Travel | The Independent UK – The A-Z of European ferries

Amsterdam

A great way to start a lexicon of the waves, because the city has an excellent free ferry starting on the north side of Centraal Station, across the IJ river, which provides an excellent perspective on the city. And it is also accessible from the UK by a pair of overnight ferry routes that provide a civilised approach to this most human of cities.

Britain’s last-surviving Continental Boat Train departs from Liverpool Street station in London each evening at 8.38, and represents one of the best bargains in rail-and-sea travel. The journey from London, or any station in East Anglia, to Amsterdam or any station in the Netherlands, is £29 each way ? plus the cost of a berth if you take the night service between Harwich and Hook of Holland. Stena Line (08447 70 70 70; stenaline.co.uk) offers comfortable accommodation and carries cars as well as “rail and sail” passengers. This month the route gets the first of two £200m “superferries”, complete with internet.

The other way to go Dutch by sea is on DFDS Seaways (0871 522 9955; dfds.co.uk), which sails overnight between Newcastle and Amsterdam. This is an illustration of a maritime “Ryanair effect”: the vessel actually sails between North Shields and the North Sea port of IJmuiden. But connections to Amsterdam are straightforward by rail or road.

Boulogne

A more attractive town than Calais from a tourism perspective, with a fascinating Old Town, superb seafood, and a new connection on the rapidly expanding LD Lines (0844 576 8836; ldlines.co.uk). There are ferries every six hours or so from Dover.

Caledonian MacBrayne

Nowhere else in Europe is the role of ferry as lifeline better illustrated than in north-western Scotland. Caledonian MacBrayne (08705 650 000; calmac.co.uk) is a heavily subsidised operation, offering regular, usually reliable links between the mainland and the Western Isles. Ordinary fares are high, but for the tourist there is are “Island Hopscotch” tickets that offer options for driving (or cycling) on a range of routes.

Dunkirk

Dunkirk is served by ferries every two hours (less frequently at weekends) from Dover on Norfolkline (0844 847 5042; norfolkline.com). The ferry company normally insists that passengers have a mode of transport from a bicycle upwards, but this week has been operating coaches for the benefit of stranded airline passengers ? and, unlike its rivals, the service is free.

Estonia

The Baltic republic with flourishing links across to Helsinki, the best ferry-connected two-centre city-break in Europe. You can sail from the capital, Tallinn, to Helsinki in a couple of hours with a passage booked through an agent such as Direct Ferries (0871 890 0900; directferries.co.uk) ? a journey between the two most handsome cities in the Baltic.

Tragically, Estonia was the name of the ferry that sank in 1994 while sailing between Tallinn and Stockholm, with the loss of 852 lives. As with aviation, the development of ferry safety is written in blood.

Fares

Well, we all know by now that a foot passenger fare from Dover to Calais on P&O Ferries (08716 645 645; poferries.com) is £50, while SeaFrance (0871 423 7119; seafrance.com) will get you across those 20 nautical miles for £45.

In fact, most travellers pay fares that are far less per person. The ferries took one heck of a beating from the more nimble no-frills airlines until they adopted the same dynamic, demand-sensitive pricing model. And what does that mean? If you take an off-peak sailing on Norfolkline between Dover and Dunkirk, you could pay as little as £19 each way for a car and four passengers; but if you book late for a morning sailing on a summer Saturday, the price could be five times higher. Interestingly, you can counteract this ? if you are a late booker ? by buying a carnet of journeys, as offered by SeaFrance, with individual one-way journeys available for as little as £32 each way.

Greece

A very special case, in every sense. Island-hopping around the eastern Mediterranean is about as rewarding as it gets, but be flexible when you contemplate some Aegean ambulation. A web of ferry, jet-boat and hydrofoil services operated by competing companies links the islands with each other and the mainland. The island-hopper’s bible is the Thomas Cook Guide to Greek Island Hopping by Frewin Poffley.

The book contains schedules for every route, but Poffley observes that the region “is not noted for achieving Germanic standards of timekeeping”. Be prepared for your planned itinerary to fall apart ? and beware the sudden Aegean squalls. On what appears to be a brilliantly clear and calm day, the sea can swell quite suddenly and render disembarkation impossible at some exposed ports; the ferry will steam on to her next destination.

