Tips & Information for France

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Ferry to France

Book a trip to France with Direct Ferries for a truly unforgettable experience, where you can take a daytime boat tour along the Seine or explore the beautiful streets of Paris. There are many countries providing ferry crossings to France including England, Sardinia, Ireland, Algeria and Guernsey.

The most popular ferry operators for France are Euro Tunnel with up to 59 crossings per day, Brittany Ferries with up to 8 crossings per day, P&O Ferries with up to 17 crossings per day and DFDS Seaways with up to 29 crossings per day, offering routes to Calais, Dunkirk, Nice, Marseille and many more all year round. The fastest crossing into France is from Folkstone to Calais via the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, which takes approximately 35 minutes. Alternatively, there are a number of cheap ferries to France with garage space onboard for your car.

Top 5 Most Popular Routes to France

Dover to Calais

Dover to Dunkirk

Cork to Roscoff

Ajaccio to Marseille

Algiers to Marseille

Facilities Onboard

Ferries to France have a wide range of facilities onboard suitable for all age groups. Most ships are equipped with restaurants, TV lounges, children’s playrooms and duty-free shops. This can vary depending on what operator you choose to book with.

Can I take my dog/pet on the ferry to France?

Taking your dog to France on a ferry is available with several companies. Brittany Ferries provide a dog-friendly ferry to France from the UK as their routes are approved by DEFRA, meaning all pets are welcome onboard.

There are many different ferry ticket options for you to choose from - prices can change depending on the time of the year, the number of passengers, what route you are taking, and if you are bringing your car with you. We recommend using our price finder to discover the best times and prices to suit your journey.

How long are ferry sailing times to France?

Sailing times to France vary as there are a huge number of destinations you can travel from. One of the most popular connections, England to France, can take anywhere from 35 minutes and 11 hours.

Popular routes from the UK to France include Dover to Calais, Dover to Dunkirk and Plymouth to Roscoff.

Some of the longer journey times can be found on our connections from Algeria and Morocco, taking 23 hours and almost 40 hours to sail to France, respectively.

Ferries to France - FAQs

What is the quickest ferry to France?

Dover to Calais is the quickest ferry crossing to France. This route takes approximately 1 hour 30 minutes. 2 operators sail on this route with 25 daily sailings. The next quickest route is Dover to Dunkirk, which takes approximately 2 hours, with 12 daily sailings.

Which ferries go to France?

Ferries to France sail from Dover, Newhaven, Portsmouth, Plymouth and Poole. P&O Ferries, DFDS and Brittany Ferries are popular ferry operators who sail to France from England. The Eurotunnel from Folkestone to Calais offers an alternative to ferry travel across the channel, with up to 62 crossings per day.

What is the cheapest ferry to France?

The cheapest ferry to France with Direct Ferries last month was £30, from Dover to Calais. The cheapest prices are typically during off peak times and low seasons. Compare prices from Dover to Calais with our deal finder to find the cheapest deals.

France reviews

"Bretagne, sweet Bretagne!"

I live in London and traveled on board The Bretagne from Portsmouth to St Malo to go home for few days. It''s a nice, not too big ferry. The food is good quality for value and the entertainment very family orientated, with singers and magician. I booked the night crossing, but too late to get a cabin, so I got a reclining seat. It''s "ok" for few hours, but I ended up sleeping on the floor as most people in the salon. On a final note, it was a good experience, cheaper than the plane and I really enjoyed the arrival overlooking St Malo!

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"Nice ferry"

I traveled on board the Normandie from Caen to Portsmouth last night and enjoyed a pleasant and fast night crossing back to England. The Normandie is a rather nice ferry, its facilities look new. I booked an inside cabin and, even though it''s pretty small, it''s very comfortable. The advantage of traveling overnight by ferry is you don''t get the feeling of wasting a day off traveling!

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"Good ferry service"

I recommend this ferry service for anyone crossing the channel. Good price and quick.

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"DFDS ferries are ok"

The ferries are quite new, comfortable with alternative styles of seating. Staff were friendly and helpful. On my journeys the number of car passengers were minimal so there was masses of space and the ability to choose a quiet spot if needed (I was going down with flu on the return trip so this was welcome). Lots of televisions around showing Sky News.

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