Ferries from the UK to the Netherlands

Six direct routes cross the North Sea between Britain and the Netherlands, worked by three operators out of three English ports. None is a short hop, and the decision is taken at the British end rather than the Dutch one: the port you can reach without a detour settles how much of the journey happens while you are asleep.

Harwich, if you are coming from the south

Stena Line runs Harwich to Hook of Holland up to four times a day, from 6 hours 30 minutes, with the Stena Hollandica and Stena Britannica. Harwich International sits 85 miles north-east of London and is signed from the A12 and A120, which brings the whole of the south-east and East Anglia into its catchment. The Dutch landfall is the best placed of the three: Hook of Holland lies 30 km from Rotterdam, 20 km from The Hague and 85 km from Amsterdam. Standard departures leave Harwich at 09:00 and 23:00, so this is the one crossing in the corridor where a daytime passage is a genuine choice.

Hull and the Tyne, if you are coming from the north

P&O Ferries sails Hull to Rotterdam daily from Terminal 1 in the docks, an overnight service of twelve hours. Further north, DFDS leaves the Tyne for IJmuiden at 17:00 every day, sold as Newcastle to Amsterdam, and ties up roughly 16 hours 45 minutes later; check-in opens at 14:00 and closes at 16:15. Southbound the ship leaves IJmuiden at 17:30, with check-in closed by 16:45.

For anyone starting north of the Trent these two beat the Channel on the whole door-to-door reckoning rather than on sea time. A Dover crossing is far quicker afloat, but it has to be paid for first with the length of England and then with the run east through Belgium. Hull and the Tyne convert both of those into a night in a berth.

The cabin belongs in the price

Neither northern ship is a deck-passage affair. Stena Line names Harwich to Hook of Holland as one of the routes where a cabin is mandatory on overnight sailings, and it has to be selected during booking. On DFDS the fare to Amsterdam includes a standard inside en suite cabin, with economy, sea view and pet-friendly grades available on top. Compare the resulting figure with a Channel ticket plus a hotel night and the fuel of the drive it removes, not with the Dover fare alone.

Without a car

Harwich is the corridor's answer for foot passengers. Greater Anglia trains from London Liverpool Street, Ipswich, Colchester, Norwich and Cambridge reach Harwich International station, which stands beside the terminal, and the Dutchflyer through ticket covers rail and ferry together on one fare, with the rail leg left open so you travel when it suits. Foot passenger check-in opens 1 hour 30 minutes before departure and closes 30 minutes before it. On the Dutch side the metro to Schiedam Centrum starts outside the terminal door and feeds the NS network, putting The Hague about 30 minutes away and Amsterdam under 90. That onward travel is bought separately.