Hovercraft

They were big in the Eighties, but almost all services ceased in the Nineties ? the high fuel consumption proved unsustainable, and eventually Hoverspeed abandoned these remarkable craft. If you want to experience one, you can go anywhere you like so long as it is the …

Isle of Wight

A hovercraft still flies between Southsea in Hampshire and Ryde on the island in 12 minutes. A return fare is £17 with Hovertravel (023 9281 1000; hovertravel.co.uk). Traditionally, fares to the Isle of Wight from Wightlink (0871 376 1000; wightlink.co.uk) and Red Funnel (0844 844 9988; redfunnel.co.uk) have been some of the highest, per mile, in Europe. But competition is set to increase, thanks to a new promotion between Greyhound (0900 096 0000; greyhounduk.com), Hovertravel and Southern Vectis that promises to cut one-way fares from London to the Isle of Wight to an average of £14. Incidentally, buses from Victoria to Southampton end their journey just across from the Red Funnel terminal.

Jadrolinija

Remember Marshal Tito? The Yugoslav dictator was big in the Eighties, before his federation fell apart after his death. One of his lasting contributions was a flourishing ferry company, Jadrolinija, which operates along the coast of what is now Croatia and links the many islands strung out offshore. (jadrolinija.hr)

Kirkwall

The Orkney capital is the hub of the Northern Isles’ ferry system. You can reach it from Aberdeen on NorthLink (0845 6000 449; northlinkferries.co.uk), or ? with a much shorter sea V Ccrossing ? from Scrabster near Thurso to Stromness on Orkney.

Le Havre

Le Havre was once the illustrious gateway to the world, with much of the French shipping industry based there. But it was ravaged in the Second World War. The reconstruction has been mostly in concrete, which looks impressive in a brutish sort of way. For many, Honfleur, on the southern (left) bank of the Seine, is more appealing; you can reach it over a spectacular bridge. Le Havre is connected by a new fast ferry, taking only three hours, 15 minutes, from Portsmouth with LD Lines (0844 576 8836; ldlines.co.uk).

Manchester Ship Canal

For most of the time, Mersey Ferries shuttle across the water between Liverpool and the Wirral. But the summer series of cruises along the Manchester Ship Canal from Liverpool to Salford Quays begins on Thursday. Further sailings are approximately weekly in May, June and September, and twice a week in July and August. The one-way fare for the six-hour, 35-mile trip is £36. Book on 0151-330 1444 or at merseyferries.co.uk.

National Ferry Fortnight

National Ferry Fortnight, starting on 8 May, is designed to persuade us of the joys of maritime meanderings. Expect incentives to book for your summer holiday.

Ouistreham

Ouistreham is the port for Caen in northern France, served from Portsmouth by Brittany Ferries (0871 244 0744; brittany-ferries.co.uk). O is also for Ostend, linked from Ramsgate by LD Lines.

Pride

Pride of Bilbao, Pride of Calais and Pride of Dover: all once the prides of the P&O Ferries (08716 645 645; poferries.com) fleet, but all are to sail off into the sunset. The link from Portsmouth to Bilbao will cease in September. The Calais and Dover prides are to be replaced, starting in December, with the biggest ferries ever seen on the Channel.

Quiberon

Quiberon is the ideal base for Breton island-hopping. This pretty port lies at the end of a peninsula south of Lorient and west of St-Nazaire. Ferries seasonally sail from here to Ile d’Houat and Le Palais, which feels like France 20 years ago.

You can reach the region on Brittany Ferries (0871 244 0744; brittany-ferries.co.uk), which has services from Plymouth to Roscoff and Portsmouth to St-Malo.

Brittany is also the location for the most exciting ferry development in Europe this year: a new link from the port of St-Nazaire to Gijon in the beautiful Spanish province of Asturias. This cuts a long, drab drive through France, and opens up possibilities for trips via Brittany to northern Spain, returning from Santander to Plymouth or Portsmouth.

If you would like to add even more sophistication, then build in a stop in the Channel Islands: Condor Ferries (01202 207216; condorferries.co.uk) has a network from Weymouth, Poole and Portsmouth to Guernsey and Jersey, with links to St-Malo.

Rhine

Ferries still operate along and even across Western Europe’s leading waterway. KD Rhine (kdrhine.com) is the main operator, with plenty of ferries from its base in Cologne. The KD Rhine Pass allows travel between Bonn, Cologne, Koblenz and Mainz.

Seasickness

Seasickness is becoming less of an issue as stabilisation systems get more sophisticated and ships get larger. Nevertheless, if you suffer from motion sickness, try to find the part of the ship where movement is minimised and stabilise head movement by bracing it against a fixed object. Fix your gaze on the horizon.

Timing

Timing is everything, at least on the airlines: fail to meet the check-in deadline, and you usually lose your flight and your money. The attitude of most high-frequency shipping lines could hardly be more different. From Dover, Norfolkline (to Dunkirk), and P&O and SeaFrance (to Calais) generally have plenty of capacity, and usually take the view that if you arrive in time for an earlier sailing they will allow you on board, and they also prove lenient if you miss your booked sailing.

