10 direct crossings to the UK from France
There are a lot of direct crossings from France to the UK. From Normandie, Brittany / Bretagne, and Northern France there are a number of ferries leaving for the UK. From France, there are crossings to the UK's Southeast, Central and Southwestern coastlines.
Ferries are heading to Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Newhaven, and Dover, so depending on where you need to travel and where you're boarding from, you can choose from a broad number of ferries to make it across the Channel to the UK.
You will either sail with DFDS, P&O Ferries, Brittany Ferries, or Condor Ferries on these sailings. If you want to take the ferry from France to the UK, then you have at least 10 routes from France to England, which gives you plenty of choices to try and find a good, cheap, and convenient crossing.
You can use our handy map on this page with all the crossings to and from France and the UK.
Some ferries sail a lot faster than others, but you can also choose to make a night crossing so you can sleep on your crossing and get ashore well-rested. A slower ferry doesn't hurt a lot when you are sleeping! =)
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Map with all ferry routes to the UK from France
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 from France to the UK in just a few clicks. Simply enter your travel dates and destination, and the system will show you all available options. You can then choose the route from France to the UK that best suits your needs and budget. It’s that simple!
Travel tip: The Condor ferry 'Liberation' is very fast!
The Condor Liberation ferry sails from Portsmouth to Cherbourg and has a maximum speed of 39 knots! Although the normal sailing speed is a lot lower than the maximum speed, this ferry will take you to France from the UK within 3 hours. This ferry also sails on the route from Poole to Saint-Malo.
Also on this page
The Strait of Dover Ferries
Ferries in the port of Dover
Probably the best-known routes to the UK from France are the ferries that sail over the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of The Channel. P&O Ferries, Irish Ferries, and DFDS Ferries operate on the routes to Dover from Dunkirk and Calais.
The ferry crossing to the UK from these ports is also often travellers from other European countries.
These are the shortest and fastest routes to the UK from France, with 1 hour and 30 minutes from Calais to Dover and 2 hours from Dunkirk to Dover. DFDS has the most crossings daily.
Calais and Dunkirk (France) ⇔ Dover (UK)
Ferries to the UK from Normandy, Brittany / Bretagne, Southwest of France
Fast Condor trimaran ferry that sails from Cherbourg to Portsmouth
From Saint-Malo, Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre, and Roscoff ferries are departing daily to the UK.
Travelers to the UK from Brittany/Bretagne can go for the ferry from Roscoff, Cherbourg, or St Malo to either Plymouth or Portsmouth. Also from Cherbourg and Caen, you can sail towards the port of Portsmouth.
Normandy, Bretagne, Southwest of France ⇔ UK
Ferries from the South of France to the UK
There are no direct ferry crossings from the South of France to the UK. The most ‘Southern' French connection to the UK is the ferry leaving from Roscoff and heading for Plymouth (Devon).
If you're traveling from the south of France and want to avoid the traffic around Paris, the boats from Roscoff, Le Havre, or Caen are good choices.
South of France + Côte d'Azur ⇔ UK
Ferries from Paris to Londen
Newhaven-Dieppe is a great connection for those who want to travel from Paris to London by ferry. You travel with this ferry in a fairly straight line in the direction of the English Capital. So you make fewer miles/kilometers and don't have to drive that far on this route. The ferry from Le Havre to Portsmouth is a great alternative to this route.
This route is a very popular alternative to the ferries operating in the Strait of Dover.
Paris ⇔ London
Traveling to the UK through France
Frequently Asked Questions about ferries from France to the UK
The cheapest crossing is the ferry from Calais to Dover. DFDS or P&O is the cheapest option depending on how busy it is.
The shortest crossing is between Dover and Calais. This ferry sails a distance of approximately 41km to France. The boats then take 1.5 hours. Because of this short distance, it is one of the busiest routes in the world.
The fastest ship that sails across the channel is the Condor Voyager. It achieves maximum speeds of 42 knots or 78 kph. It used to sail to Normandy and back but nowadays this ferry is leased by Brittany Ferries to Condor Ferries and sails towards the Channel Islands. As a result, the Condor Liberation is now the fastest boat sailing from England to France. It has a maximum speed of 39 knots and sails from Portsmouth to Cherbourg in 3 hours.
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