Roaming the Waves: Choosing the Perfect Sea Route to Europe with Your Motorhome/Caravan and Furry Friend

Your individual perspective and personal travel requirements will significantly shape your decision-making process on this subject. So let’s start by looking at some of the considerations and key factors that will help your decision making before delving into the details of your journey and specific options available. If you prefer to watch a video version of this article click on the link below otherwise scroll passed the link to read on.

Things to consider first

1. Your starting point and destination: Determine where you'll begin your trip and where you intend to reach in Europe. Some crossings choose themselves simply due to distance, location and duration factors.

2. Preferences regarding France: Consider if you wish to avoid potential issues like strikes and toll roads while passing through France. This can be a problem, often unique to France and seems to rear it’s head annually or at least bi annually. It shouldn’t put you off , but it might influence your choices.

3. Driving preferences: Assess whether you enjoy long drives or have the convenience of having two drivers to share the journey. Sometimes the choice of spending more time on the boat and less time on the road is the prevailing option. Especially when travelling to Spain.

4. Budget considerations: Factor in the overall cost of the trip, including ferry fees and other expenses.There is no doubt some options are more expensive ,especially the longer journeys at sea. Increasing fuel charges on the roads have gone some way to levelling out this consideration but not entirely. It is possible of course to off set costs with Tesco Club Card Points , being a member of each carriers travel club or by booking early or taking opportunity of one off discounts offered. As a general rule the shortest route equates to the smallest fare , although this might not always apply.

5. Pet travel: If you have a pet accompanying you, establish your stance on pet-friendly accommodations and facilities during the journey. The options range from keeping your pet with you in the vehicle , leaving your pet in the vehicle on a short crossing , sitting with your Pet in a Pet Lounge , placing your Pet in a Kennel or booking a Pet Friendly Cabin. The latter are not available on all routes and sell out quickly at popular times.

6. Comfort at sea: Reflect on your comfort level as a sailor to ensure a pleasant ferry experience. If you are a bad sailor , shorter routes or the train might be more attractive

7. Time constraints: Take into account any time limitations you might have for the trip. Some crossings do save time , especially if you don’t like very long daily drives.

By addressing these fundamental points, you'll be better equipped to plan a successful and enjoyable journey to Europe by sea with your motorhome and pet. Lets look at the options in more detail.

Available Routes

Map downloaded from https://www.villaspain.co.uk/ferries

Your attitude to the questions above will automatically lead you to preclude certain routes and reduce your options which helps , but let’s initially consider all the routes that are available. I have deliberately omitted routes to Ireland in this list.

As of writing, there are several ferry routes available from the UK to various destinations in Europe. Please note that ferry routes may change over time, so it's essential to check with ferry operators for the most up-to-date information. The most popular ferry routes from the UK to Europe include:

East Coast Ferry Routes

1. Dover to Calais/Dunkirk: This is one of the most well-known and frequently used ferry routes, connecting Dover in England to Calais in northern France. It offers a quick and convenient way to access mainland Europe.
   Advantages -
   Fastest Route / Most Cost Effective
   Disadvantages -
   Pet stays in car on DFDS routes (Calais/Dunkirk) and Irish Ferries (Calais) P&O to Calais has a bookable Pet Lounge)
   Distance to travel may increase by road. For many of us travelling to this departure point, it will mean dealing with the M25 which may mean remembering to pay for the Dartford Tunnel / QE Bridge. This should be done on line.

2. Hull to Rotterdam/Zeebrugge: Ferries from Hull in northeast England operate routes to Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Zeebrugge in Belgium, offering connections to northern Europe.
   Advantages -
   Great location if travelling from the North England or Scotland /Pet Friendly Cabins Available / Good access to Northern Europe
   Disadvantages
   Cost is elevated ( There may be off set road fuel costs) / Location may not suit everyone especially if travelling from the South, Midlands or Wales .

3. Newcastle to Amsterdam - DFDS Route. 7 sailings per week
   Advantages - Overnight Ferry options are attractive because they allow for people to set off on holiday after work. This was especially attractive to us when we were caravaners, as it also saved us the issue of a one night stop over either in the Uk the night before or just into the journey the otherside. Great location if travelling from the North England or Scotland /Pet Friendly Cabins Available / Good access to Northern Europe
   Disadvantages - Very expensive in comparison / Location may not suit everyone especially if travelling from the South, Midlands or Wales .

