Overnight to Dublin

Getting to the terminal in Cherbourg

Irish Ferries sails 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. Irish Ferries does not offer long-stay parking there. By train, you reach Cherbourg via Caen; the town is the end of the line from Paris Saint-Lazare. If you have an Irish Ferries RailSail ticket, you collect it from the company’s desk at the port. From the station, a taxi gets you to the terminal in around 10 minutes. Parking, buses and terminal facilities are covered on ferries from Cherbourg.

Check-in and departure

Irish Ferries gives its check-in deadlines in local time: 1 hour before departure with a car, van or motorhome, 1 hour 30 minutes with a motorbike, 1 hour as a foot passenger or cyclist and 2 hours with a pet. If you have booked a charge for your electric car, arrive 90 minutes before departure. EEA and Swiss citizens can enter Ireland with a passport or national identity card, and children need their own document. Ireland is not part of the Schengen Area, so there is a border check on arrival. To travel on to Northern Ireland or Great Britain you need a passport; a national identity card will not do.

On board

Two ships alternate on the route. The W.B. Yeats has en-suite cabins and a lounge with reserved seats on Deck 10. The Isle of Inisheer is more basic: it has en-suite cabins for 2 to 4 people, pet-friendly cabins with outdoor access and reserved reclining seats without their own showers. Wi-Fi is free on the Isle of Inisheer. On board you pay in euros only, and there are no cash machines.

Vehicles, bikes and pets

As well as cars, you can book motorbikes, trikes, vans and motorhomes. The W.B. Yeats has 3 slow chargers of 3 kW each for electric cars; you book your charge in advance. Bicycles are allowed, and cyclists check in at the car check-in. In Dublin they wait on Deck 10 and are taken to the terminal by bus.

Up to 5 animals can travel per booking. On the W.B. Yeats each animal goes into its own pre-booked kennel on Deck 7, which you can visit at set times. On the Isle of Inisheer it stays with you in the pet-friendly cabin. Pets must be on a lead on board, and certain breeds must wear a muzzle. For Ireland your pet needs an ISO 11785 microchip and an EU pet passport. It must be at least 12 weeks old and may enter no earlier than 21 days after its first rabies vaccination. Dogs need a tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival. The original documents are checked.

Arriving in Dublin

The ferry docks at Terminal 1 of Dublin Port on Terminal Road South, around 3 km from the city centre. By car, the Dublin Port Tunnel takes you straight onto the M50 and the M1. Dublin Bus 53 links the terminal with Talbot Street in the centre, and the Luas Red Line ends at The Point stop. There is APCOA parking at Terminal 1.

Booking

You can book your ticket with the button above or directly with Irish Ferries. Brittany Ferries also sails from Cherbourg to Ireland, see ferry to Rosslare, and every route from the Gare maritime is listed on ferries from Cherbourg.