Four direct crossings · No flights, no landbridge
Ferry to Spain from the UK
Three sailings from England, one from Ireland, straight across the Bay of Biscay to Santander or Bilbao. Real timetables, honest comparisons and a trip report from a family who actually made the crossing.
All four direct crossings to Spain
Every direct sailing between the UK or Ireland and Spain is operated by Brittany Ferries. Times below are the published April to November 2026 pattern.
Plymouth → Santander
- Crossing: 20 hours 30 minutes
- Departures: Wednesday 15:45, Sunday 16:45
- Nights at sea: 1
- Ship: Pont-Aven
- Season: late March to early November
Portsmouth → Santander
- Crossing: around 33 hours
- Departures: Monday 21:30, Friday 22:00
- Nights at sea: 2
- Ship: Salamanca
- Season: year round
Portsmouth → Bilbao
- Crossing: 33 to 36 hours
- Departures: Thursday 19:00, Sunday 22:00
- Nights at sea: 2
- Ship: Galicia
- Season: twice weekly April to November
Rosslare → Bilbao
- Crossing: 27 to 31 hours
- Departures: Wednesday 09:00, Friday 23:59
- Nights at sea: 1 to 2
- Ship: Santoña
- Season: twice weekly late March to November
Side-by-side comparison, winter schedules and fares on the UK to Spain ferry routes page.
The decision that actually matters: one night or two
Everyone starts by comparing prices. The thing that shapes the trip more is how long you are at sea.
Plymouth to Santander takes 20 hours 30 minutes and you sleep on board once. The two Portsmouth crossings take 33 hours or more, which means two nights and roughly double the cabin cost. That is not the ferry company being awkward; the Pont-Aven on the Plymouth route cruises at 22 knots and the newer ships are slower.
Accommodation is compulsory, not an upgrade
Every direct crossing to Spain is overnight, so every passenger needs a reserved seat or a cabin. It is the biggest single variable in what you pay, and on the two-night routes a reserved seat is a very long stretch. Price the inside cabin before you rule it out.
Route map
Where you leave from and where you land
Departure ports
- Plymouth, England, parking £13 a day
- Portsmouth, England, 2.1 m car park height limit
- Rosslare, Ireland, parking €25 a week
Parking, directions, check-in and terminal facilities for all five in the port guides.
The four ships
Which vessel you get is decided by your route, not by choice. They are not interchangeable.
Pont-Aven
- 2004, the flagship and the fastest
- The only ship to Spain with an indoor pool
- French styling and dining
- Plymouth to Santander
Salamanca
- 2022, LNG-powered and quiet
- Tapas bar and Spanish interiors
- Portsmouth to Santander
- Swapped routes with the Santoña for 2026
Galicia
- 2021, the first of the E-Flexer trio
- Diesel with scrubbers rather than LNG
- Portsmouth to Bilbao
Santoña
- 2023, LNG-powered
- Rosslare to Bilbao
- Swapped routes with the Salamanca for 2026
Specifications, cabin types, pet rules and live position trackers on the vessels page.
We took this crossing ourselves
Five of us sailed Plymouth to Santander on the Pont-Aven in August, in a Commodore Suite, and we would book it again. The kids found the arcade and the pool before we had unpacked, we ate at Le Flora the first night, and we spent a good chunk of the crossing out on deck.
“For a family, it turns a stressful cross-country dash to catch a flight into part of the trip itself: no airport queues, you bring as much luggage as the car holds, and the kids get a proper adventure before you’ve even reached Spain.”
The full account, including what a Commodore Suite actually gets you and the bed we nearly missed, is on the Plymouth to Santander page.
If the direct routes do not fit
Going via France
- Channel crossings from 35 minutes
- Then 800 to 1,250 km of driving
- Cheaper ticket, more fuel and tolls
- Usually a night on the road each way
Carrying on to Morocco
- The Strait is 14 km at its narrowest
- Around an hour from Tarifa or Algeciras
- Roughly 1,050 km from Bilbao first
- Ceuta and Melilla are Spain, not Morocco
Planning your trip
- Full 2026 timetable, live sailings and the published schedule
- The cheapest crossing to Spain
- Where to go after the ferry, Bilbao and Santander guides
- About Brittany Ferries, the only operator on these routes
Independent guide. Booking links go to Brittany Ferries and may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
