Brittany Ferries

History of Brittany Ferries

Brittany Ferries was founded in 1972 and since then it has been offering the services of a fleet of ferries and cruise ferries travelling between France and England, France and Ireland and France and Spain, in addition to one route between Spain and England.

The business was initially started as a way for French cauliflower and artichoke farmers to trade with the British markets more easily, something that they had, until then, not been able to do.

It is now known primarily for its passenger services which operate primarily between France and England, though some freight services are still in operation on each of the routes.

Brittany Ferries have a selection of amenities onboard for passengers, including shops, bars, restaurants and cafes. An onboard bureau de change is also operated on most services, and those which do not have one instead have an ATM for dispensing euros. Most ships also have a cinema and gambling facilities, while all now also offer free Wi-Fi in the public areas of the ship.

It's a service used heavily by British holidaymakers heading for Europe with their cars, either for a family holiday on the continent or on a so-called booze cruise - to pick up cheap alcohol and cigarettes in the enormous French supermarkets which you will find nearby in every port in France with Brits incoming.

It can be a much cheaper way for a family to travel, and without any of the stress that airports naturally incur - you'll have your own car, even if you are on the wrong side of the road, and there are no peskily high car rental charges to contend with.

For a super cheap and cheerful getaway, keep an eye on this page for the latest deals and voucher codes to use on the Brittany Ferries website.

Destinations

Brittany Ferries offers several routes, including:

• Portsmouth to Santander
• Portsmouth to Bilbao
• Portsmouth to Caen
• Portsmouth to Saint Malo
• Portsmouth to Le havre
• Poole to Cherbourg
• Poole to Bilbao
• Plymouth to Roscoff
• Plymouth to Santander
• Roscoff to Cork
• Portsmouth to Cherbourg

Ships

Ships currently in the Brittany Ferries fleet include:

• MV Armorique
• MV Baie de Seine
• MV Barfleur
• MV Bretagne
• MV Cap Finist√®re
• MV Etretat
• MV Mont St Michel
• MV Normandie
• HSC Normandie Express
• MN Pelican
• MV Pont-Aven

Crossing lengths

Asking how long a Brittany Ferries crossing takes is a bit like asking how long a piece of string is; with so many routes and so many ships, there are a lot of different answers to this question. The shortest crossings take around three hours, while the longest (to Spain) take about 32 - the best thing to do is take a look at the specific crossing you're thinking of making on the website.

Booking Information

You can book a Brittany Ferries trip either as a foot passenger, or with a vehicle - and prices for the vehicle will differ depending on its type and size. It's also important to flag up early on if a member of your party has a disability, or if you're intending to travel with a pet, to make the process as smooth as possible.

It's usually cheaper to book further in advance, and, as with all holidays, you'll find that prices shoot up during the school summer holidays, so it's best to avoid these if possible.

The company often runs offers like free travel for kids, so it's worth keeping an eye out for voucher codes and offers before you book.

Cancellation Policy

If you need to cancel your trip with Brittany Ferries for any reason, you'll be charged your deposit and any amendment fees up until five days before you travel, at which point you will lose all of the money already paid if you do need to cancel. There's a sliding scale of other cancellation fees too, so it's well worth sorting travel insurance as soon as you book your trip, so you don't end up out of pocket if the worst should happen and you need to cancel.

Security & Reviews

The payment part of Brittany Ferries' website is securely encrypted, meaning it's a safe place to send money and your details can't be intercepted; it also offers another layer of security through the Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode schemes, in addition to a comprehensive and publicly available privacy policy.

Reviews of Brittany Ferries online are overwhelmingly positive, although the company does come under some fire for the high prices it charges to make crossings in the school summer holidays. Overall it is a well respected and well liked company that you should feel safe doing business with.