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Getting to United Kingdom: By boat
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See the city articles for more details on routes, timings and costs. Ferry routes to British Mainland
There are a large number of ferry routes into the UK from continental Europe. Newcastle serves a route from Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Harwich has ferries from Esbjerg in Denmark and Hoek van Holland in the Netherlands. You can also sail from Rotterdam in the Netherlands or Zeebrugge in Belgium to Hull, or from Zeebrugge to Rosyth, near Edinburgh (note that this service will resume in April or May 2009, as Norfolk Line www.norfolkline.com/ferry take over the route from Superfast Ferries, whose service ended in September 2008). There is a regular connection between Ramsgate and Oostende in Belgium. There are 4 sailings a day and prices vary between €50 to €84.
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Dover is one of Britain's most popular passenger ports with sailings from Zeebrugge, Dunkerque and Calais in France. The Dover-Calais route is particularly busy, with three companies competing and up to 50 sailings per day. The Ferry between Dover and Calais costs around £12-18 each way if on foot or bicycle, and around £80 for a car, although big discounts are available if booked in advance or with special offers.
On the south coast, Portsmouth serves ferries from Le Havre, Caen, Cherbourg, St. Malo and Bilbao in Spain and there are speedy services between Dieppe and Newhaven. The other route from Spain is Santander to Plymouth, Plymouth also has ferries from Roscoff, Poole has ferries to Cherbourg as well as the Channel Islands.
From the Republic of Ireland, ports of entry include Pembroke, Fishguard and Holyhead and Swansea (service suspended until March 2010). There are sailings from Dublin to Holyhead, and Liverpool.
You can also hop onto one of the ships of the Cunard Line www.cunard.com - they depart from New York every month or so. Prices start at around £900.
Other 'ferries' operate to various destinations across the world - the RMS St Helena www.rms-st-helena.com runs from Ascension Island, Saint Helena, Walvis Bay and Cape Town to Portland (near Weymouth) twice a year and Grimaldi Lines www.grimaldi-freightercruises.com/indenen.htm operate a service carrying cars and passengers from Buenos Aires about once every 9 days.
