Four ferry companies sail to France from England: Brittany Ferries, P&O Ferries, DFDS and Irish Ferries, with DFDS and Brittany Ferries also sailing from the Channel Islands. This page compares them side by side, on routes, crossing times, fares, foot passengers, pets, check-in, lounges and cabins, so you can see which suits your trip. Each company has its own full guide.
Ferry companies to France at a glance
| Company | Routes to France | Crossing | Car fare from | On foot | Check-in closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brittany Ferries | Portsmouth to Caen, Cherbourg and St Malo; Plymouth to Roscoff (seasonal); Guernsey to St Malo, and to Cherbourg from November 2026 | About 5h15 to 11h30 from England, many overnight; about 2h from Guernsey | £63 (Portsmouth to Caen, car and 2) | Yes, from £34 (Portsmouth) | 45 min (90 with a pet) |
| P&O Ferries | Dover to Calais | About 1h35 | £48 offer (Standard normally £110), car and up to 9 | Yes, from £30 | 90 min |
| DFDS | Dover to Calais and Dunkirk; Newhaven to Dieppe; Jersey to St Malo | 1h40 (Calais), 2h (Dunkirk), about 4h (Dieppe), 1h55 (Jersey) | £73 (Newhaven, car and 4); £99 (Dover, car and up to 5) | Newhaven and Jersey only, from £31 | 60 min (45 at Newhaven) |
| Irish Ferries | Dover to Calais | About 1h30 | £100, car and up to 5 | No | 60 min (90 with a pet) |
Fares are the lowest one-way prices we found in October 2026; they change with the date, time and how busy the sailing is. Crossing times and sailings vary through the year, so always check live times and prices for your dates.
Every route by ferry company
Each route links to our full guide, with timetables, ships, check-in and the drive at each end.
For every route side by side, with crossing times, fares and which sail in winter, see every ferry route to France compared. Brittany Ferries has also closed Portsmouth to Le Havre and is ending Poole to Cherbourg in October 2026.
Which ferry company is best for you?
Start with where you’re going in France, not with the company. Then use this to narrow it down:
| If you want | Look at |
|---|---|
| The shortest crossing and the most sailings | Dover to Calais with P&O Ferries, DFDS or Irish Ferries: about 90 minutes, with a ferry roughly every hour between them. |
| Normandy, Brittany or western France | Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth or Plymouth, which lands you much further west than Calais and saves a long drive. |
| A cabin and a night’s sleep | Brittany Ferries’ overnight sailings to Caen, Cherbourg, St Malo and Roscoff. See overnight ferries to France. |
| Paris or Rouen from Sussex or the south | DFDS’s Newhaven to Dieppe. Dieppe is the closest ferry port to Paris by road. |
| Belgium, Lille or the Netherlands | DFDS’s Dover to Dunkirk. |
| Travelling on foot from Dover | P&O Ferries, the only company there that takes foot passengers. See foot passenger ferries. |
| Your dog beside you on a short crossing | P&O’s Pet Lounge or Irish Ferries’ Pet Den, both on Dover to Calais. |
| A big group in one car | P&O Ferries, whose fares cover a car and up to 9 people. |
| From Jersey or Guernsey | DFDS from Jersey to St Malo; Brittany Ferries from Guernsey to St Malo and, from 4 November 2026, Cherbourg. |
Not sure which crossing suits your trip? Our guides compare the whole journey, including the drive in France, for Paris, Brittany, Normandy, the Loire, the Dordogne, the South of France and the Alps.
Dover to Calais: P&O, DFDS or Irish Ferries?
Three companies share Dover to Calais, so this is where comparing operators makes the most difference. Their sailings fit around each other, and each can be cheapest on a different sailing.
| P&O Ferries | DFDS | Irish Ferries | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crossing | About 1h35 | 1h40 | About 1h30 |
| Car fare from | £48 offer (Standard normally £110), up to 9 people | £99, up to 5 people | £100, up to 5 people |
| Foot passengers | Yes, from £30 | No | No |
| Dog with you | Pet Lounge, from £12 | No, in your vehicle (£15) | Pet Den |
| Lounge | Club Lounge, £29 | Premium Lounge (selected sailings) | Club Class, £29 |
| Check-in closes | 90 min | 60 min | 60 min |
| Also sails to | Calais only | Dunkirk | Calais only |
See Dover to Calais compared for times, ships and the port at each end.
Taking a pet: each company compared
| Company | Where your pet travels | Cost each way |
|---|---|---|
| Brittany Ferries | In your vehicle; pet-friendly cabins on the Saint-Malo, Guillaume de Normandie, Pont-Aven and Armorique; kennels on the Saint-Malo and Guillaume de Normandie | From £35 to France; from £20 on Guernsey to St Malo |
| P&O Ferries | Dogs in the Pet Lounge with you, or any pet in your vehicle | Pet Lounge from £12 for one dog and one adult |
| DFDS | Dover: in your vehicle. Newhaven: vehicle, kennel or pet-friendly cabin | £15 from Dover; £20 from Newhaven (£30 in a kennel) |
| Irish Ferries | In your vehicle, or with you in the Pet Den | Check when booking |
Check in at least 90 minutes before departure with a pet on Brittany Ferries, P&O and Irish Ferries. Your dog needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel and an animal health certificate. See taking a dog on the ferry to France.
