Skip to Main Content
👉 Sign up for campsite tips, travel hacks & giveaways

Skipped to Main Content

Blog

Ferry to France motorhome: complete cost & guide

Camping guides

Ferry to France motorhome: complete cost & guide

•Camplify Team
Motorhome on a French ferry, heading off on a camping holiday.

France is an amazing destination for caravanning, but many questions arise. One of the first is how much does a van on a ferry to France cost?

A return ticket to take a 7 m long, 2.5 m high motorhome, plus 2 adults in seats from the UK to France costs between £119 and £658, depending on the date, time, ports and ferry company chosen.

But there are many details and variables that can increase this price, and also alternatives that can reduce it, as we cover below.

What does the price of taking a ferry to France with a motorhome depend on?

The price of the ticket depends on:

  • Length of time between booking and departure date: trips booked closer to the latter will cost more

  • Seasonal demand: high season will obviously be more expensive

  • The departure and arrival ports

  • The ferry company

  • The number of people travelling and their age.

  • Whether pets are accompanying the trip

  • The length and height of the motorhome

  • If you decide to travel in a seat or in a cabin.

How long does the ferry take to get to France?

Ferry crossings between the UK and France take between 1h 30m and 12 hours, depending on ferry company and destination/arrival ports. For example, Direct Ferries’ journey times for a 9am departure include:

Departing from Dover

  • Dover to Calais: 1h 30m

  • Dover to Dunkirk : 2h 00m

Departing from Portsmouth

  • Portsmouth to Cherbourg: 7h 45m

  • Portsmouth to St. Malo: 11h

  • From Portsmouth to Caen: 5h 45m

Departing from Poole

  • Poole to St. Malo: 6h 45m

  • Poole to Cherbourg: 6h 50m

Departing from Newhaven

  • Newhaven to Dieppe: 4h

Departing from Folkestone

  • Folkestone to Calais: 8h

Where to book a ferry to take a motorhome to France

The price comparison site Direct Ferries is a comprehensive option for checking and booking ferries from different companies, as it lists prices from these for the same route. All the main operators are listed, including P&O, Brittany Ferries and DFDS.

As with flights, prices are likely to increase in busy/popular times (summer; school half-terms) or the closer the departure date is to the time of booking. Booking as far in advance as possible is often the best way to get the cheapest prices.

Which ferry companies operate between the UK and France?

Several companies operate between the mainland and the UK and France, so always make sure you check the ins and outs of each company before making plans.

The main companies with regular ferries between the UK and France are:

Permits and documentation needed for ferry travel between the UK and France

Not all these documents are mandatory, but they’re recommended for a trip of this type:

Alternatives to taking your motorhome to France

Of course, you can take your motorhome to France without even getting on a ferry at all, by taking the Eurotunnel. As the journey time is only 35 minutes, this option may seem like a no-brainer, but there are a few factors to take into account re Eurotunnel versus ferry crossings to France.

For example, the Eurotunnel journey may only take 35 minutes, but you’ll need to take travelling time to Folkestone (Strait of Dover) into account.

You should also consider whether traffic to the Eurotunnel is very busy (check live updates on the National Highways website), or if the waiting time for the tunnel is very long due to high demand (check it on the Eurotunnel page).

This doesn’t happen too often as there are 4 departures every hour (62 crossings per day), but it’s always worth checking, as the total waiting time plus the journey to Folkestone may not be worth it compared to a ferry.

Start planning your van holiday today

No matter what your current location or budget is, at Camplify UK you can find a vast range of vans near your home or pick one up at your destination.

At Camplify we offer thousands of**campervans and motorhomes for hire** to get the most of your holidays, just take a look at our search page and specify what type of van you want or need.

Why Camplify

We are proud to be the UK’s fastest-growing campervan, motorhome and caravan sharing community. When you**hire a van** from our platform, you get lots of advantages:

  • Comprehensive hire insurance

  • 24/7 RAC nationwide breakdown cover

  • Dedicated customer support

  • All members are verified

By hiring at Camplify, you are also helping local families who share their van on our platform and supporting many local companies across the UK in addition to ours. So we are very grateful to you.

Sign up if you want to join our beloved community of van life lovers and receive our most recent news and offers.