Ferry to Germany from the UK
Most booked ferries to Germany from the UK
Travel to Germany by ferry from the UK
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Map with all ferry routes to Germany from the UK
There are several ways to travel to Germany. There is no direct ferry connection between the UK and Germany, so you have to travel via the Netherlands (Holland) or the ferry to France. (Calais-Dover) from there on you can travel further by either car or train.
Travel tip: Book early
The prices for the ferries rise sharply as the boats fill up. Especially during peak season, the ferries and parking decks fill up quickly. Therefore, book far in advance and avoid high costs.
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Step 1: Get a ferry to Holland or France first!
To get to Germany you can travel via France (Dover to Dunkirk or Calais) or you can travel to the Netherlands and then you can drive from there to Germany and your place of destination.
From the UK there are several ferries leaving. From the Northern parts of the UK or Scotland, you could opt for the ferry between Newcastle and IJmuiden (Amsterdam). A bit lower when you are traveling from central UK you could choose the ferry from Hull to Rotterdam. Then there is the option to take the ferry more to the South, from Harwich to Hook of Holland (close to Rotterdam).
Via France you could travel via Dover to either Dunkirk or Calais, both these French ports are within a 30-minute drive from each other. From there you can drive along to Germany.
These are the 5 ferry options you can consider.
When you depart from the south or center of England, you can choose to book a ferry from Dover or Harwich. Hull and Newcastle are the best choices when departing from the north.
UK ⇔ Germany
Step 2: Get to Germany from the ferry ports
It takes roughly 2 hours from Amsterdam or Rotterdam to drive to the border between the Netherlands and Germany. This can be a short trip, depending on where you need to be.
Are you travelling via Dover to Dunkirk or Calais? Then the drive is a bit longer. In about 4 hours, you can be at the border area of Maastricht – Aachen.
Timetable, availability, and compare prices
Booking your ferry tickets has never been easier! With our online booking module, you can easily find and book your desired ferry crossing in just a few clicks. Enter your travel dates and destination, and the system will show you all available options. You can then choose the one that best suits your needs and budget. It’s that simple!
Important: For the ferry to Germany from the UK, you will have to sail to the Netherlands or France and travel from there to Germany.
Frequent Asked Questions: ferry to Germany from UK
No, there are no direct ferry routes from the UK to Germany. You have several options but the most convenient ones are to travel first to the Netherlands or France and to continue your trip to Germany from there on.
The shortest crossing is Dover-Calais with just 1 hour and 30 minutes of crossing time. But what the fastest route to Germany from the UK is, depends a lot on where you live/depart. When you depart from Northern England or Scotland to Germany, the most logical option is probably Newcastle-Amsterdam (IJmuiden). When you live more in the centre of the UK, then Hull-Rotterdam or Harwich-Hoek van Holland seem logical ferry crossings. If you're living in the south you could also opt for the crossings via Dover and then drive towards Germany from there.
Ferry talk: Share your questions and opinions
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I am planning a trip to Europe. Why was ferry boat service from the UK to Germany stopped? Was it economic? political?
Hi Larry,
Thanks for the question. A lot of the ferries from the UK to Northwestern Europe have ceased operations in the past 20 years. Mainly due to a combination of additional environmental & fuel legislation and low-cost airlines. We do however see greener passenger ferries emerge and a renewed interest in sailing from the UK to Germany and Scandinavia. Hopefully this leads to re-establishing a new ferry to Northwestern europe from the UK. You can also find more about the disappearance of ferries between the UK, Germany & Scandinavia here: https://ferrygogo.com/historic-ferry-crossings-uk-scandinavia/
In the meantime you could use the ferries from and travel from there to Germany. From most of the Dutch (Holland) ports, you'll be in Germany in about 2 hours driving.
Newcastle to Amsterdam
Hull to Rotterdam
Harwich to Hook of Holland
Dover to Calais.
Hope this helps and answers your question.