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Brittany Ferries' flagship, the superb Pont Aven. Photo courtesy of Brittany Ferries... Watch the video...Book online at Brittany-ferries.co.uk |
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A cabin on the Pont Aven. At Santander, it's just a 7 minute walk to the railway station for a high-speed Alvia train to Madrid... |
Cruise to Spain with www.brittany-ferries.co.uk...
Why not cruise to Spain, on a luxury ferry that has more in common with a cruise liner than old-fashioned Channel ferries? Brittany Ferries operates three direct ferry routes from the UK to Spain with a time-effective crossing time from Portsmouth to Santander or Bilbao of 2 nights, 1 day. With ferry passenger numbers growing whilst airline passengers to Spain have been falling. For much of the year, Brittany ferries now offer an unprecedented 5 cruise ferry sailings a week direct to Spain. You can take your car, of course, and on this page I'll explain the options for travel as a foot passenger with train connections.
Video: Madrid to London
via Brittany Ferries
What's it like on board the
ferry to Spain?
Train travel between the UK & Spain
Which ferry route to choose?
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Portsmouth to Santander is usually operated by one of Brittany Ferries' newest ships, the Galicia.
It offers the most frequent sailings, normally twice a week all year round taking 2 nights, 1 day. It's bookable online at www.brittany-ferries.co.uk.
Santander is a pleasant seaside town, the ferry terminal is right in the city centre an easy 7 minute walk from the mainline rail station.
Local trains run from Santander to Bilbao. High-speed trains run from Santander to Madrid.
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Plymouth to Santander is also a good route, it runs April-October only, usually operated by the older Pont Aven, one of the very best ferries serving the British Isles, with the wider range of facilities, including the prestigious (and popular) Commodore Class cabins with lounge area, satellite TV and private balcony.
Also bookable online at www.brittany-ferries.co.uk.
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Portsmouth to Bilbao is usually operated by another new ship, the Salamanca.
It also operates twice a week all year, taking 2 nights, 1 day.
In Bilbao the ferry terminal in a suburb, you'll need a taxi to the nearest metro station then a metro train into the city centre.
Bilbao is a larger and more industrial centre than Santander, but on the other hand it's home to the famous Guggenheim Museum of modern art, well worth a visit, and has direct trains not only to Madrid but to San Sebastian, Zaragoza & Barcelona.
About travel as a foot passenger...
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The ferries to Spain carry motorists & freight, and usually foot passengers too. But be aware when booking at www.brittany-ferries.co.uk:
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Some sailings carry foot passengers with a full range of cabins available. In this case, no problem, go ahead and book!
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Some sailings carry foot passengers, but departures mysteriously show all cabins 'sold out' - only reclining seats seem to be available. Now re-run the enquiry with Bicycle or Motorcycle selected rather than On foot - Aha, cabins magically appear, they are clearly not sold out at all! The solution here is to book with a bike or motorbike added, then turn up as a foot passenger, explaining you decided to leave the bike at home. You could try calling Brittany Ferries afterwards and seeing if they'll remove the bike for you, though I doubt this will succeed. You may just have to bike the bullet and pay a bit extra for a bike you won't be taking.
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A few sailings may not carry foot passengers at all. You'll see foot passenger option missing (or the sailing dates missing) when booking online. You can try an alternative route or date, or you can try calling Brittany Ferries to see if a foot passenger place can be booked by phone.
London ► Spain via Portsmouth-Santander
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This is usually the easiest and most frequent route for train+ferry passengers, unless you live in the West Country when a sailing from Plymouth to Santander may be more convenient.
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Brittany Ferries sails from Portsmouth to Santander all year round, usually twice a week leaving Portsmouth on Tuesdays at 17:00 (arriving Santander at 18:00 next day) & Wednesdays at 12:00 (arriving Santander at 13:00 next day). However, sailing days & times vary so check online at www.brittany-ferries.co.uk.
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Enjoy the departure from Portsmouth Continental Ferry Port, as the ship sails right past Portsmouth's historic naval dockyard with Nelson's flagship HMS Victory and then Victorian ironclad HMS Warrior clearly visible from the ferry, as well as Portsmouth's new 'Spinnaker Tower'. In Santander, the ferry docks right in the city centre, a short walk from Santander's mainline railway station for trains to Madrid and Alicante.
