Ferries to Cherbourg

The Cherbourg ferry port is in Normandy, France, at the northern tip of the Cotentin Peninsula. The landing point is in the Cherbourg-Octeville district. From here you can reach 4 destinations, including Dublin, Poole and Portsmouth. Together the connections add up to as many as 8 departures a day, with crossings taking between 4.5 and 19 hours. The port is served by Brittany Ferries and Irish Ferries. Cherbourg is the most important French port for traffic to Ireland, and it also offers the shortest crossings to Portsmouth and Poole.

Getting there and the terminal

Ferry traffic runs through Terminal 1, the Gare maritime transmanche in 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. Port operator Cherbourg Port describes a 15-hectare ferry terminal with three RoRo ramps and a Gare maritime that has toilets, food outlets, Wi-Fi and a cash machine.

According to Irish Ferries, you can park briefly outside the terminal building for free with no time limit. Travellers arriving by train come via Cherbourg station, the end of the line from Paris-Saint-Lazare via Caen.

Check-in

For the crossings to Ireland, Irish Ferries gives fixed deadlines: passengers with a vehicle and foot passengers must be checked in at least an hour before departure, motorcyclists an hour and a half, and groups two hours before. If you're travelling with a pet or an assistance dog, two hours also applies. Brittany Ferries gives no single deadline for Cherbourg; instead it prints the deadline on your booking confirmation.