hours.

Best for: riders from the Midlands, the North and Scotland heading for Germany. From Rotterdam or Hook of Holland the Sauerland is about 300 km (185 miles) of motorway, and the Harz a long day further. If you live north of the Midlands, compare the cost of the North Sea crossing with the fuel, time and a night’s stay to reach Dover.

From Ireland

• Dublin to Cherbourg. Irish Ferries, around 18 to 20 hours.
• Rosslare to Cherbourg. Around 18 hours, with more than one operator.
• Rosslare to Dunkirk. DFDS, around a day; it lands you well placed for Belgium and Germany.
• Cork to Roscoff. Brittany Ferries, seasonal.

Riders from Ireland can also cross to Wales or England and use a short Channel crossing, which is often quicker overall but means two crossings and a ride across Britain.

Fares and booking

A motorcycle is usually much cheaper to take across than a car, and on some routes the fare includes a pillion. Prices rise sharply on summer weekends, at the start and end of school holidays and around big rallies and race weekends, so book those early. Midweek and late-evening sailings are often the cheapest. A flexible ticket costs a little more but lets you change the sailing if the weather or a breakdown holds you up, which on a bike is worth a lot. Overnight routes sell out their cabins before the car deck, so book the cabin at the same time as the crossing.

Getting to the port

Allow more time than the sat-nav says. Roads to the big ports back up in summer, and check-in for bikes usually closes well before departure. If the port is a long ride from home, an evening crossing after a night nearby, or a stay close to the port before an early sailing, beats a rushed ride in the dark. On the way home, plan the last night within an easy ride of the port on the other side.

On board with a bike

• Arrive in good time. Bikes often board first or last and are parked together. Follow the deck crew’s directions.
• Strapping down. On most ferries the bike is strapped to deck rings. Some crews do it, on other ships you do it with their straps. Put a cloth under the strap where it crosses the seat, and leave the bike in first gear.
• Take what you need. The car deck is closed during the crossing. Take your helmet, valuables, phone charger and something dry to change into.
• Book a cabin on overnight sailings. Arriving rested makes the first day safer, and on long sailings it is the difference between riding well and grinding through the day.

Plan the first night

Ferries land at fixed times, often early morning or late evening. Book the first night before you sail, ideally a biker-friendly stay with secure parking within an easy ride of the port. Our secure parking guide explains what to ask the host.