Brittany Ferries · Santoña
Ferry from Rosslare to Bilbao
The only direct ferry between Ireland and Spain, and the newest route in the Brittany Ferries network. Around 27 to 31 hours across the Bay of Biscay, with no UK landbridge and no second crossing to arrange.
Rosslare to Bilbao ferry timetable
Two return sailings a week from late March to early November 2026, reduced to one a week over the winter.
| Direction | Departs | Arrives | Ship |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosslare → Bilbao | Wednesday 09:00 | Thursday 13:30 | Santoña |
| Rosslare → Bilbao | Friday 23:59 | Sunday 08:30 | Santoña |
| Bilbao → Rosslare | Thursday 18:00 | Friday 20:30 | Santoña |
| Bilbao → Rosslare | Sunday 11:00 | Monday 14:30 | Santoña |
Times are local at each port, from the Brittany Ferries schedule for April to November 2026. Winter is a single sailing a week, so check your dates when you book.
Check which ship your booking names
In 2026 this route is the Santoña, not the Salamanca that worked it previously. The two swapped schedules this year, so older guides name the wrong vessel.
What the crossing costs
Your fare covers the passengers, the vehicle if you bring one, and a cabin or reserved seat. Accommodation is not optional, since every sailing on this route runs overnight.
What pushes the price up
- School holidays and peak summer
- Booking close to departure
- Motorhomes, vans and minibuses
- Sea-view and Commodore cabins
What brings it down
- Booking as early as the schedule opens
- Shoulder season sailings
- Travelling on foot or by bike
- Inside cabins, filled rather than split
Worth weighing against the alternative: the landbridge route means an Irish Sea crossing, a drive across Britain, and a second crossing to France or Spain. Compare the total cost of that, fuel and tolls included, before deciding the direct sailing is the expensive option.
The crossing
The route runs south-west out of Rosslare Europort, across the mouth of the Celtic Sea and down through the Bay of Biscay to the Basque coast. Brittany Ferries carries free wildlife guides from the charity ORCA on summer sailings, and this crossing spends most of its hours over deep water.
Sea conditions for your sailing
This route crosses the mouth of the Celtic Sea before it reaches Biscay, so it is exposed to Atlantic weather for most of the way. Worth checking before you leave Wexford.
Check in at least 45 minutes before departure, or 90 minutes if you are travelling with a pet. Directions and terminal facilities are in our Rosslare ferry port guide and Bilbao ferry port guide. Bilbao’s terminal is at Zierbena, about 21 kilometres from the city centre.
On board the Santoña
The Santoña entered service in 2023, the third of the E-Flexer class ships Brittany Ferries brought in alongside the Galicia and the Salamanca. She runs on liquefied natural gas rather than diesel, which makes for a quieter crossing than the older vessels.
Interiors and food lean Spanish. Expect tapas-style dining, bars with evening entertainment, duty-free shopping, a sundeck with a children’s play area, and a private CClub lounge for Commodore-class passengers. All sailings take dogs, with pet-friendly cabins, kennels and an open-deck walking area.
Why Irish travellers use this route
Before this service launched there was no direct sailing between Ireland and Spain at all. Getting a car to northern Spain meant the landbridge: Dublin or Rosslare to Wales, the drive south and east across Britain, then Portsmouth or Plymouth to Spain, or a French crossing and a long drive.
The direct sailing removes two of those legs. It is the busiest Brittany Ferries route for Spanish-originating passengers, with roughly one in six travellers starting their journey in Spain rather than Ireland, and passenger numbers have been climbing since it opened.
If you are travelling from the UK rather than Ireland, the three English departures are usually the better fit. Compare them on the UK to Spain ferry routes map.
Check dates and fares
Brittany Ferries, Rosslare to Bilbao, direct from Ireland.
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