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Frequently Asked Questions

Our 'FAQ' database contains the questions and answer to the most common queries made about booking and travelling by ferry! Click on a category below to reveal the related questions. If your question isn't answered then please Contact Us

Making a booking

  • When is the cheapest time to travel?

    Prices generally rise as space becomes less available so those who book in advance are usually rewarded with a cheaper fare. Crossings around school holidays and national holidays are popular and usually fill up early so cheaper fares will be available if you avoid travelling at these times as well. Subscribe to our newsletter so that we can inform you when any special discounts become available too.

  • Should the driver be included in the number of passengers?

    Yes. 'Passengers' refers to those travelling on the ferry, not just the additional passengers in a vehicle.

  • Why is my vehicle type not present in the drop down menu?

    Either the ferry company does not allow your vehicle type or the option to book it online is not available. This can vary from one Ferry Company to another. Please contact us for further information.

  • How do I book a different vehicle in each direction?

    Not all ferry companies allow two different vehicles in one booking. If the option is not available for your chosen route then we suggest making 2 single bookings.

  • How do I book a different number of passengers in each direction?

    Not all ferry companies allow different passenger numbers to travel in each direction in one booking. If the option is not available for your chosen route then we suggest making 2 single bookings.

  • Can I get a group discount?

    Discounts are sometimes available when there are more than 5 vehicles or more than 9 foot passengers travelling. Please contact us so that we can arrange a group fare.

  • If travelling in a rental car and don’t know the make, model or registration, how do I book?

    In most cases it is permitted to travel with a rental car, providing you have permission from the rental company to take their vehicle on a ferry. You should select vehicle type as ‘other’, enter the dimensions you expect the vehicle to be and then enter vehicle registration as ‘unknown’. Some ferry companies however may charge you on arrival at the port to update the vehicle registration stored for your booking.

  • How do I know if I should be travelling as a freight vehicle or not?

    This varies from one ferry company to another however as a general rule, any vehicle carrying commercial goods and vehicles designed to carry commercial goods should travel as freight. If in any doubt then please contact us.

  • I’m pregnant, can I travel by ferry?

    This varies from one ferry company to another however as a general rule you are permitted to travel at up to 28 weeks pregnant (at time of travel). Women who are more than 28 weeks pregnant at the time of travel may be required to produce a medical certificate of fitness to travel therefore we advise that you contact us prior to booking if you are going to be at 28 weeks or more at time of travel.

  • Do you offer residents discounts?

    On crossings where this is available yes however regulations on who qualifies vary from route to route. Further information is available within our reservation system.

  • Do you offer Student or OAP discounts?

    On crossings where this is available yes. Further information is available within our reservation system where applicable.

  • Can I book an open return?

    On routes where this is possible you will see an option to book with an open return in the section where you would enter your travel dates. If this option is not shown then it is not possible.

  • Why are there no sailings for when I want to travel?

    This either means that timetables have not yet been released for sale, the ferry is not running on that day or the ferry is full. If in doubt then please contact us.

  • How do I pay for my booking?

    All tickets must be paid in full at time of booking. We accept all major payment cards, some local payment methods and PayPal. We generally do not allow bank transfers to be used as payment method though may accept on a case by case basis.

  • Why can't I get a price or pay in my local currency?

    Where possible we show prices in local currency however we only collect payment for tickets in the currency that we are charged for the ticket by the supplier. It will be stated during the quotation process in cases where a currency conversion has been used and if this is the case, the amount and currency that you will be charged in.

  • Do you send out tickets?

    No. When you book a ticket you will receive an email booking confirmation which will either be exchanged for tickets or boarding passes at the port or in some cases used to board the ferry. In all cases you must take your booking confirmation to the port.

  • I haven’t received a confirmation email, now what?

    If it hasn't gotten lost in your junk mail box, log into My Account, verify your email address is correct, and then have the confirmation email re-sent to you. If your email address is wrong you can update it in My Account and then resend the confirmation email. If you cannot find this on your account, or for some reason cannot log into your account, then please get in contact with us so we can send you another confirmation email.

  • Information about ticket availability

    Direct Ferries shows data related to the tickets availability, based on the updated information constantly provided by the ferry companies. Although the data reflects the amount of seats available, on different routes, the same way it is offered by the different operators, Direct Ferries is not responsible for incorrect representations, during the booking process, of this data.

  • Do you work with all ferry operators?

    Direct Ferries provides the most accurate information on a large number of operators, on different domestic and international routes. Although the list of ferry companies is constantly updated, Direct Ferries can’t always guarantee an updated representation of all the shipping companies operating certain routes.

  • My payment has gone through, but I haven't received my confirmation email, where is it?

    It's possible that your confirmation email has fallen into your junk box, so it's best to check there first. If you can't find it you can log into My Account and ask for another copy to be sent to you. Occasionally a communication error can stop us getting a final confirmation of a booking from the ferry company, in these cases we need to contact the ferry company to double check whether they have taken the booking or not. If they have taken your booking we will send out a confirmation email to you, if they haven't taken your booking, and are unable to, we'll let you know and refund your payment straight away. It can take us to up to 48 hours to confirm the booking, however if your sailing time is within 48 hours we will send you an email to let you know about the issue and cancel the booking and refund you straight away so you can try to make another booking.

  • Why hasn't my payment gone through?

    If you're having trouble making a payment while making your booking it may be a communication issue or an issue with your card. You can try again with the same card or using another payment method. If your card is still not being accepted you should contact your bank to check why. If you've completed your booking and we haven't taken your payment it will be because the ferry company hasn't confirmed your booking yet. Sometimes when putting through bookings for operators, we have to wait until we hear back from them and they confirm the booking before we take payment from you. Once this has all gone through though, your payment will be taken and you should receive a confirmation email soon after.

  • How long does it take to confirm a ferry booking?

    In most cases we'll be able to confirm your booking straight away, however, for some ferry companies it can take up to 48 hours for us to confirm your booking. We will do our best to keep you updated during this process, and will send you your confirmation email as soon as we have confirmed your booking with the ferry company.