4. Harwich to Hook of Holland: This ferry route connects Harwich in Essex, UK, to the Hook of Holland in the Netherlands, providing access to central Europe.
   Advantages Great location if travelling from the Midlands or the East Anglia region /Pet Friendly Cabins Available / Good access to Northern Europe and France
   Disadvantages - More expensive that both Le Shuttle and the Dover Ferry routes/ Location may not suit everyone especially if travelling from the South, Midlands or Wales/ Small Pet exercise areas two floors below the Pet Cabins. At busy times the road to and from Rotterdam/Hook of Holland can be very busy , the biggest port in Europe in fact and 10th in the world. Still a great route in though through Hull or Harwich

5. LeShuttle as it now likes to be called. Not a ferry of course but a train under the sea.
   Advantages - Not effected by bad weather /Suits Poor Sailors/ Assuming no break downs it’s a quick and efficient system/Effective for Pet travel ( you stay with your Pet in the vehicle)
   Disadvantages. Attend a dedicated Pet Reception Area/Increased costs over the Dover Ferry.

6. Portsmouth to Caen/Cherbourg/Le Havre: These routes connect Portsmouth in England to several ports in Normandy, France, providing options for travellers heading to different parts of France.

7. Plymouth/Roscoff: This ferry route connects Plymouth in Devon, UK, to Roscoff in Brittany, France, providing a direct link to western France.

8. Newhaven/Dieppe: This route connects Newhaven in East Sussex, UK, to Dieppe in Normandy, France.

South Coast Ferry Routes to France

1. Newhaven/Dieppe: This route connects Newhaven in East Sussex, UK, to Dieppe in Normandy, France.
   Advantages - provides for a shorter drive time in France Great Port location if you live in the South of England and South Wales. There is a very dedicated customer base for this route it seems.
   Disadvantages No Pet Cabins / More expensive than the other ferry options from Dover.

2. Brittany Ferries operate services from Portsmouth to Caen, Cherbourg, Le Harve and St Malo and Portsmouth to Roscoff.
   Advantages - Provides for a shorter drive time in France / Great Port location if you live in the South of England and South Wales
   Disadvantages No Pet Cabins / More expensive than the other options from Dover and Newhaven

3. Condor Ferries operate a service from Portsmouth to St Malo
   Advantages - Provides for a shorter drive time in France / Great Port location if you live in the South of England and South Wales
   Disadvantages No Pet Cabins / More expensive than the other options from Dover and Newhaven and detailed instructions re dogs can be found on their website here - https://www.condorferries.co.uk/ferry-routes-ports/plan-your-journey/travel-advice/travelling-with-pets

4. Brittany Ferries also run a service from Poole to Cherburg.
   Advantages - Provides for a shorter drive time in France / Great Port location if you live in the South of England and South Wales
   Disadvantages No Pet Cabins / More expensive than the other options from Dover and Newhaven

5. Brittany Ferries also run a service from Plymouth to Roscoff.
   Advantages - Provides for a shorter drive time in France / Great Port location if you live in the South of England and South Wales
   Disadvantages No Pet Cabins and dogs must stay in vehicles. / More expensive than the other options from Dover and Newhaven

Routes to Spain

Brittany Ferries operate services to Spain from Portsmouth and Plymouth to both Bilbao and Santander.
Advantages - Considerably shortens the driving time bypassing France providing easy access to Spain/Portugal/Southern France . Good quality ships and well appointed Cabins / Pet Cabins are available close to the Pet Exercise area.
Disadvantages - Bay of Biscay can be rough/ Longer sailing times/ less convenient onward travel to East and South Coast of Spain.

Travelling with Pets

At the time of publishing we believe that all the information is correct but Pets are such an important topic that we advise you to please keep in mind that different ferry operators may have specific guidelines and restrictions regarding travelling with pets, including the need to pre-book pet cabins in advance. Things change however , so I recommend checking with the ferry operator directly for the most up-to-date information on pet cabins and pet travel options.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Pet Documentation

Information on this subject is beyond the purpose of this article, but there are a number of useful online resources we can recommend via our videos on the subject linked below. The first video is about our experiences taking our dog Poppy on the Euro tunnel and the second on the Harwich to The Hook of Holland route by Ferry.