County Wexford, Ireland · Rosslare to Bilbao
Rosslare Europort
Ireland’s closest port to mainland Europe, on the southeast corner of County Wexford, and the only place in the country with a direct sailing to Spain.
Address and opening hours
Rosslare Europort sits at Ballygillane Little, on the headland where Ireland points closest to France and Spain. It is one of the country’s largest ports and is run by Iarnród Éireann, which is why the railway station is inside the terminal grounds rather than down the road.
The port runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so you can check in whatever time your sailing leaves. Waiting areas and toilets stay open throughout, and the terminal has step-free entrances, lifts and accessible toilets.
| Detail | Rosslare Europort |
|---|---|
| Address | Rosslare Harbour, County Wexford, Y35 P2NR |
| Operated by | Iarnród Éireann |
| Route to Spain | Brittany Ferries, to Bilbao |
| Access | 24 hours, year round |
| Check-in | 45 minutes before departure, 90 with a pet |
| Official site | rosslareeuroport.ie |
Terminal facilities include seating, food and drink, toilets and showers, free wifi, luggage lockers, shops and staffed information desks.
Parking at Rosslare
Parking is managed by APCOA, with 335 spaces on site covering both short stays and long trips.
| Duration | Rate |
|---|---|
| Per hour | €1, about 85p |
| Per day | €5, about £4 |
| Per week | €25, about £21 |
Parking here costs a fraction of the English ports
A week at Rosslare is €25, about £21. The same week at Portsmouth or Plymouth, at £13 a day, runs to around £91. If you are weighing the direct sailing against the landbridge route through Britain, the parking difference is small but it stacks on top of the fuel, tolls and second crossing you avoid.
Ferry routes from Rosslare
Rosslare serves France, Britain and Spain. The Spanish sailing is the one that makes this port unusual: before it launched, there was no direct ferry between Ireland and Spain at all.
| Route | Departures | Crossing | Ship |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosslare to Bilbao | Wed 09:00, Fri 23:59 | 27 to 31 hours | Santoña |
Two return sailings a week from late March to early November, dropping to one a week over the winter. The service carried around 67,000 passengers over the last twelve months, up eighteen per cent on the year before, and roughly one in six of them start their journey in Spain rather than Ireland. That is the highest Spanish-origin share on any Brittany Ferries route.
Getting to the port
By car
Follow signs for Rosslare Harbour. The port is about 20 minutes from Wexford town and roughly two hours from Dublin.
By train
Rosslare Europort has its own station, a short walk from the terminal, with regular services from Dublin. The journey takes around two and a half hours.
By bus
- Route 40: Waterford to Rosslare Harbour via Wexford, stopping at the ferry port
- Route 370: Wexford to Rosslare Harbour, frequent, also stopping at the terminal
By air
Dublin Airport is the nearest. Take the train or bus onward to Rosslare, or hire a car at the airport and drive down.
By taxi
Available locally and worth pre-booking if you are a foot passenger arriving late, since the Friday sailing leaves at 23:59.
Port operator: Iarnród Éireann, rosslareeuroport.ie