Ulysses

Ulysses is the world’s largest and most reliable car ferry, at least according to Irish Ferries (08717 300 400; irishferries.com); the ship, named after the James Joyce character, operates on the Holyhead-Dublin route, carrying nearly 2,000 passengers. Irish Ferries also operates from Pembroke to Rosslare. Its major competitors across the Irish Sea are P&O from Troon and Cairnryan to Larne, Norfolkline Irish Sea Ferries (0844 499 0007; norfolkline.com) from Liverpool to Belfast; and Stena Line (08447 70 70 70; stenaline.co.uk), which sails from Fishguard to Rosslare and from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire ? ironically, the location just outside Dublin where the opening of Ulysses takes place (specifically, the Martello tower in Sandycove, from where you can watch the ferries arrive and depart).

One other choice across the Irish Sea: the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (08712 221 333; steam-packet.com) goes from Liverpool or Heysham to Douglas, and on to Belfast or Dublin.

Valletta

The southernmost destination in Europe that you can access by ferry and the smallest capital of any EU state. The easiest route from the northern Mediterranean ports is from Genoa to Palermo, the Sicilian capital (0871 890 0900; directferries.co.uk). You then cross the island to Pozzallo, from where ferries depart to Malta (020-8206 3420; viamare.com).

Whales

Whales and dolphins can be seen from many ships in Europe, but a couple worthy of note are P&O from Portsmouth to Bilbao and DFDS from Newcastle to Amsterdam, who often deploy wildlife officers on board to help spot cetaceans.

X -rays

X-rays are part of the misery of airport security. Ferries are less susceptible to terrorist outrages, and car drivers and passengers face no checks ? but on international journeys from Britain foot passengers still have to pass through metal detectors and have their bags checked by X-ray. The restrictions that airline passengers face on hazardous substances from toothpaste to tequila do not apply.

Yachts

Yachts under sail take precedence over ferries under steam, but in practice both try to avoid each other. The radar systems on the bridge of a modern ferry are spectacularly sophisticated.

Zeebrugge

Zeebrugge, a lovely Belgian resort, which also provides the Continental end of the only ferry direct from Scotland to Europe ? with Norfolkline. It is also served by P&O North Sea Ferries (0871 664 5645; poferries.com) from Hull, which also runs to Rotterdam. You can reach Bruges in 15 minutes by train or car, sip a beer and toast your good fortune for going by boat.

Ferries between Rosyth and Zeebrugge by Scotland-Belgium ferries

Norfolkline reintroduced the Rosyth-Zeebrugge route in the month of May 2009. It is plying three services with three ferries from each port every week.


Norfolkline provides regular services through Scotland-Belgium ferries that are plied from Rosyth,which is close to Edinburgh on every Tuesday and Thursday besides every Saturday. The other one is from Zeebrugge that is near to Bruges. This service is plied on every Monday and Wednesday besides every Friday.


Since the reintroduction of the line between Rosyth and Zeebrugge, the way people commute is very much comfortable and ease. Perhaps, it is the first commercial line, which links Scotland with Europe. This has empowered channels not only from business perspective but also from commercial one. As each of these services are operated on an alternate days of the week, you can have the option of organising your tours in a better way. You can now comfortably reach economically important places of Europe such as Belgium in a less amount of time.


You can have additional advantages of travelling at a cheaper fare. Besides, you can benefit the most as there are special offers that are meant to address all your travelling needs. The reinstated Rosyth-Zeebrugge is being seen as an economic mainstay for continued trade between Scotland and Europe. The future is now bright as per the current vibes that have been received in the wake of the operation of ferry services from Rosyth to Zeebrugge and vice versa. Apart from the cheap deals and special offers, you can expect more from onboard facilities. The cabins have been enlarged to provide a spacious look. The lounge has been redesigned by keeping in view of the modern architectural style.


The travelling period is nearly 20 hours. Moreover, Scottish Viking is the latest Car ferry that has been bought into operation by Norfolkline. This new way gives extreme relaxation levels besides peace of travel. The amenities that are furnished onboard are children’s play area and large screen cinema. Also,completely furnished ensuite cabins will ensure that your journey with us is a pleasure experience all the way.


Find Out More

Rosyth-Zeebrugge ferries
Ferry fares & offers between Scotland & Belgium
Onboard the Scottish Viking Scotland-Belgium
ferry destinations
News from the Rosyth-Zeebrugge route
Help & FAQS

Why don’t you think for a Pleasant Holiday in Ireland!

Holiday in Ireland is a spectacular!

