Ferry and self drive holidays
If you've a sense of adventure and prefer to take in the sights en route, perhaps making a visit to Disneyland® Paris, then hop on a ferry and take your own car.
Ferry Options
Modern car ferries are comfortable vessels with bags of facilities and, on longer sailings, have entertainment and cabins for overnight journeys. Or opt for a channel tunnel crossing with Eurotunnel. Ferry bookings must coincide with with dates booked in accommodation
To get an idea of the distance in miles between ferry ports and parcs and help you plan your journey download our ferry route planner (PDF)
Download Acrobat PDF reader (free)
You can book a selection of ferry routes online with us via the yellow 'Check availability and book' panel. The routes shown below can be booked via the Al Fresco Reservations team 0871 231 3293 Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras.
Book early to avoid disappointment. On some crossings, additional fuel supplements may apply.
Choose your ferry destination
Short sea crossings - UK to France
If you prefer a short sea crossing then there are several to choose from depending upon the location of your holiday parc or any overnight stops in France you may want to take along the way. Some of the most popular short sea crossings are shown below, but please do contact us if a different route is more convenient for you and we'll be happy to make enquiries on your behalf.
| Crossing | Operator | Journey Time | Frequency | Timings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover - Calais | P&O Ferries |  |
1 hr 15 mins | up to 2 services per hour at peak times | Off peak sailings Outbound 14.01-06.00, Inbound 00.00-14.00.Peak sailings Outbound 06.01-14.00, Inbound 14.01-23.59 |
| Dover - Dunkirk | Norfolkline |  |
1 hr 45 mins | Service every 2 hours | Off peak sailings Outbound 20.01-07.59, Inbound 22.01-08.00 |
UK to Spain
Sail direct from the UK to Spain by sea and relax onboard on the way. For all night sailings, ferry companies oblige you to purchase a cabin or reclining seats.
| Crossing | Operator | Journey Time | Frequency | Timings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plymouth - Santander | Brittany Ferries |  |
19 hrs | weekly | Outbound Sun 16.00. Inbound Wed 21.00 or Thur 15.00 depending on date. |
| Portsmouth - Santander | Brittany Ferries | |
Out 24hrs, In 26hrs | weekly | Outbound Wed 11.00 or Tue 17.00 depending on date. Inbound Mon 15.00 or 16.00 |
| Portsmouth - Bilbao | Brittany Ferries | |
35hrs outbound, 29hrs inbound | 2 to 3 times weekly | Conventional ferry schedules vary |
Western channel crossings
Some of the most popular western channel crossings are shown below with some bookable via our website. Please do contact us if a different route is more convenient for you and we'll be happy to make enquiries on your behalf.
| Crossing | Operator | Journey Time | Frequency | Timings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth - Cherbourg | Brittany Ferries | |
High speed service 3 hrs | Once daily | Off peak Outbound 08.00 or 15.45. Peak sailings all other times |
| Poole - Cherbourg | Brittany Ferries | |
Fast craft 2 hrs 15 mins. Conventional ferry 4 hrs 45 mins day sailings, 6hrs 30 mins nightsailing | Conventional ferry once or twice daily. Fast craft once daily. | Fast craft - Out 07.30, In 11.30). Conventional ferry - out 09.00/14.15/23.15, In 09.00/18.30/23.00 |
| Portsmouth - Caen | Brittany Ferries | |
Fast craft 3 hrs 45 mins. Conventional ferry 6 hrs | Once daily Fri, Sat, Sun. Conventional ferry up to 3 times daily. | Fast craft (Outbound 07.00 Inbound 12.30) Conventional ferry - day, 6 to 7.5hrs night - Out 08.30/12.30 on Wed/14.30/23.30, In 08.00/16.30/23.00 |
| Portsmouth - St Malo | Brittany Ferries | |
8.45hrs day sailings. 10.45hrs night sailings | Once daily | Outbound 20.30, Inbound 10.30 |
| Plymouth - Roscoff | Brittany Ferries | |
6 hrs day sailings. 7hrs to 9hrs night sailings | Once to three times daily | Conventional ferry - timings vary |
| Poole/Weymouth - St Malo via Jersey/Guernsey | Condor Ferries |  |
From 4hrs 35mins from Poole or from 5hrs 15mins from Weymouth | 6 to 7 days each week | High speed service, schedules vary |
Ferries from Uk to Holland and Belgium
We can arrange crossings from the UK to Holland and Belgium, which are ideal if you are staying on our holiday parc in Wassenaar, and also if you want to take a shorter route to the Italian parcs.
| Crossing | Operator | Journey Time | Frequency | Timings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull - Rotterdam/Zeebrugge | P&O Ferries |  |
From 10.25hrs to 15hrs | Daily | Rotterdam Out 21.00 (up to 11hrs) In 21.00 up to 13hrs. Zeebrugee Out 19.00 (up to 13hrs), In 19.00 (Up to 15hrs). Out Rotterdam 21.00, In 21.00 (10hrs) |
| Harwich - Hook of Holland | Stena Line |  |
6hrs 30 mins | Twice daily | Out 09.00/23.45, In 14.30/22.00 |
| Newcastle - Amsterdam | DFDS Seaways |  |
15.5hrs | Daily | Out 17.00, In 17.30 |
