Ferries have always been the traditional way to get to France although now there is new competition coming from the Channel Tunnel and of course budget airlines.  But the Ferry still makes a great way to cross the English Channel.  Onboard most ferries there are great opportunities to shop, relax or have a meal to avoid having to stop in France.  Our personal favourite is to take an overnight Ferry from Portsmouth to the north coast of Brittany...it's almost like combing a mini-cruise with your main holiday.  The only drawback is that it's not cheap.  Below we list the main ferry routes and give advice on which ferry option to consider depending on what you are looking for.  As well as links to all the main ferry companies.

Lowest Cost Ferries:
- Dover to Calais (Sea France) (P+O Ferries).
- Dover to Dunkirk (Norfolk Line).
- Dover to Boulogne (Speed Ferries).

Fastest Ferry to France:
- Eurotunnel is fastest at 35 mins.
- Speed Ferries manages Dover to Boulogne in
50 minutes.

Ferry convenient for West of Brittany:
- Plymouth to Roscoff (Brittany Ferries).

Best for Vendee, Dordogne, Brittany:
- Portsmouth to St Malo (Brittany Ferries).
- Poole to St Malo (Condor Ferries).

24 hr ferry crossings, for S West:
- Portsmouth to Bilbao (P+O Ferries).
- Plymouth to Santander (Brittany Ferries).

Ferry operators providing services to France:

The following ferry companies provide services to/from France.  You can link directly to their home page for online booking.
 

                                        Transmanche Ferries                 Sea France                       LD Lines

Click here for our Hot Tips on a great crossing.     Do you suffer seasickness ?      Want to save money on your crossing?

Advice on using Speed Ferries:

Arrive well in advance of sailing time for the early morning crossing from Dover – they start loading in plenty of time and this gives you a chance to get the seats of your choice.  Especially if you have a party that you want to keep together.  We saw some people using walkie talkies (cheap to buy from Comet) to home in the different members of their parties.
 

You can buy reasonable snacks on board although they are not very cheap.
 

It’s a 55 min crossing, but it can be slow to unload, depends on your luck about where you are in the queue……you just have to be patient.  In actual fact you have to arrive 30 mins before departure at latest, it can easily take 15 mins to offload….so it’s really a 2 hour crossing.  And you have to find your way out of Boulogne although this has now improved with the opening of the new road from the port..  The train is definitely quicker and more convenient – with direct motorway connections both sides.  But Speed Ferries is so.. cheap!!