Ferry to Spain from the UK

Three sailings from England, one from Ireland, straight across the Bay of Biscay to Santander or Bilbao. No airport queues, no luggage limits, and the car comes with you.

Read about our crossing → Compare all four routes

We sailed Plymouth to Santander in August 2026, five of us, on the Pont-Aven. Every photo on this site is ours. About us

Plymouth → Santander 20h 30m · 1 night
Pont-Aven · Wed, Sun Rosslare → Bilbao 27–31h · from Ireland
Santoña · Wed, Fri Portsmouth → Santander ~33h · 2 nights
Salamanca · Mon, Fri Portsmouth → Bilbao 33–36h · 2 nights
Galicia · Thu, Sun

16 a weekPeak-season sailings, 2026

20h 30mFastest crossing

5 portsAcross three countries

Our crossing Routes One night or two Ports Ships Plan your trip

Our Trip

Family of five · Commodore Suite · Plymouth to Santander · August 2026

What twenty hours at sea is actually like

We drove down to Plymouth on a Wednesday in August, joined the queue two hours before departure, and sailed overnight to Santander on the Pont-Aven. Five of us in a Commodore Suite. The kids found the arcade and the pool before we had unpacked, we ate at Le Flora that first evening, and we spent most of the next morning out on deck watching for the Spanish coast.

It is not a short crossing and it is not cheap. What you get for it is a holiday that starts the moment the ramp goes up, instead of one that starts after an airport.

Cars queuing at the Brittany Ferries check-in booths at Plymouth ferry port — Two hours before departure at Plymouth. Worth looking down the lanes: plenty of people bring serious cars across.

The indoor pool deck aboard the Pont-Aven — The indoor pool. Only the Pont-Aven has one.

The Cantabrian coastline coming into view as the ferry approaches Santander — Santander coming into view. Unusually for a ferry port, you dock in the middle of the city.

“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.”

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Book the suite early and it costs barely more than a cabin

We booked well ahead and the Commodore Suite came in close to the price of a standard cabin. If you can get it at that gap, take it. The private lounge, the separate seating area and the picture window over the sea are what turn twenty hours into part of the holiday rather than a transfer.

Read the full trip report →

The Routes

All four direct crossings to Spain

Every direct sailing between the UK or Ireland and Spain is operated by Brittany Ferries. In peak season the four routes run 16 crossings a week between them. Times below are the published April to November 2026 pattern.

Route	Departures	Crossing	Nights	Ship
Plymouth to Santander	Wed 15:45, Sun 16:45	20h 30m	1	Pont-Aven
Portsmouth to Santander	Mon 21:30, Fri 22:00	~33 hours	2	Salamanca
Portsmouth to Bilbao	Thu 19:00, Sun 22:00	33 to 36 hours	2	Galicia
Rosslare to Bilbao	Wed 09:00, Fri 23:59	27 to 31 hours	1 to 2	Santoña

Sailing home again? Every northbound departure is on our Spain to the UK page, along with what you can legally bring back. Live times for all four routes are on the 2026 timetable.

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 cruises at 22 knots and the newer ships are slower.

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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.