How to save money on ferry travel

When ferry beats flying

For UK travellers heading to France, Spain and Ireland, ferry pricing on a per person basis often lands close to budget airline pricing on the same routes. What tips the balance is what you can bring with you. Ferries include your car and typically several times more luggage than an airline allows.

For families with two or more people, the total cost of ferry with a car often comes in below the equivalent flights plus car hire at the destination. Add in the flexibility of your own vehicle and the value proposition shifts materially.

Booking timing

Ferry operators including P&O Ferries, Brittany Ferries and DFDS run advance booking discounts similar to airlines but with much longer effective windows. Bookings made three to six months in advance typically achieve the best rates.

Peak summer sailings sell out on popular routes, particularly Dover to Calais and Portsmouth to Bilbao, so early booking secures both the best price and the preferred sailing times.

Mini cruises and short breaks

P&O Ferries and DFDS both run mini cruise packages combining a short ferry crossing with an overnight or two night stay at the destination. These are often priced very competitively as they use the ferry capacity that would otherwise sit empty.

Prices from £89pp for a two day mini cruise to Amsterdam or Bruges represent excellent value for a short break and include your car for onward exploration.