Your Journey

There are two main options for travelling to Spain or Portugal from the UK - a longer ferry journey to Spain, or a short crossing to France but with a longer drive to your final destination.

A ferry to Santander or Bilbao takes around 32 hours, and you can relax in a comfortable cabin and enjoy time on the ship. You’ll arrive closer to your winter sun destination, but this can be a more expensive option.

Crossings to France can be as quick as 90 minutes from Dover to Calais or 30 minutes on LeShuttle, and are the cheaper option. You’ll need to drive a lot further, so make sure to take fuel costs into account, and plan your route carefully as there are very few campsites open in France during winter. The route you choose will come down to your personal preference, but if in doubt you could always try both options on the same trip to see which works best for you, travelling via a longer ferry route on one leg of your journey and choosing a longer drive on the other leg.

Travelling with pets

If you’re travelling with your pet, the route choice is even more important. Ferries to Spain have a small number of pet-friendly cabins where your pet can stay with you for the whole journey, but these are in short supply and need to be booked well in advance. Alternatively there are dog kennels available where you can visit your pets periodically during the crossing.

The rules for pets on crossings to France vary, but on Dover to Calais ferries and LeShuttle pets stay in your vehicle for the duration of the crossing. As you remain in your vehicle on LeShuttle crossings this can be a good option for nervous pets.