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Train connection from London to Portsmouth: Trains run from London Waterloo to Portsmouth & Southsea station every half hour, journey time 1hour 35 minutes, see www.nationalrail.co.uk to check UK times & fares. No reservation possible or necessary, just turn up and buy a ticket on the day. You should use Portsmouth & Southsea station as this is closest to the Continental Ferry Terminal, not Portsmouth Harbour. A taxi from Portsmouth & Southsea to the Continental Ferry Port costs around £6. Remember there's a 45 minute minimum check-in for the ferry, but always allow plenty of time between train and ferry in case of any delay. See the UK page for train information within Britain. There are also direct trains from Cardiff, Bristol, Brighton, Southampton and Reading to Portsmouth.
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Train connections from Santander to Madrid & the rest of Spain: In Santander, the ferry arrives at the Estaciσn Maritima right in the city centre, an easy 7 minute (500m) walk from the Renfe mainline station and the FEVE narrow-gauge station. Three daily high-speed Alvia trains run from Santander to Valladolid & Madrid, journey time 4½ hours, one or two going all the way through to Alicante, see www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, in , £ or $, small booking fee) or www.renfe.com (in , much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards) for times, fares & booking. You should ideally book in advance - booking should open 60 days ahead - as reservation is compulsory and there are cheap advance-purchase fares from around 28 if you pre-book. I recommend allowing several hours between the ship's arrival and any onward train booking, if necessary staying in Santander overnight, to allow for transfer time and any delay to the ship. The FEVE narrow-gauge station is next to the Renfe station and has local trains several times daily to Oviedo and Bilbao, see www.renfe.com/viajeros/feve (FEVE has now been absorbed into Renfe).
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If you need to stay overnight in Santander, I recommend the Hotel Bahia, a modern hotel directly across the road from the ferry terminal and a 6-minute walk from the railway station.
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Luggage storage in Santander: There are no left luggage lockers at the station, but you'll find luggage lockers on the lowest level of Santander bus station.
London ► Spain via Portsmouth-Bilbao
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The Portsmouth- Bilbao ferry route operates twice a week from late March to early November, sailing on Fridays at 17:00 (arriving Bilbao at 18:00 next day) and on Sundays at 23:15, arriving in Bilbao at 08:00 on Tuesdays.
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Sailings on this route are operated by the new Salamanca. On departure from Portsmouth Continental Ferry Port, the ship sails right past Portsmouth's historic naval dockyard with Nelson's HMS Victory and then ironclad HMS Warrior clearly visible from her decks. For train connections between London & Portsmouth, see the previous section.
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Train connections in Bilbao: In Bilbao the ferry docks at Zierbena, 16 km northwest of central Bilbao. It's a 5 km, 17 taxi ride from the ferry terminal to Santurtzi metro station, from where there are metro suburban trains every few minutes into Bilbao's Abando station in the city centre, taking 21-23 minutes and costing about 1.50, see www.metrobilbao.net.
There are two daily high-speed trains from Bilbao Abando station to Valladolid & Madrid, journey time to Madrid 4 hours 50 minutes, and two direct daily trains to Zaragoza & Barcelona, journey time, 6 hours 40 minutes, see www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, in , £ or $) or www.renfe.com (in , much more fiddly) for times, fares & online booking. I'd recommend allowing several hours between the ship's arrival and any onward train booking, to allow for transfer time and any delay to the ship.
Bilbao's Matiko station has hourly narrow gauge trains to San Sebastian (Donostia-Amara) every hour or half-hour, journey time 2 hours 35 minutes, see www.euskotren.eus.
London ► Spain via Plymouth-Santander
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This route operates April-October, usually once or twice a week. Operated by Brittany Ferries flagship, the excellent Pont Aven.
How much does it cost?
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Fares vary by departure date, rather like air fares, and according to the cabin accommodation you choose. However, ferry fares to Spain start at around £246 return for two people travelling together in an inside 2-berth cabin (in other words, £123 each return), or £276 with an outside cabin ('outside' means with window, well worth the extra cost), rising to £646 return for two people sharing a Commodore Class suite with private balcony. Prices for solo passengers start at around £228 return with sole occupancy of an inside cabin.
How to buy tickets...
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You can buy ferry tickets to Spain online at www.brittany-ferries.co.uk, whether you're a foot passenger or motorist, with a selection of cabins - but see the section about foot passengers above.
