Motorhome ferries to Europe: routes, costs and how to book
Getting a motorhome to the Continent starts with one decision: the short hop across the Channel, or the long ferry south. We have done the short hop more times than we can count and sailed south a couple of times, so here is how the main crossings actually work, what shapes the cost, and which one we would book.
The short answer
For France and beyond, the Eurotunnel or a Dover to Calais ferry is the quickest and cheapest way across, under two hours either way. For Spain, the direct Brittany Ferries crossing from Portsmouth or Plymouth to Santander or Bilbao costs more but saves you two long days of French motorway.
Every operator prices a motorhome by its overall length, so know your van's length before you get a quote, and for summer sailings to Spain, book early.
We have crossed the short Channel hop more times than we could count, and sailed the long overnight run to northern Spain a couple of times when Iberia or Morocco was the destination. This is not a spec-sheet comparison of operators. It is what we have actually booked, sailed and would book again.
Dover, Santander or Hull: the options
The decision that shapes the whole trip
If you are heading into France, Belgium, Germany or anywhere reachable by a day or two of driving from the Channel, the short crossings from Dover or Folkestone are the obvious choice: cheap, fast, and running all day. If Spain, Portugal or Morocco is the destination, the direct crossing to northern Spain trades a higher fare for two fewer days behind the wheel. There is also a longer North Sea route from Hull to Rotterdam, useful if you are starting from the north of England and heading into the Netherlands or Germany without wanting to drive the length of the country first.
We have used the short Channel crossing on nearly every European trip we have done, and the Santander route whenever Spain has been the plan. The choice mostly comes down to where you are going and how much of the driving you want to do yourself versus let the ferry do for you overnight.
Dover to Calais and the Eurotunnel
The short hop, ours by default
Both the ferry from Dover to Calais and the Eurotunnel from Folkestone to Calais get you onto the Continent in well under two hours, and both regularly carry motorhomes. We tend to use the Eurotunnel: check-in reads your number plate to pull up the booking, confirms passenger and pet details, and prints a hanger for the mirror, then you watch the departure board for your coach letter and join the queue for your train.
It is not always perfectly smooth. On one recent trip our train was pushed back by a real delay on the platform, which is a pain when you have a long drive still ahead of you, but it is the kind of delay you take in your stride rather than let ruin the day.
Build a little slack into the first day. Whichever crossing you book, do not plan to drive straight through to your first stop the moment you land. Our first stop after the Eurotunnel is usually somewhere unglamorous and close, a supermarket car park a short drive from Calais, simply to break the day up and let everyone reset before the real driving starts.
Portsmouth or Plymouth to Spain
The long way, and our favourite way into Spain
Brittany Ferries run the direct UK to northern Spain crossings, from Portsmouth or Plymouth into Santander or Bilbao. It is a proper overnight, or close to it, sailing, book a cabin because you will want somewhere to sleep, and you land in northern Spain rested rather than at the end of two days of French motorway. We have sailed the Santander route ourselves, out and back, more than once.
One detail worth knowing: the queue for boarding is its own small piece of the trip. We have swapped notes with other motorhomers waiting in line at Santander more than once, families just starting out in vanlife, comparing routes over a coffee before the boat even leaves. It is one of the nicer parts of the crossing.
Book the summer Santander sailings early. The motorhome capacity is limited compared with car traffic, and the fare is a meaningful part of the trip budget, so it pays to commit to your dates rather than leave it late and pay for the privilege, or find the sailing you wanted has sold out.
Hull to Rotterdam
A route we have not sailed ourselves, but worth knowing about
There is also an overnight crossing from Hull to Rotterdam, useful if you are starting from the north of England and want to land directly into the Netherlands without first driving south to the Channel.
We cannot give you a first-hand account of this one, we have always crossed via the Channel, so treat this section as general orientation rather than a review. If it is your nearest port, it is worth pricing up against driving down to Dover or Folkestone and taking the short hop instead.
Booking, costs and van length
Every ferry company we have booked with prices a motorhome by its overall length, not by how many people or berths it has. Know your van's length in metres before you request a quote, it is the first question every booking form asks. Our own motorhome for four years was a nine-metre tag-axle coachbuilt, and that length noticeably changed the fare compared with a shorter van, on every crossing we booked.
Beyond length, the other big cost lever is timing. Short Channel crossings run all day and are fairly forgiving on booking lead time. The long Santander and Bilbao sailings have far less capacity for motorhomes relative to demand, so summer dates need booking well ahead, and the price only goes up the longer you wait.
Motorhome ferry questions we get asked
Which ferry is best for a motorhome to Spain?
For us it is Brittany Ferries from Plymouth or Portsmouth direct to Santander. It costs more than driving down through France, but you avoid two long motorway days and arrive in northern Spain rested. We have sailed this route ourselves more than once and it is the one we keep coming back to.
How much does a motorhome ferry cost?
It depends on the operator, the season, your van length and whether you book a cabin, so there is no single number worth quoting here. As a rule the short Dover to Calais and Eurotunnel crossings are the cheapest way onto the Continent, and the long overnight crossings to Spain cost considerably more because you are paying for a cabin and a day at sea rather than ninety minutes on a boat.
Do you pay by van length?
Yes. Every ferry operator we have booked with prices by the overall length of the vehicle, not by berths or beds. Our own motorhome for four years was a nine-metre tag-axle coachbuilt, and that length was always the first thing we declared when getting a quote, because it changes the fare.
Is the Eurotunnel or the Dover to Calais ferry better for a motorhome?
Both get you to France in well under two hours and we have used the Eurotunnel regularly. The tunnel is weatherproof and the check-in is straightforward, number plate recognition picks up your booking automatically. A ferry gives you the option of getting out of the van and stretching your legs on the crossing, which matters more with children aboard.
How long is the crossing from Portsmouth or Plymouth to Santander?
It is a long one, around twenty-four hours, so you book a cabin and sleep through most of it. It feels like a proper part of the holiday rather than a means to an end, and you wake up in northern Spain ready to drive.
Do I need to book a motorhome ferry crossing in advance?
For the summer Santander and Bilbao sailings, yes, and well ahead. Those crossings have limited motorhome capacity and the popular dates sell out. The short Channel crossings are more forgiving and can often be booked closer to the time, though we still book ahead to lock in a fare.
Crossings we have actually sailed
Not a wishlist, our own bookings
- Folkestone to Calais (Eurotunnel)
Our default way onto the Continent for a European road trip. It is the shortest crossing by far, and the number plate recognition check-in is quick when it works, though we have sat through a delay on the platform more than once.
- Plymouth to Santander
Our usual way into Spain, run by Brittany Ferries. We have sailed it more than once for our Iberian trips, and it is the crossing we would recommend if you are heading to Spain, Portugal or on down towards Morocco.
- Santander to the UK
Steve sailed this one solo on the way back from the Sahara, timing the drive up through Morocco and Spain to make a Monday sailing home. The route works just as well in reverse.
If you are planning the whole trip rather than just the crossing, our guide to taking a motorhome to Europe covers the wider picture. If Spain is the destination, read our Spain guide for what happens after you land. And if you are looking further south still, our guide to taking a motorhome to Morocco picks up where this one leaves off.
Written by Steve and Lyndsay Radford. Every crossing named here as our own is a real trip we have taken. Where our own experience runs out, we have said so plainly rather than invent it. Roaming Radfords is a trading name of Yowzer Limited.