Holding content about ferry ports
Roscoff was originally a quaint fishing town but was later developed into a port due to its ideal location on the Brittany coast. The port does have limited facilities as the port is only open at certain times of the year. There is a café, bar and restaurant that is open for arrivals and departures. There are also toilets, showers and baby changing facilities, a souvenir shop and tourist information centre.
The town of Roscoff itself is charming and with small specialist shops and bars and restaurants. It is a good holiday destination for those wanting a quiet break away, with beautiful beaches, exotic botanical gardens and an aquarium.
See our guide to accommodation in Roscoff.
Le Havre is in the Seine-Maritime department of North West France and the ferry port is the second largest in France in terms of traffic. The main ferry route is from Portsmouth to Le Havre.
It benefits from direct Autoroute links to Rouen, Paris and the north of France, but also - via the famous ‘Normandy Bridge’ to Honfleur, Deauville and the beaches of Normandy, Cotentin and Mont Saint-Michel.
Le Havre is a multi-purpose commercial port with a wide range of terminals. The passenger terminal has a range of facilities including internet station and payphones.
Le Havre offers one of the main routes for those wishing to travel into Paris as the port is just 2 and half hours from the capital. Of course, there are also plenty of ways to keep amused in Le Havre itself with a lovely art galleries and cafes.
You can also find a range of holiday accommodation in or near Le Havre.
The port of St Malo is one of the most important ports in France, receiving over one million passengers every year heading either to or from Great Britain, Jersey or Guernsey.
The port is located on the north Brittany coast and from here Condor Ferries operate services via the Channel Islands to Poole and Brittany Ferries operate a service to Portsmouth.
The port has a range of facilities including a café open during the day, shower facilities, free Wi-Fi and a newsagents that opens in the summer months.
St Malo is one of the most visited places in Brittany and is a favourite with tourists. The walled old town of St Malo has some wonderful historic cobbled streets and colourful shops and restaurants. Le Grande Aquarium is a great place to take the children.
See our suggested accommodation in and around St Malo.
Ideally situated between Le Havre to the South and Calais to the North, Dieppe has long enjoyed close relations with England, in particular thanks to the Newhaven-Dieppe line.
Transmanche Ferries has a comfortable terminal to accommodate passengers and their vehicles. The terminal has a café and newsagents but for a wider range of facilities you will need to venture further from the terminal.
Dieppe and the surrounding area have much to offer.The Old Castle is the only monument - with churches of St Remy and St Jacques - to have survived the Anglo-Dutch bombardment in 1694, it houses the memory of the maritime city and one of the most beautiful collections of ivories in Europe.
See our selection of accommodation in and around Dieppe.
Cherbourg is located in Normandy at the entrance to the English Channel. The port is less than 10 miles away from the main sea route where around 500 ships sail each day.
The port at Cherbourg has a range of facilities such as a bureau de change, a bar, and a paper and souvenir shop. There are also showers and baby changing as well as disabled facilities.There is a short stay car park on site and nearby there is an area where cars and caravans can park overnight.
There are a range of things to see and do in the area such as the Jardins de la Roche Fauconnière , a lovely botanical garden where over 3000 types of plants can be seen. Alternatively there is the Musee des Troupes Aeroportees which is a museum housing World War 2 documents, photos and weaponry. There are also lots of historic buildings, market squares, fish markets and many restaurants.
If you are thinking of staying over in Cherbourg we have a range of accommodation in the area.
The Port of Dunkirk (also called Dunkerque) is located north of Calais and so is ideally situated for visitors to Paris and Brussels as well as destinations further afield in Northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The Port of Dunkirk is used for both cargo and passenger traffic and has been undergoing some rejuvenation in the last few years to offer a wider range of improved facilities. Passengers are now able to benefit from new 24/7 refreshment, entertainment and comfortable seating facilities on the first floor of the terminal, which has been completely refurbished to a very high standard.
For things to see and do in the area there is a Port museum that has a rich collection of Maritime history as well as a museum of fine art. You can also enjoy dinner cruises in the port, water sports and a bustling city centre, or explore the long sandy beaches famous from the Dunkirk evacuation of World War 2.
See our selection of accommodation in or near to Dunkerque.
The port of Caen is situated in the department of Calvados and is one of the main ports of Normandy in North West France, with a ferry service from Portsmouth to Caen.
The city is linked to the channel via a canal that runs parallel to the river Orne and joins at Ouistreham, where the port is actually situated. The port is popular because it has excellent road links for travelling down to the south and west of France or for exploring the nearby regions of Brittany or Normandy.
The ferry terminal itself has many amenities such as currency exchange, public lavatories and public telephones.The port is also Wheelchair accessible.
The most famous landmark in the area is the Chateau de Caen. This castle was built by William the Conqueror in around 1060 and is one of the largest medieval fortresses of Western Europe. Caen is also the place where William the Conqueror was buried. Caen is also situated to the World War 2 battlefields of the Normandy campaign.
If you are planning on stopping over in Caen then you can find a selection of local holiday properties in Calvados.
If you are travelling to France via the Eurotunnel service from Folkestone then you will emerge from the Channel Tunnel at the Coquelles terminal in Calais. It is further inland than the ferry port and therefore has excellent road connections onto the Autoroute network.
It also located next to the Cite Europe shopping centre, popular with day trippers. The Coquelles terminal itself has a range of facilities including toilets and a petrol station.
For more information about Calais port click here.
