Portsmouth to Brittany
Portsmouth to St Malo ferry
Board in the evening, sleep in a cabin and start the day at the walled city - check the departures for your date
- Overnight sailings most days of the year aboard the hybrid ship Saint-Malo
- Evening departure from Portsmouth, breakfast arrival in Brittany
- The deepest crossing west - no other route lands you further into Brittany
- Return sailings leave St Malo mid-morning
- All details without guarantee
Table of Contents
The crossing at a glance
Portsmouth - St Malo is the classic overnight route of the western Channel. Brittany Ferries sails it most days of the year with the Saint-Malo, the company's hybrid-powered ship built for this run: board in Portsmouth in the evening, eat on board, sleep in a cabin, and drive down the ramp in Brittany with the whole day ahead. The return leg leaves St Malo mid-morning and crosses in daylight.
Departures for your date - including the seasonal variations - are in the timetable.
Getting to Portsmouth and checking in
Portsmouth International Port hangs off the M275, about two hours from London. The evening departure makes this an after-work crossing for much of the south; check-in closes before departure, and the published time in your booking confirmation is the deadline. Summer evenings are the busiest of the year here, and a pet adds roughly 90 minutes of lead time.
On board
The Saint-Malo is the newest way to cross the western Channel: hybrid propulsion, quiet cabins from inside twins to premium outside rooms, restaurants for a proper evening meal, bars and lounges. The rhythm sells the route - dinner as England drops astern, a night in a real bed, and the arrival announcements over breakfast as the Breton coast comes up. Book the cabin with the ticket; on the daytime return, reclining seats and lounges are enough. Cards work on board in pounds and euros.
Vehicles, bikes and pets
Cars, motorhomes, caravans, motorbikes and bicycles all travel, booked by real length and height. Pets cross with the GB-to-France paperwork - microchip, rabies vaccination at least 21 days old, animal health certificate issued within ten days of travel - and the earlier pet check-in; kennel and pet accommodation options depend on the ship, so book the animal in with your ticket rather than at the port.
Arrival in St Malo and onward travel
The terminal sits at the foot of the walled city: intra-muros, the granite old town within its ramparts, is a short walk from the ship, which makes the arrival itself part of the trip. By road, the barrage across the Rance takes you to Dinard in fifteen minutes, Dinan is half an hour, Mont-Saint-Michel under an hour east, and the north Breton coast - Cap Fréhel, the Pink Granite Coast - unrolls to the west. Rennes and the Brittany motorway network are about an hour south.
Tickets, fares and changes
An overnight fare with a cabin costs more than a daytime crossing elsewhere, but it replaces a hotel night and a day of driving - price the whole stage, not just the ticket. Fares move with season, cabin category and vehicle size, and the binding total appears in the booking step. Change and cancellation terms follow your ticket type. The prices page sets the route against the rest of the Channel.
Portsmouth - St Malo
The night boat to Brittany
Portsmouth - St Malo is the crossing that works while you sleep: Brittany Ferries sails overnight on most days of the year with the Saint-Malo, its hybrid-powered flagship for the route. Departure is in the evening, arrival early enough for a full first day.
No other Channel route lands you deeper in Brittany - the walled city is a destination in itself, and the Rance bridge puts Dinard, Dinan and the whole Breton coast within an easy morning's drive.
- Departure
- Portsmouth International Port
- Arrival
- Saint-Malo, Brittany
- Crossing
- Overnight most days, evening departure
- Operator
- Brittany Ferries
Next departures
All details without guarantee. The operator's departure time and your booking confirmation are authoritative. Direct Ferries →
FAQ Portsmouth - St Malo
Frequently asked questions
Questions about the Portsmouth - St Malo crossing.
How long is the crossing, and is it always overnight?+
The outbound leg sails overnight: depart Portsmouth in the evening, arrive in St Malo early the next morning after eight hours or more at sea. The return runs differently - it leaves St Malo mid-morning and crosses by day, arriving in Portsmouth in the evening.
Do I need a cabin?+
For the overnight leg, plan on one - the crossing spans the night, and a cabin turns it into a hotel stage with the drive already done. Cabin categories from inside twins to premium outside rooms are booked with the ticket. On the daytime return, lounges and reclining seats do the job.
Can I take my car or motorhome?+
Yes - cars, motorhomes, caravans, motorbikes and bicycles all travel. Check-in closes before departure and the evening boarding is busiest in the summer holidays; the time in your booking confirmation is the deadline, with about 90 minutes of lead time if a pet travels.
Can I take my dog overnight?+
Dogs and cats cross with the GB-to-France paperwork - microchip, rabies vaccination at least 21 days old, animal health certificate within ten days of travel. Kennel and pet accommodation options depend on the ship, so book the animal in with your ticket. The FAQ walks through the rules.
Is St Malo itself worth time?+
Yes - and it is one of the best arrivals on the Channel. The ferry terminal sits at the edge of the old town: the ramparts of intra-muros are a short walk, so foot passengers and early arrivals can have breakfast inside the walls before the day starts.
What are the alternatives into Brittany?+
Plymouth - Roscoff is the other Brittany crossing, better from the West Country and seasonal. From the east, Portsmouth - Caen plus the A84 reaches eastern Brittany in about two hours of driving. St Malo remains the shortest road to the Breton coast itself.
Ready for the night boat to Brittany?
Check the departures for your date, pick a cabin and continue to the booking step.