Portsmouth - Caen
Crossing approx. 6 hours
The western hub
Ferries from Portsmouth
Compare every sailing out of Portsmouth and pick the arrival that fits your trip, then check the departures for your date
- Six routes from one port - Normandy, Brittany and the Channel Islands
- The Caen workhorse sails several times a day, with day and night crossings
- Straight off the M275 - about two hours from London
- The busiest ferry port of the western Channel
- Prices shown live at the booking step
Popular routes
Popular routes from Portsmouth
The crossings out of Portsmouth with duration, operator and a booking route.
Prices per person, one way
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Route map
Portsmouth ferry routes at a glance
All six ferry routes from Portsmouth International Port - four into France, two to the Channel Islands. Click a line for duration and operator.
- Brittany Ferries
- DFDS
Brittany Ferries6 hours
Check prices →Brittany Ferries7 hours 45 minutes
Check prices →Brittany Ferries6 hours 30 minutes
Check prices →Brittany Ferries11 hours
Check prices →DFDS9 hours
Check prices →Brittany Ferries10 hours 15 minutes
Check prices →Table of Contents
The western hub
Portsmouth International Port is where the western Channel begins: six scheduled ferry routes leave from one compact terminal - four into France, two to the Channel Islands. The workhorse is the Caen crossing, several times a day with day and overnight sailings; around it sit the overnight St Malo boat into Brittany, the Le Havre daytime run towards Paris, the small Cherbourg overnight service, and the island sailings to Jersey and Guernsey.
Getting to the port and checking in
The port sits at the end of the M275, the motorway spur that drops you at the terminal roundabout - from London about two hours via the A3 or M3, from the west along the M27. Check-in closes before departure on every route; the time in your booking confirmation is the deadline, pets add roughly 90 minutes of lead time, and summer Saturdays fill the lanes early. Several routes share the terminal, so match your lane to the departure board rather than to habit.
Which sailing for which trip?
The port's range is the point. Normandy and the D-Day coast: Caen, with the frequency to treat it like a bridge. Brittany: the overnight St Malo sailing - dinner on board, breakfast under the ramparts. Paris and the Seine: Le Havre, the closest crossing to the capital, currently under an operational review - check the route page for the season. The Cotentin: Cherbourg, now a small overnight service up to twice a week. The islands: conventional ships to Jersey and Guernsey, with the fast boats leaving from Poole instead. The route guide compares the whole corridor if you are still deciding between ports.
Foot passengers, vehicles and pets
Portsmouth is a vehicle port first - cars, motorhomes, caravans and motorbikes board on every route - but foot passengers travel on the St Malo, Guernsey and Jersey services, and the booking step shows walk-on availability for the rest. Pets cross with the GB-to-France paperwork on the French routes and paperwork-free within the Common Travel Area on the island routes; the vehicles and pets guide collects the rules in one place.
While you wait
The terminal is functional rather than grand: check-in lanes, a café, and the departure board that matters. If the schedule leaves you an hour, Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard with HMS Victory and the Mary Rose sits one harbour basin away - better waiting than the car lanes, as long as you respect the check-in deadline. Departures for every route are in the timetable.
FAQ Portsmouth
Frequently asked questions
Questions about the ferries from Portsmouth.
Which routes leave from Portsmouth?+
Which crossing should I take to France?+
Pick by arrival, not by ship: Caen for Normandy and the D-Day coast, St Malo overnight for Brittany, Le Havre for Paris and the Seine. Cherbourg currently sails only up to twice a week, and the Le Havre schedules run under an operational review - check those two route pages before you plan around them.
How do I get there and when should I arrive?+
The port hangs directly off the M275 motorway spur - about two hours from London via the A3 or M3 - and check-in closes before departure: the time in your booking confirmation is the deadline, with roughly 90 minutes of lead time if a pet travels. Several routes share the terminal, so check the departure board for your lane.
Can I travel on foot?+
Yes, on some sailings - the St Malo and Guernsey services carry foot passengers, and the DFDS Jersey route does too; for the other routes the booking step shows whether foot tickets exist for your date. The port is walkable from Portsmouth and Southsea stations by bus or taxi.
How do the overnight sailings work?+
The overnight boats to St Malo and Caen sail in the evening and arrive at breakfast - board, eat, sleep, drive off. Cabins are booked with the ticket, pets need the earlier check-in, and summer evenings are the port's busiest hours, so add margin then.
Ready to sail from Portsmouth?
Compare the six routes, check the departures for your date and continue to the booking step.