Or call 0330 159 7000, lines open 09:00-18:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-16:30 Saturdays & Sundays.
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You can buy train tickets to Portsmouth & Southsea or to Plymouth from anywhere in Britain online as shown on the UK page or using www.nationalrail.co.uk
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To buy train tickets or simply check train times & fares within Spain, go to either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, prices in , £ or $, small booking fee) or www.renfe.com (Renfe's own site, in , much more fiddly, can struggle with overseas credit cards, see this advice on using it).
Video guide: Madrid to London with Brittany Ferries
See for yourself how straightforward and comfortable a journey via Brittany Ferries can be! This shows a northbound trip from Madrid Atocha to London Waterloo, on Brittany ferries Pont-Aven from Santander to Portsmouth. This route is now operated by the Galicia.
On board the ferry to Spain...
The ferries offer a choice of restaurants & bars, standard & deluxe cabins, sun decks & cinema. All cabins come with en suite toilet & shower, a small dressing table, and 2-pin European type power sockets for recharging laptops, cameras or mobiles. The Pont Aven even has a small indoor swimming pool with poolside bar, two cinemas, and free WiFi internet access (in public areas but not in cabins). These ships make getting to Spain as much a cruise as a ferry crossing. A great way to reach Spain with or without your car, flight-free.
Cabin types: All cabins have a private shower & toilet, with bedding, towels, soap & shampoo provided. On the Pont Aven you'll find standard inside cabins (1 or 2 berths), standard outside cabins (1-4 berths with window), Club cabins (similar to standard outside cabins but with two lower berths, satellite TV with several UK channels, and tea/coffee facilities), Deluxe cabins (with TV/DVD player, tea/coffee facilities, twin beds, complimentary continental breakfast served in the cabin) and Commodore Class cabins (similar facilities as the Deluxe cabins but significantly larger & with private balcony).
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Brittany Ferries' Pont Aven at Santander... |
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Commodore class cabin on Brittany Ferries' flagship Pont Aven, with private balcony, shower & toilet, satellite TV & DVD player, minibar, tea & coffee facilities. |
La Flora restaurant on board the Pont Aven. The buffet hors d'oeuvre & dessert are excellent, as are the main courses and choice of wines. |
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The indoor swimming pool and lido on Brittany Ferries ship Pont Aven. |
Standard outside cabin on the Pont Aven, with 1 to 4 berths, shower & toilet. |
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An excellent rack of lamb at dinner in the Pont Aven's La Flora restaurant. The starter and dessert are buffets. |
Train from Santander to Madrid & Alicante: Santander station is just 7 minutes walk from the ferry. |
Find hotels in Spain
Recommended hotel in Santander...
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If you need to stay overnight in Santander, I recommend the Hotel Bahia, a modern hotel directly across the road from the ferry terminal and a 6-minute walk from the railway station.
Other hotel sites worth trying...
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www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.
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www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system (Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system). It has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one price, then charge you another!).
Backpacker hostels...
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www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & VPN...
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Always take out travel insurance...
You should take out travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer. It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit. These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I use an annual policy myself. Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here. Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & covers you even if the FCDO advises
against non-essential travel.
If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see www.JustTravelCover.com.
You
can use
www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across
major insurance companies.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
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A Curve card saves foreign transaction fees...
Banks often give a poor exchange rate, then charge a currency conversion fee as well. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month as I write this. The balance goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards. And you can get a Curve card for free.
How it works: 1. Download the app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to most European addresses including the UK. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, just like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance onto whichever of your debit or credit cards you choose. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I use a Curve Blue card myself - I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I'm recommending it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card - they'll give you £5 cashback through that link, too.
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Get a VPN for safe browsing. VPNs & why you need one explained...
When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. A VPN means your connection to the internet is encrypted & always secure, even using unsecured WiFi. In countries such as China where access to Twitter & Facebook is restricted, a VPN gets around these restrictions. And lastly, you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geographic restrictions which some websites apply - for example one booking site charges a booking fee to non-European visitors but none to European visitors, so if you're not located in Europe you can avoid this fee by browsing with a UK IP address using a VPN. VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy and I use it myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription, and I get a small commission to help support this site.
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Carry an Anker powerbank...
With tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes now often held digitally on your mobile phone, it's vital to keep it charged. I recommend carrying an Anker powerbank which can recharge your phone several times over if you can't get to a power outlet when you're on the move. I never travel without one.