Brittany Ferries' flagship, the superb Pont Aven. Photo courtesy of Brittany Ferries... Click to watch the video... Book online here
	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.brittanyferries.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.

  Which ferry route to choose

  Portsmouth to Santander

  Portsmouth to Bilbao

  Plymouth to Santander

  How much does it cost

  How to buy tickets

  Video guide:  Madrid to London via Brittany Ferries

  What's it like on board the cruise ferry to Spain?

  Train travel between the UK and Spain

Which route & ferry 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.brittanyferries.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 the Portsmouth-Santander ferry...

• 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.brittanyferries.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.renfe.com for times, fares & online 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.feve.es (FEVE has now been absorbed by Renfe, see www.renfe.com/viajeros/feve).

• 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.

London ► Spain via the Portsmouth-Bilbao ferry...

• 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.renfe.com 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.es.

London ► Spain via the Plymouth-Santander ferry...

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.brittanyferries.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.

• You can buy train tickets to Portsmouth & Southsea or to Plymouth from anywhere in Britain at www.virgintrains.co.uk.

• To buy train tickets or simply check train times & fares within Spain, go to either www.loco2.com (easy to use, prices in pounds) or www.renfe.com (operators own site, in euros, a bit quirky so see this useful advice on using it).

Watch the video:  Madrid to London via 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 cruise 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 WiFi internet access if you bring your laptop (in public areas but not in cabins, £4 per hour or £8.50 for 3 hours, cards available from the information desk).  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).

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 & health card...

Take out decent travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel without proper travel insurance from a reliable insurer with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover loss of cash & belongings (up to a limit), and trip cancellation.  An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year - I have an annual policy myself.  However, 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, Seat61 gets a little commission if you buy through these links, and feedback from using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome.

In the UK, use www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across major insurance companies.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see www.JustTravelCover.com - 10% discount with code seat61.

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

  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

Get an EU health card, it's free...

If you're a UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the NHS.  This replaced the old E111 forms as from January 2006.  The EHIC card is available from ww.nhs.uk.  It doesn't remove the need for travel insurance, though.

Carry a spare credit card, designed for travel with no currency exchange loading & low/no ATM fees

Taking out an extra credit card costs nothing, but if you keep it in a different part of your luggage you won't be left stranded if your wallet gets stolen.  In addition, some credit cards are better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.

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