Brittany Ferries' flagship, the superb Pont Aven. Photo courtesy of Brittany Ferries... Watch the video... Book online at Brittany-ferries.co.uk
	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 ships capable of 27 knots and a crossing time of just 24 hours from Portsmouth to northern Spain.  With ferry passenger numbers growing whilst airline passengers to Spain have been falling, Brittany Ferries have been expanding their ferry service to Spain, taking over P&O's service to Bilbao in 2010.  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.

COVID-19 update:  Spain has reopened its borders and Brittany Ferries are now taking bookings to Spain, but currently only for motorists.  Until further notice they are unable to take foot passengers.  Book at www.brittany-ferries.co.uk.

  Which ferry route to choose

  Portsmouth to Santander

  Portsmouth to Bilbao

  Plymouth to Santander

  How much does it cost

  How to buy tickets

  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?

• Brittany ferries sail from Portsmouth to Santander, Portsmouth to Bilbao, and Plymouth to Santander.

• The Portsmouth to Santander route is usually the best one for rail & sail passengers, particularly on sailings operated by Brittany Ferries' superb flagship, the 41,000 ton Pont-Aven. 

• This route offers the most frequent sailings, normally twice a week, and Portsmouth is closer to London and most parts of Britain than Plymouth. 

• In Santander the ferry terminal is right in the city centre, an easy 7 minute walk from the mainline rail station whereas in Bilbao the ferry docks in a suburb, requiring a taxi to the nearest metro station then a metro train into the city centre. 

• On the Santander route, the Pont Aven is one of the very best ferries serving the British Isles, she's the bigger ship with the wider range of facilities, including the prestigious (and popular) Commodore Class cabins with lounge area, satellite TV and private balcony.  The Pont Aven's Santander routes are easily bookable online at www.brittany-ferries.co.uk for both motorists and foot passengers, and Santander is an attractive seaside city with modern train connections to Madrid. 

• Portsmouth-Bilbao sailings are operated by the smaller Cap Finistère which has fewer cabins relative to the vehicles it can carry.  For this reason Brittany Ferries limit the number of foot passengers they accept on the Bilbao route, and do not allow foot passengers to book online, they must book by phone. 

• Bilbao is a larger and more industrial centre, 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.

London ► Spain via Portsmouth-Santander

• 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. 

• 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. 

• Brittany Ferries' superb flagship Pont Aven usually operates the Tuesday sailings, and their smaller Cap Finistère usually takes the Wednesday sailings, although this can vary in winter. 

• 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.

• 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.

• Train connections from Santander to Madrid & the rest of Spain:  In Santander, the ferry arrives at the Estación 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 opens 60 days ahead) as reservation is compulsory and there are cheap 'Promo' 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).

• Map of Santander showing ferry terminal & stations.

• 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. 

• 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

• 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. 

• All sailings on this route are operated by the Cap Finistère.  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 section above.

• Train connections in Bilbao:  In Bilbao the ferry now docks at Zierbena, 16km northwest of central Bilbao.  It's a 5km, €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

This route operates all year, usually once a week on Sundays at 15:30 arriving 12:00 the next day.  Operated by Brittany Ferries flagship, the excellent Pont Aven.

How much does it cost? 

• 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...

• 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.

  However, if you're a foot passenger, note that sailings between Portsmouth & Bilbao operated by the smaller Cap Finistère cannot be booked online, only by phone, as Brittany Ferries limit foot passenger numbers on this ship/route, read the text above.  Call 0871 244 0744, lines open 08:30-19:30 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-17:00 Saturdays, 09:00-16:30 Sundays.

  IMPORTANT:  If trying to book at www.brittany-ferries.co.uk results in a 'please call' message and you're told foot passengers can only book within 7 days which is of course bonkers, try a) booking as a foot passenger at the Direct Ferries website or b) booking at www.brittany-ferries.co.uk with a fictitious bike, then just turn up without the bike.

• You can buy train tickets to Portsmouth & Southsea or to Plymouth from anywhere in Britain at www.raileurope.com (no booking fee for British domestic tickets) or any train operator website such as www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk.

• 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 for continental tickets) or www.renfe.com (Renfe's own site, in €, can struggle with overseas credit cards, much more fiddly so see this advice on using it).

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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.

On board the ferry to Spain...

Both the Pont Aven and the Cap Finistère 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 is the bigger ship, with a wider range of facilities including 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).

Brittany Ferries' Pont Aven at Santander...

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.

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.

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...

• 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...

• www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

• 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...

• 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...

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 - 10% discount with code seat61.

You can use www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across major insurance companies.

        If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct.

  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

Get a Curve card to save on 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.

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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