There are two options for travelling between Ireland and the United Kingdom: flight or ferry. For those who don’t wish to fly the great news is that there’s plenty of regular ferry services to take you over to us here on the Emerald Isle.
Let’s take a good look at the options and prices for catching a ferry to Ireland.
How to Catch a Ferry to Ireland from UK?
UK Ferry Ports that Offer Passenger Ferries to Ireland
Holyhead
The port of Holyhead is situated in north-west Wales and offers a direct route to Dublin via either Stena Line or Irish Ferries.
Pembroke
Pembroke port is situated in west Wales and offers a direct route to Rosslare, which is located on the east coast of Ireland.
Liverpool
P&O Ferries offer a direct service between Liverpool and Dublin, which is great news for those wishing to travel to Ireland who live in the surrounding areas.
Types of Passenger Ferries Available
Irish Ferries
Irish Ferries offer the following passenger ferries for travel to Ireland and operate from both Holyhead and Pembroke ports. It’s important to note that different ferries sail from different ports so best to check when making travel plans.
Ulysses: A large ferry that offers plenty for the whole family, including, cinema screens, bars, shops and plenty of restaurants. There’s also a play area for the kids.
Blue Star 1: This 1 is a freight / passenger ferry which can carry up to 1,500 people, plus 100 freight vehicles and 700 cars.
Epsilon: This Epsilon features free Wi-Fi, bar and lounge, en-suite cabins, and restaurants on-board.
Dublin Swift: This ferry will get you across to Ireland in only two hours, plus features a whole range of options to keep the family entertained whilst on board.
Stena Line
Stena Line offer the following passenger ferries for travel between Holyhead and Dublin:
Stena Estrid: This ferry comes with everything you’d expect from a luxurious ferry, including shopping outlets, restaurants and places to keep the kids entertained.
Stena Adventurer: Another of Stena Line’s premier ferries that offers duty-free shopping on board, cinema and complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the main passenger lounges.
They also operate between Liverpool and Belfast, and Fishguard and Rosslare giving plenty of options depending where in Ireland you’re travelling.
P&O
P&O Ferries offer a longer 8-hour journey via their Norbank or Norbay ferries, which either run through the daytime between 9.30 and 17.30 or overnight between 21.00 and 05.00.
Norbay: This is predominantly a car passenger and freight facility with limited passenger facilities. This ferry isn’t suitable for disabled people or families travelling with young children.
Norbank: P&O advise that this ferry is unsuitable for wheelchair users as there are no cabins with disabled access on board. However, it does have restaurants and bars on board for those using this service.
How Much does it Cost to Catch a Ferry to Ireland from the UK?
Now that we’ve covered the port locations, ferry operators and the different passenger ferries available let’s look at the cost.
Obviously, the overall cost is going to be dependent on several factors such as time and day of travel, how many people travelling and whether you are taking a vehicle with you. The following breakdown provides an overview of what to expect when catching a ferry from the UK to Ireland.
| Operator | Departing port | Destination | Type of ferry | Cost |
| Irish Ferries | Holyhead | Dublin | Ulysses | £166 economy £181 flexi |
| Irish Ferries | Pembroke | Rosslare | Bluestar one | £166 economy £181 flexi |
| Irish Ferries | Holyhead | Dublin | Epsilon | £203 economy £218 flexi |
| Irish Ferries | Holyhead | Dublin | Dublin Swift | £237 economy £252 flexi |
Please note that these prices are based on 2 adults travelling with one standard car during the middle of the week in May 2023.
| Operator | Departing port | Destination | Type of ferry | Cost |
| Stena Line | Holyhead | Dublin | Stena Estrid | £237 premium £208 flexi £193 economy |
| Stena Line | Holyhead | Dublin | Stena Adventurer | £247 premium £218 flexi £203 economy |
Please note that these prices are based on 2 adults travelling with one standard car during the middle of the week in May 2023.
| Operator | Departing port | Destination | Type of ferry | Cost |
| P&O | Liverpool | Dublin | Norbay | £257 standard £277 flexi |
| P&O | Liverpool | Dublin | Norbank | £129 standard £149 flexi |
Please note that these prices are based on 2 adults travelling with one standard car during the middle of the week in May 2023.
Also, these prices for P&O are based on daytime travel. Overnight ferries are significantly more expensive.
We hope this article has provided you with enough information to make booking your next ferry trip across to the Emerald Isle an easy experience.
Travelling by ferry is a brilliant way of hopping across to visit us here in Ireland and the country is bursting with things to do and see.
Bring the whole gang and see you soon!