You plan for holidaying in Ireland and obviously it is a good decision for you. However, you have to collect enough information about the destinations. You surf the internet, browse the sites and go through your favourite destinations and activities you want to enjoy during the break.

An adventurous walk with wildlife in the wilderness or just a culture and heritage break in Ireland is another superb thrilling enjoyment for you. According to your preference, ferry crossing is the obvious choice for travelling on a short break to Ireland. If you are travelling with Norfolk line, one of the leading ferries operating between the UK and Ireland, the best thing about it is that you will be benefitted by its brief guide about some of the best things that Ireland has to offer for the tourists.

Ferry travel from Liverpool to either Belfast or Dublin, which will keep you entertained throughout the journey with its excellent onboard services and I’m sure once you experience your trip on the route as mentioned, will surely acknowledge it.

As the overnight ferries arrive early in the morning around 6AM that will leave you with plenty of time to reach your desired destination from the port. Day time sailings are ideal for situations like if you want to save on your trip by availing great value offers and you may take advantage of your arrival in the late afternoon by having enough time to enjoy the warm receiving welcome waiting in Belfast and Dublin.

At the same time you can enjoy cheap ferry travel with Irish ferries as they offer cheap ferry tickets.

High Value Logistic Gets Tapa and Euro Watch Support

Norfolkline ferry operators are associated with passenger service and the freight services and hugely involved in the high value logistic services that operate across Sea, land to make their client’s goods reach destination. Norfolkline operations make it sure to get high level safety to their client’s goods. In course of event, your goods can get misplaced and create havoc to the customers and the service providers.

Norfolkline has signed with two leading high value logistics solution delivery like TAPA and Eurowatch.

Basic objective of the TAPA EMEA:

Global manufacturers rope to the freight ferry operators and ferries operators in their operations follow the conditions laid by the law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders. In course of the transportation of the goods consignments any loss of the material in such international supply chains need to be monitored by an agency and this activity is managed by TAPA EMEA.

TAPA is managing the task of providing world wide security standards, TAPA gears up practical initiatives and supporting law enforcement agencies of various countries.

TAPA brings on to one platform, governments, and customs, to a national and European level and design and execution of the novel programs. To induce the best practices at work, exchange of ideas and experience a part of the initiated programs of the TAPA.

When ever a security threat is perceived and need to be handled, TAPA as per the contract gets Norfolkline the guidelines to the authoritative advice and unparallel intelligence across the European markets.

Eurowatch Capability:

Norfolkline believes in absolute security of the goods and services of their customers and so Eurowatch is a crime counter measure and has excellent track record of tracking the perpetrators especially places where law enforcement is specifically weak.

Euro watch gets assistance to all the drivers and the owners after the crime occurrence. Eurowatch extends its operations to Western, Central and Eastern Europe and parts of the Russian federation. The technologies used by the Eurowatch are the GPS and the system that transmit positioning data into the network and later delivered to the police by the authorised National Service Provider about the incident. This system gets to the agency the complete view of the vehicle position in real time situation and gets the immediate response.

Eurowatch can get your driver or the owner the access to the concerned Police with in 24 hours. No hassle to call for support, as done on single telephone number.

You can communicate to seek the Eurowatch support in all languages spoken. You can notify the incidents by SMS and Email and the operational coverage is in 30 countries.

Cross Channel Ferries

Certain Rights are Reserved for the Ferries on Board.

Norfolkline ferries undoubtedly serve their customers with most innovative methods put in practice and these techniques fall in place make their customers on board lose sight of time. At times these customers on board curse the staff members for their privacy been highjacked by counter checks. This is definitely not to interrupt their customers personal moments, but a routine checks when the security on board sense a threat perception.

Norfolkline customers are requested to oblige the terms and conditions for the smooth and peaceful travel of their passengers across the Sea.

Long ago, I boarded Norfolkline ferry and headed for France but, I was stopped at the check-in ferry terminal for not to be 16 years by age. My parents had to arrange an escort for me and then I was permitted to board the ferry.

Further, these rules laid on, permit passengers between age group 16 years and 18 years after depositing a letter of authority from their guardian or parents at the check-in.

Norfolkline follows strict rules and regulations for passengers at check-in desk before boarding the ferry. Passengers can be denied permission to board if proper identification is not disclosed.

In fact, the passengers are supposed to disclose their visa documents on both the Irish Sea and the Channel routes. The car passengers should seek permission to carry their weapons at least 24 hours before boarding the ferry. For foot passengers possession of weapons is not allowed.

Declaration of inflammables, explosives or any hazardous material carried by the passengers is necessary. Fuel tanks should not be filled to their full capacity. Fuel cans are not allowed on the board.