Ferry routes to Great Britain

Due to COVID-19, ferry service on some lines is suspended or reduced. Many ferries require you to get a COVID-19 test before hopping on board the ferry. Check with your ferry operator on any changes on the routes as well as any requirements that you must follow. Wearing a mask and following social distancing guidelines is required in public areas. See the warning box on the United Kingdom article for more information.

As Britain is an island, ferries were the only way to get into the country prior to the advent of aviation and later the construction of the Channel Tunnel which gave a "dry foot" route from Britain to the continent for the first time since the Ice Ages. See also the Get in section of the Britain article. Below is a list of routes that cross the North Sea, English Channel or Irish Sea. It may not be complete.

Portsmouth and Southampton act as ports for transport to the Isle of Wight; Portsmouth and Poole also have routes to Guernsey and Jersey, provided by Condor Ferries.

These routes may be subject to change. It is recommended to contact the ferry operators and book ahead.

By coach or bus

If you are booked onto a scheduled international bus route that crosses the Channel, it may either go by ferry or through the Channel Tunnel; you don't get the choice. However, in general FlixBus and Ouibus use the tunnel, Sindbad and Transmarian use the ferry, and Eurolines use both, depending on route. Schedules can change day-to-day depending on conditions at sea and fluctuations in ticket prices between the ferry companies and Eurotunnel. You can also catch a domestic bus to any Channel port of your choosing and take the ferry as a foot passenger, but this is not possible with the Eurotunnel. If you are going on a package coach holiday, the company will always explain how you are supposed to get to and from your start point.