Ferries from Ireland to Germany
There is currently no direct ferry connection from either Ireland or the UK to Germany. If you want to travel by ferry from Ireland to Germany, you will need to travel either via France or via England and the Netherlands. On the interactive map, you can find the most practical ferry routes and travel options to reach Germany.
In summary, there are three logical routes:
- Take a short crossing to the UK, drive across Britain to ports such as Hull or Harwich, and continue with an overnight ferry to the Netherlands, arriving the next morning. From there, you can continue driving to Germany.
- Take a short crossing to the UK and continue via a short ferry crossing from Dover, followed by a drive to Germany. This option involves more driving but offers greater flexibility.
- Take a direct overnight cruise ferry to northern France and continue to Germany later that same day.
Ferry routes to the Netherlands and Germany via the UK
One advantage of travelling via the United Kingdom is that you can leave Ireland in the morning and board a direct overnight ferry to the Netherlands later that same evening. To do this, you first need to cross to the UK. These are the main ferry routes for that part of the journey:
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Once in the UK, you can continue from several ferry ports with departures to the Netherlands. Hull in particular connects very well with the popular Holyhead to Dublin route.
Ferry routes to Germany via France
It is also possible to travel to Germany via France. You can either one of the two direct routes, or first travel to the United Kingdom and then continue via the short Dover to Calais or Dunkirk crossings. From northern France, you can continue your journey east towards Germany.
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What are the ferry crossings like?
For routes to Germany, you can expect comfortable cruise ferries on the longer crossings, often with cabins available for overnight travel. There is usually plenty to do on board as well.
The shorter the crossing, the more functional the ferry tends to be. Even so, the onboard facilities are generally well-suited to the duration of the journey, so you are unlikely to get bored during the crossing.
