Ferries to Liverpool

Ferries from Liverpool to Belfast and Douglas, operated by Steam Packet and Stena Line.

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Aerial view of the Liverpool skyline with the iconic Royal Liver Building at Pier Head

Ferry routes from Liverpool

Every route from Liverpool at a glance.

Ports and terminals

Liverpool

Town port

Terminals: Zwei Anleger: Isle of Man Ferry Terminal, 1 Triskelion Way, L3 0BN (Steam Packet) und 12 Quays Terminal Birkenhead, CH41 1FE (Stena Line)
Location: Seaforth, Litherland, England
Waters: Irische See

Liverpool lies in the north-west of England where the Mersey flows into the Irish Sea. From here you can reach Belfast and Douglas on the Isle of Man. Together the routes add up to as many as 8 departures a day. Crossings take between 2.75 and 8 hours. The port is served by Steam Packet and Stena Line.

Getting there and the terminal

The two operators use different berths, and they lie on different banks of the Mersey. The Isle of Man Steam Packet sails from the Isle of Man Ferry Terminal, 1 Triskelion Way, Liverpool L3 0BN. Because some sat navs do not recognise that postcode, the operator suggests entering L3 0AY (Jesse Hartley Way) and following the signs to the terminal from there. On foot it is a good one and a half kilometres from James Street station and a good two kilometres from Lime Street; in addition, a shuttle bus runs from Lime Street via Liverpool One to the terminal from two hours before departure. There is short-stay parking at the main entrance and longer-stay parking in the Princes Dock car park five minutes' walk away.

Stena Line, by contrast, berths at the 12 Quays Terminal in Birkenhead (CH41 1FE), around ten minutes' drive from the M53 and about seven minutes from the Mersey Tunnel towards the city centre. The terminal has a large car park, which is chargeable.

Check-in

The Steam Packet closes check-in for Douglas 45 minutes before departure for vehicles and 25 minutes before departure for foot passengers. With Stena Line, check-in for Belfast closes one hour before departure, for vehicles and foot passengers alike.