Ferries from Cherbourg

Check-in, ID and onward travel from Rosslare are covered on ferry to Rosslare.

Cherbourg to Dublin

Irish Ferries sails to Dublin, alternating the W.B. Yeats and the Isle of Inisheer. The crossing runs overnight and arrives the next day at Terminal 1, Dublin Port. The route takes a break over Christmas and in January: after the sailing on 22 December 2026, Irish Ferries runs from Cherbourg again from 27 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. Sailings then resume in February, when the company plans a reduced timetable for 2027.

Ships, check-in deadlines and getting from Dublin Port into the city: ferry to Dublin.

Cherbourg to Portsmouth

Brittany Ferries sails to Portsmouth and requires a valid passport from all passengers; travellers from the EU cannot enter the UK on a national identity card. Since 2 April 2025 visitors from Europe have also needed an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), applied for at least three days before travel. British and Irish citizens don’t need one. Brittany Ferries withdrew its Cherbourg to Poole service on 12 October 2026, so if you are heading to England from Cherbourg, you now sail to Portsmouth.

Passports, the ETA, pets and arriving at Portsmouth port: ferry to Portsmouth.

Ferry terminal and getting there

Both companies sail from the Gare maritime transmanche, Terminal 1, 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. The ferry port is well signposted throughout the town. In front of the Gare maritime there is a free car park, open 24 hours. Whether you can leave your car there for several days depends on the ferry company: Brittany Ferries and Irish Ferries handle this differently.

Without a car, a taxi from the station gets you to the terminal in around 10 minutes. Taxis usually wait at the Gare maritime; if not, the information desk will call one for you. Monday to Saturday, bus line 8 runs from the terminal to the station, with a shuttle bus on Sundays and public holidays. From the station, trains run to Caen and Rouen, to Paris Saint-Lazare via Caen and to Rennes via Lison.

The Gare maritime has showers and toilets, a cash machine, Wi-Fi and a brasserie that opens around sailing and arrival times. The building is step-free with a lift, and a wheelchair is available on request. Dogs have a small patch of grass where leads and muzzles are required; after check-in your pet stays in the vehicle. There is no charging point for electric cars at the terminal.

How the port and the town fit together is explained on the harbour page. If your ferry leaves early, a night in Cherbourg gives you time in hand for the journey to the port: see where to stay.