Ferry and riverboat services :Cross Stitch – Travel and transport

Whether you’re going abroad or getting to work, there may be ferry or riverboat services you can use instead of road, rail or air travel. For a special trip or holiday, you may even want to hire a boat.

International ferry services run from UK ports to:

• France
• the Republic of Ireland
• Spain
• Belgium
• Scandinavia
• the Netherlands

There are also local ferry services that run to:

• the Channel Islands
• Isle of Man
• Isles of Scilly
• Isle of Wight
• the Scottish Isles

To find a ferry service from the UK to another country, try entering ‘UK ferry service’ and your destination in a search engine. This should bring up the websites of service providers with various routes.

For travel within the UK, Journey Planner can suggest a range of routes using car or public transport, including ferry and riverboat services.

In England and Wales, the Inland Waterways Branch of the Marine and Waterways Division within Defra has overall responsibility for the waterways. In Scotland, it’s the Scottish Executive.

Defra’s website explains in detail the government’s policies for inland waterways in England and Wales and how the waterways are looked after.