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Ferry Travel in the UK and Western Europe (Ireland, Scotland, Britian, France, Netherlands, Belgium)

Posted by (Vancouver, Washington) on

We are going to the UK to travel in the spring. We will have a leased car and we would like feed back from those who have taken the ferry from any place in Europe (France, Belgium, the Netherlands) to the UK AND from Scotland, Britian to Ireland. We are from the US and have traveled many times to Western Europe, but have never been to the UK previously.

Thank you.

SPecifically -
What time of year did you go?
How were the seas?
Any specific problems you had?
Tips on traveling and time?
We have heard there can be issues with rowdy crowds on some of these ferries and there have been crime issues in Calais, any knowledge related to this?
Do you have to go though customs?

Posted by
2579 posts

Any time you enter the UK you will have to go through passport control. (unless travelling between the UK and Ireland). There are no customs controls between EU member states.

Posted by
4684 posts

The main issues with rowdiness, from what I've heard, are on the Baltic Sea overnight ferries where some people treat the ferry as a nightclub. But even so, I gather the cabins are away from the "party" areas unless you have particularly anti-social people near you.

The "crime issues" in Calais involve illegal migrants attempting to force their way into lorries and freight trains. It shouldn't affect car drivers.

Posted by
8889 posts

The busiest route from the UK to "the continent" (or vice versa) is the short crossing from Dover/Folkestone to Calais. The quickest and most popular route is not by ferry, but through the Channel Tunnel. This is a "drive-on drive-off" train service and takes 35 minutes (the ferries take 1½ hours Dover-Calais, and a lot long on other routes). No seas involved!
Details and booking here: https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/home/
No customs, you go through Schengen exit and UK entry passport control before you drive onto the train (same applies for ferries).

When you drive off the train, be sure to drive on the other side off the road.

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