Ferry to France from the UK: routes, crossing times and check-in

Seven ferry routes link England to France: Dover to Calais and Dunkirk, Newhaven to Dieppe, Portsmouth to Caen, Cherbourg and St Malo, and Plymouth to Roscoff. Crossings run from about 90 minutes at Dover to an overnight sailing from Portsmouth.

Four operators share these routes. DFDS sails from Dover and Newhaven, P&O Ferries and Irish Ferries sail Dover to Calais, and Brittany Ferries covers every route from Portsmouth and Plymouth into Normandy and Brittany. We read each operator's own route pages on 29 October 2026 and list below only what they publish: the ports, the crossing time, how often the ship sails and who may board.

The right crossing depends less on the sea than on the road at both ends. A family from Kent heading to Paris and a couple from Devon driving to the Breton coast do not need the same port, and the extra hours on a western crossing often save a long drive through northern France.

Dover to Calais is the quickest ferry crossing to France: DFDS gives 1 hour 40 minutes and P&O Ferries around 90 minutes. Dover to Dunkirk takes 2 hours, Newhaven to Dieppe around 4 hours, and the Brittany Ferries routes from the south and west of England take from 5 hours 15 minutes to a full night.

The short-sea routes from Dover carry the most sailings, which is why they suit a trip decided at the last minute. DFDS alone lists up to 30 Dover to Calais sailings a day.

The western routes trade time at sea for time on the road. Brittany Ferries runs two ships on Portsmouth to Caen (Mont St Michel and Guillaume de Normandie), the Saint-Malo on the overnight St Malo route, and Armorique and Pont-Aven between Plymouth and Roscoff, where most sailings leave at night and a daytime sailing runs once a week.

If you are weighing the short sea against the Channel Tunnel, our page Eurotunnel or ferry compares the two on time and cost.

Choose the French port closest to where you are going, then check how far your home is from the English port: Dover suits the south-east and anyone driving on to Paris, Belgium or the east, Portsmouth suits Normandy and the west, and Plymouth suits Brittany and the south-west of England.

Dover: Calais and Dunkirk

Calais and Dunkirk are the ports for the north of France and for the roads on to Paris, Lille, Champagne, Alsace, Belgium and Germany. The crossing is short, sailings run through the day and night, and three operators compete on Dover to Calais. Both DFDS Dover routes are for vehicles only: as a foot passenger, look at P&O Ferries.

Newhaven: Dieppe

Dieppe lands you on the Normandy coast north of Rouen. DFDS is the only operator on the route and it takes foot passengers, which makes it the one crossing from Sussex where you can travel without a car.

Portsmouth: Normandy

Caen and Cherbourg are the ports for Normandy, the Loire valley and the west of France. Portsmouth to Caen takes 6 hours. The overnight sailings from Portsmouth to Cherbourg and St Malo let you sleep on board and drive off in the morning.

Plymouth and Portsmouth: Brittany

Roscoff and St Malo are the Breton ports. From Devon and Cornwall, Plymouth to Roscoff avoids the drive east to Portsmouth; from London and the south-east, Portsmouth to St Malo puts you on the north coast of Brittany after a night at sea.

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  Where you are going in France: The arrival port sets most of your driving time once you land.
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  How far you live from each English port: Hours on the M20, A27 or A38 count as much as hours at sea.
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  Day or night sailing: A cabin on an overnight crossing replaces a hotel night on the road.
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  Foot or vehicle: DFDS does not take foot passengers from Dover; Newhaven to Dieppe and P&O Ferries from Dover do.
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  Pets: On the DFDS Dover routes your pet stays in the vehicle for the whole crossing.

At Dover, check-in for a car closes 60 minutes before departure with DFDS and Irish Ferries, and the French border check comes on top of that. P&O Ferries' Dover to Calais page gives both 60 and 90 minutes for vehicles, so go by the time on your booking; it closes foot passenger check-in 90 minutes before departure.

Plan for the queue before the booth, not only the booth. DFDS advises allowing about 120 minutes before its check-in closes at Dover so there is time for every control.

The times differ by operator and by route, so go by the one printed on your own booking rather than a general rule, above all on the Brittany Ferries routes and on DFDS from Dunkirk and Newhaven, where we did not find a published time.

You need a valid passport for each traveller: under the rules on GOV.UK travel advice for France, it must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive in France and expire at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area.

At Dover the French border check happens on the English side, in the port, before you board. GOV.UK confirms that through the Port of Dover the information the Entry/Exit System needs is taken before you leave the UK, so allow time for it in your arrival time.