Foot passengers
- P&O Ferries: Dover to Calais, from £30. A shuttle bus takes you to the ship, and there’s no luggage limit, but you carry it all yourself. No pets on foot.
- DFDS: Newhaven to Dieppe, from £31, with Newhaven Town station a 3-minute walk from the terminal, and Jersey to St Malo, from £40. Not from Dover.
- Brittany Ferries: Portsmouth to Caen, Cherbourg and St Malo, from £34, Plymouth to Roscoff, from £44, and Guernsey to St Malo, from £40.
- Irish Ferries: vehicles only.
More in foot passenger ferries to France.
Lounges, cabins and on board
- Brittany Ferries runs cruise-style ships on its longer crossings, with restaurants, bars and shops, and every cabin en-suite, from inside cabins to the Admiral suite on the Saint-Malo. Some ships have reserved lounge seats if you don’t want a cabin. See the Brittany Ferries cabin guide.
- P&O Ferries: the all-inclusive Club Lounge is £29 per person, with a buffet, drinks, free Wi-Fi and a private deck.
- DFDS: restaurants and cafés open 24/7 from Dover, a Premium Lounge on selected sailings, and Priority Boarding.
- Irish Ferries: Club Class is £29 per person, with drinks, snacks, French cheese and wine.
Ferry or the Eurotunnel?
LeShuttle isn’t a ferry company, but it’s the other way to take your car to France: car trains from Folkestone to Calais in about 35 minutes. You stay with your car, so it’s quick and easy with a dog, but there are no foot passengers, cabins or restaurants on board.
Who runs each ferry company?
- Brittany Ferries was set up in 1973 by Breton farmers, and is still mainly owned by Breton farming cooperatives. It also sails to Spain, from Portsmouth to Santander, Portsmouth to Bilbao and Plymouth to Santander, and from Ireland.
- P&O Ferries dates back to 1837 and is owned by DP World, the Dubai-based ports and logistics group.
- DFDS was founded in 1866 and is based in Copenhagen, Denmark, running ferry routes around Europe.
- Irish Ferries is part of Irish Continental Group, and has sailed Dover to Calais since June 2021.
Ship guides
Our ship guides cover cabins, food, pets, deck plans and where each ship is now:
- Brittany Ferries: the Brittany Ferries fleet, including the Pont-Aven, Armorique, Saint-Malo, Guillaume de Normandie, Mont St Michel, Barfleur, Islander and Voyager.
- P&O Ferries: the P&O Pioneer and P&O Liberté and the Spirit of France.
- DFDS: the DFDS fleet guide.
- Irish Ferries: the Isle of Inishmore and Oscar Wilde.
Or see every ship sailing to France.
Ferry Companies to France FAQs
Which ferry companies sail to France?
Four ferry companies sail to France from England: Brittany Ferries (Portsmouth and Plymouth to Normandy and Brittany), P&O Ferries (Dover to Calais), DFDS (Dover to Calais and Dunkirk, and Newhaven to Dieppe) and Irish Ferries (Dover to Calais). From the Channel Islands, DFDS sails Jersey to St Malo and Brittany Ferries sails Guernsey to St Malo, and to Cherbourg from 4 November 2026. LeShuttle runs car trains through the Channel Tunnel from Folkestone to Calais.
Which ferry company is cheapest to France?
In October 2026 the lowest car fare we found was a P&O Ferries offer from £48 one way on Dover to Calais, for a car and up to 9 people (P&O's Standard fares are normally from £110). Brittany Ferries had Portsmouth to Caen from £63 for a car and 2 people, and DFDS had Newhaven to Dieppe from £73. Fares change with the date and sailing, so compare live prices, and count the French driving too.
Which ferry company takes foot passengers to France?
P&O Ferries is the only company taking foot passengers from Dover (to Calais). DFDS takes them on Newhaven to Dieppe and Jersey to St Malo, and Brittany Ferries on its routes from Portsmouth and Plymouth and from Guernsey. DFDS from Dover and Irish Ferries carry vehicles only.
Which ferry company lets my dog stay with me?
On Dover to Calais, P&O Ferries has a Pet Lounge for dogs (from £12 each way) and Irish Ferries has a Pet Den. Brittany Ferries has pet-friendly cabins on the Saint-Malo, Guillaume de Normandie, Pont-Aven and Armorique, and DFDS has pet-friendly cabins on Newhaven to Dieppe. With DFDS from Dover, pets stay in your vehicle.
Which ferry company has cabins to France?
Brittany Ferries, on its longer and overnight crossings from Portsmouth and Plymouth; every cabin is en-suite. DFDS also has cabins on Newhaven to Dieppe. The Dover crossings are around 90 minutes, so there are lounges rather than cabins.
Which is the best ferry company to France?
It depends on where you're going. For Normandy, Brittany and western France, Brittany Ferries lands you closest and saves the most driving. For the quickest crossing and the most sailings, Dover to Calais with P&O Ferries, DFDS or Irish Ferries. For Paris and Rouen from Sussex, DFDS's Newhaven to Dieppe.
Who owns P&O Ferries?
DP World, the Dubai-based ports and logistics group. Brittany Ferries is mainly owned by the Breton farming cooperatives that founded it in 1973, DFDS is a Danish company based in Copenhagen, and Irish Ferries is part of Irish Continental Group.