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Air travel is going through an increasingly uncertain period, with thousands of flights cancelled and growing concerns that the Iran war could cut jet fuel supplies to ‘critically low levels’.
As a result, many Brits are booking staycations to avoid the hassle of their flights being potentially cancelled, with holiday companies reporting ‘similar patterns’ to the pandemic.
But holidaymakers don’t have to abandon their dreams of a summer holiday abroad – as ferry travel could be the next best way to travel.
DFDS has resumed routes to St Malo from Jersey with ‘improved schedules’ and to Jersey from Poole, BBC reports. Meanwhile, the Isle of Wight has a new late-night ferry route connecting it to the mainland.
Ferry holidays may seem old-fashioned to some but passenger numbers on international services are growing, having reached 18.4million annually in the latest count by Transport Statistics Great Britain.
Most trips are to France (74 per cent), though journeys to the Netherlands, Ireland and Spain are going strong – peaking during July and August, but busy all year.
Read on to discover all the places you can get to by boat this summer, as well as destinations with new routes.
To the Netherlands…
Newcastle to Amsterdam
A ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam can cost from £69 each way, based on four people in an inside cabin and car
DFDS operates a route from Newcastle to Amsterdam. Beginning in North Shields, you arrive at Ijmuiden port for a 25-mile bus (£9 each way) to Amsterdam. On board there’s a buffet restaurant or you can find a three-course meal at the a la carte North Sea Bistro.
There are two ships: King Seaways and Princess Seaways. There’s live music in a lounge to keep you dancing all night, plus a kids’ play area and cinema.
JOURNEY TIME: 15.5 hours.
BOOK IT: From £69 each way, based on four people in an inside cabin and car, departing 5pm, arriving 9.45am; with a car, from £192 each way.
Hull to Rotterdam
A trip from Hull to Rotterdam comes in at £312 with P&O Ferries on July 12
Hop on this overnight P&O Ferries service to explore Rotterdam, with its galleries, striking architecture and lively nightlife.
You join either the Pride of Hull or Pride of Rotterdam, which have cinemas, arcade rooms, kids’ entertainment areas and plenty of bars and spots to eat.
The Brasserie serves roast cod (£22) and sweetcorn chowder (£9). Coach transfers to the centre from the Europoort terminal are £12 return.
JOURNEY TIME: 12 hours.
BOOK IT: A one-way trip on July 12 comes in at £312, with a car, departing 8pm, arriving 9am (poferries.com).
Harwich to Hook of Holland
Heading from Harwich to the Hook of Holland comes in at £143.50 each way, with a car
You can travel either by day or night on this route. Journeys are on the Stena Britannica or Stena Hollandica, with four daily sailings. Video games are offered in the Family Hub areas, great G&Ts are found on the Deck Bar, and there is a restaurant serving pizzas and burgers. You can upgrade to access the Stena Plus Lounge with complimentary drinks/snacks for an extra £25pp.
From the Hook of Holland it is a 30-minute train to Rotterdam or 90 minutes to Amsterdam.
JOURNEY TIME: Seven hours and 15 minutes.
BOOK IT: A one-way trip on July 12 comes in at £143.50 each way, with a car, departing 9am, arriving 5.15pm, without a cabin (stenaline.co.uk).
To France…
Dover to Dunkirk costs from £89 each way, for a car and up to four passengers
Dover to Dunkirk services run up to 22 times a day on this route that’s popular with those paying homage to the sacrifices made in 1940. There are memorials to visit and a main museum (dunkirk-tourism.com).
It is also good for those driving onwards to Belgium – a 30-minute journey. Tuck into Harry Ramsden’s fish and chips in the 7 Seas Restaurant, or enjoy Malaysian curries and hearty beef stews.
When returning, take advantage of a duty-free ‘Reserve & Collect’ system, with half-price savings.
JOURNEY TIME: Two hours.
BOOK IT: From £89 each way, for a car and up to four passengers (dfds.com).
Dover to Calais
While Dover to Calais can be bagged on-way from £89
You have three choices: DFDS, Irish Ferries and P&O Ferries, offering 30-plus daily crossings for the 90-minute voyage.
The coastal resort of Touquet-Paris-Plage is located less than an hour from Calais and is nearby Parc Bagatelle – France’s oldest amusement park.
Boulogne-Sur-Mer is a 30-minute drive from Calais and has Europe’s largest aquarium – Nausicaá.
JOURNEY TIME: 90 minutes.
BOOK IT: One way trips from £89 (dfds.com); with a car and up to four people.
Newhaven to Dieppe
Newhaven to Dieppe is a four-hour sailing costing from £117 one way for a car and four passengers
DFDS operates two crossings daily (one on Saturday), transporting passengers to Normandy, where you can visit beaches used during the D-Day Landings.
Drink at the Beachy Head bar and dine at the main restaurant. There’s a play area, plus observation points with lists of sea mammals to spot.
JOURNEY TIME: Four hours.
BOOK IT: From £117 one way for a car and up to four passengers (dfds.com).
Portsmouth to Le Havre
Portsmouth to Le Havre is a six- to ten-hour journey costing from £111 each way with a car
Brittany Ferries operates several French crossings from Portsmouth, where Admiral Nelson set forth for the Battle of Trafalgar.
Le Havre is popular for being the closest to Paris (two hours away) as well as for being near pretty Honfleur and Etretat on the dramatic Alabaster Coast. You sail aboard the Commodore Clipper.
JOURNEY TIME: Six to ten hours.
BOOK IT: From £111 each way with a car, departing 11am, arriving 6.30pm (brittany-ferries.co.uk).