Check the issue date as well as the expiry date. A passport renewed early can carry extra months, so it may still be in date but fail the 10-year rule on the day you arrive.

• A passport for every traveller, checked against both dates above
• Your booking reference and the vehicle registration you gave when booking
• Your driving licence, the V5C log book and the vehicle's motor cover certificate, if you take your car
• A VE103 certificate if the vehicle is hired or leased in the UK
• Your pet's documents, if it travels with you (see below)

Your own car needs your driving licence, the V5C log book and its motor cover certificate on board, and a VE103 certificate if it is hired or leased in the UK, as listed in the GOV.UK driving abroad guidance.

The rules of the road start at the ramp. Our guide to driving in France from the UK covers what to carry in the car and the speed limits, the UK sticker page explains when your number plate needs one, and the Crit'Air sticker page covers the low-emission zones of Paris, Lyon and other French cities.

Give the operator the real size of your vehicle when you book, with any roof box, bike rack, trailer or caravan, and the registration you will actually drive. Irish Ferries lists cars, SUVs, vans and motorhomes in its check-in rules, and the DFDS routes from Dover carry vehicles only.

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  Driving licence: Great Britain or Northern Ireland licence, still valid.
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  V5C log book: Listed by GOV.UK for driving your own vehicle abroad.
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  Motor cover certificate: Also listed by GOV.UK.
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  VE103 certificate: Only for a vehicle hired or leased in the UK.

Yes. A dog, cat or ferret can cross from Great Britain to France if it is microchipped, vaccinated against rabies at least 21 days before travel and carries an animal health certificate from a vet, valid for entry into the EU for 10 days after it is issued.

On board, the rules depend on the operator. On the DFDS routes from Dover your pet stays in your vehicle for the whole crossing. On Newhaven to Dieppe, DFDS offers kennels for foot passengers and pet cabins, with a charge per pet each way that must be booked in advance. Irish Ferries asks travellers with a pet to check in 90 minutes before departure at Dover, and P&O Ferries gives the same time for dogs in its Pet Lounge.

The full rules, including the cases where a dog needs a tapeworm treatment for another country, are on the GOV.UK guidance on taking a pet to an EU country.

• How long is the ferry from Dover to Calais?

  DFDS publishes 1 hour 40 minutes and P&O Ferries around 90 minutes. Irish Ferries’ timetable shows about 1 hour 30 minutes once the one-hour time difference with France is counted. Figures checked on the operators’ pages on 29 October 2026.

• What is the shortest ferry crossing to France?

  Dover to Calais. It is also the route with the most sailings: DFDS alone lists up to 30 a day, and P&O Ferries and Irish Ferries sail it too.

• Can I take the ferry to France as a foot passenger?

  Yes, but not on the DFDS routes from Dover to Calais or Dunkirk, which carry vehicles only. P&O Ferries publishes a foot passenger check-in time on Dover to Calais, and DFDS takes foot passengers on Newhaven to Dieppe.

• Which ferry goes to Brittany?

  Brittany Ferries sails Plymouth to Roscoff, from 5 hours 15 minutes and mostly overnight, and Portsmouth to St Malo, an overnight crossing with an evening departure from Portsmouth.

• Which ferry goes to Normandy?

  DFDS sails Newhaven to Dieppe in around 4 hours. Brittany Ferries sails Portsmouth to Caen (6 hours) and Portsmouth to Cherbourg (overnight).

• Where is the French passport check for ferries from Dover?

  In the Port of Dover, before you board. GOV.UK says that through the Port of Dover the information for the Entry/Exit System is taken at the border before you leave the UK.

• What passport do I need for the ferry to France?

  A British passport issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive and valid at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area, according to GOV.UK travel advice for France.

• How early should I get to Dover for the ferry?

  Check-in for cars closes 60 minutes before departure with DFDS and Irish Ferries; P&O Ferries’ page gives both 60 and 90 minutes, so go by your booking. DFDS advises allowing about 120 minutes before that for all the controls.

• Can my dog stay with me during the crossing?

  Not on the DFDS routes from Dover, where it stays in your vehicle. DFDS has pet cabins and kennels on Newhaven to Dieppe, and P&O Ferries has a Pet Lounge on Dover to Calais. Your dog also needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination and an animal health certificate.

• Is there a cheap ferry to France?

  No operator publishes a fixed fare on the route pages we read: the price is set at booking for your date, sailing, vehicle and number of passengers. The fare depends on those choices, so compare several sailings on the same route before you pay.