Portsmouth to Caen
Portsmouth to Caen is from £111 each way with a car
Learn about the Second World War’s impact on the Normandy coast at the Caen Memorial Museum (memorial-caen.com).
You can also visit two fantastic Romanesque abbeys and Chateau de Caen, a medieval fortress built by William the Conqueror.
It’s a charming port reached via Brittany Ferries’ Mont St Michel and Guillaume de Normandie ferries – with gyms, cinemas, video game lounges, restaurants and bars (sometimes with DJs).
JOURNEY TIME: Seven hours.
BOOK IT: From £111 each way with a car, departing 3pm, arriving 10pm (brittany-ferries.co.uk).
Portsmouth to St Malo
Portsmouth to the beautiful St Malo is from £293 each way with a car
Sail on the appropriately named Saint Malo, a ‘clean’ ferry powered by liquefied natural gas/electric batteries – the first such vessel in Brittany Ferries’ fleet.
On board, restaurants serve Brittany-inspired dishes with fresh produce created by talented chefs.
There is a play area, outdoor gym, art gallery and bar. After an overnight voyage, you arrive at the port of St Malo, with its elegant cathedral, castle and ramparts, popular aquarium, beaches, buzzy restaurants and bars.
JOURNEY TIME: 11 hours.
BOOK IT: From £293 each way with a car, departing 8.15pm, arriving 8.15am on July 12 (brittany-ferries.co.uk).
Jersey to St Malo
DFDS Ferries has launched ‘improved schedules’ this summer from Jersey with St Malo Port Authorities, adding ‘more convenient timings’.
The Tarifa Jet, which was damaged in an accident in March, is now back in action on its St Malo route, which passengers can access from the British Crown Dependency.
JOURNEY TIME: One hour 45 minutes
BOOK IT: From £40 each way on July 12, departing at 8.25am and arriving at 11.20am.
Poole to Cherbourg
Poole to Cherbourg is a four hour and 45 minutes sailing costing from £131 each way with a car
Join the down-to-earth Barfleur ferry, which comes with a self-service restaurant, cosy bar, relaxation lounge, sun deck and children’s play area.
Cherbourg is an attractive port with art galleries, an aquarium/ maritime museum (citedelamer.com), medieval basilica and even an umbrella factory offering tours (parapluiedecherbourg.com).
Ferries are also available to join from Portsmouth.
JOURNEY TIME: Four hours 45 minutes.
BOOK IT: From £131 each way with a car, departing 8.30am, arriving 2.15pm (brittany-ferries.co.uk) on July 12.
Plymouth to Roscoff
A ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff costs from £175 each way with a car
Head from Plymouth to Roscoff on Brittany’s north-west coast. You travel on the Pont Aven ferry, which comes with a spa treatment room offering facials and manicures.
There is a cabaret and DJ, plus a pool, play area, programme of activities for children and Le Flora, an a la carte restaurant, or La Belle Angele, a self-service eatery.
From pretty Roscoff, it is a further 15-minute ferry to Ile de Batz, known for its exotic gardens. You also have the pleasant coastline to explore, with hidden beaches and tranquil villages.
JOURNEY TIME: Ten hours.
BOOK IT: From £175 each way with a car, departing 10pm, arriving 8am (brittany-ferries.co.uk).
To Jersey…
Poole to Jersey by ferry is priced from £180 each way, per car and including two people
DFDS’s Levante Jet has relaunched its four and a half hour trip to Poole from Jersey, and the route runs vice versa.
JOURNEY TIME: Four hours and 30 minutes, departing at 8am and arriving at 12.30pm.
BOOK IT: From £180 each way, per car and including two people.
To the Isle of Wight…
The new evening service costs from £75.50, departing at 11.59pm and arriving at 12.59am, on July 12 for one person with a car each way
The Isle of Wight has a new late-night ferry route connecting it to the mainland, according to Isle of Wight Radio.
The Red Jet charter service, launched by Red Funnel, will offer more crossings between West Cowes and Southampton.
May 23 will see the first service set sail at midnight from Southampton.
JOURNEY TIME: One hour.
BOOK IT: From £75.50 for the evening service, departing at 11.59pm and arriving at 12.59am, on July 12 for one person with a car each way. Or daytime routes can cost around £89.75 each way.
To Spain…
Plymouth/Portsmouth to Santander
Ferries run from Portsmouth to Santander from £418 each way on July 10
Ferry journeys to Spain feel more like conventional cruises, so perhaps book a better cabin.
Brittany Ferries runs three return weekly crossings to Santander from Portsmouth, and two from Plymouth.
From Portsmouth you travel on the Azul, which features a digital games area, sundeck, wellness area, play zone and cinema.
From Plymouth, the journey is on the Pont Aven, with similar facilities plus a spa. Santander is a wonderful port town with a long beach, fascinating galleries and a superb foodie scene.
Mini-cruise return trips are offered.
JOURNEY TIME: 20-33 hours.
BOOK IT: From £418 each way with a car, departing 10pm from Portsmouth on July 10, arriving 8am two days later (brittany-ferries.co.uk).
Portsmouth to Bilbao
Or Portsmouth to Bilbao, in Spain, costs from £398 each way with a car on July 12
You join the Galicia for this journey to the famous Basque city of Bilbao, with its wonderful Guggenheim Museum and narrow lanes of tapas bars in the old town, elegant markets, theatres and nearby beaches.
On board, there is a tapas restaurant to get you in the mood, plus a lovely sun deck, well-equipped gym and children’s play area featuring interactive games.
JOURNEY TIME: 34 hours.
BOOK IT: From £398 each way with a car on July 12, departing 10pm, arriving 8am two days later (brittany-ferries.co.uk).
