You’ve watched the film, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, but ever considered the Portsmouth to Santander ferry as an option? It really can be plain sailing, but see my final thoughts below.
🚢 Portsmouth to Santander Ferry: The Surprisingly Brilliant Way to Sail into Spain
If you’ve ever boarded a Ryanair flight with 180 people, half a suitcase overhead and a child screaming like a kettle, you’ll understand why myself and Sophie decided to ditch the plane and take the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander.
No luggage limits. No airport queues. No running through security while juggling your belt and boarding pass. Just a boat — a big, steady boat with a bar, a buffet, and surprisingly decent Wi-Fi.
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It’s slow travel at its finest, and honestly? It’s the most relaxed Dave has been since Spain stopped selling Heinz baked beans in Mercadona.
🚗 All Aboard: The Basics of the Portsmouth to Santander Ferry
This isn’t your average “pop over to Calais” kind of crossing. The Portsmouth to Santander ferry is a proper voyage — around 24–30 hours of coastal cruising across the Bay of Biscay, operated by Brittany Ferries.
You can also sail from Plymouth to Santander if that suits your geography (or if Portsmouth sounds too posh).
Who runs it? Brittany Ferries
How long? ~24 to 30 hours depending on the route
Best platform to compare prices and crossings? Omio — easy to use, up-to-date, and lets you compare cabin types and travel times
🛏 Onboard: It’s Basically a Floating Hotel
Now, don’t expect a luxury cruise ship with spa treatments and shuffleboard. But Brittany Ferries does a better job than you’d think. Their newer ships like the Galicia and Salamanca feel more like boutique hotels at sea than cross-channel ferries from the ’90s.
Dave and Sophie’s setup:
- A private cabin with en suite, comfy beds and sea views, oh and a balcony to sit out on.
- Hot showers and actual towels (not the scratchy ones from your nan’s airing cupboard)
- Onboard bars, cafés, restaurants, and even a cinema
And yes — they had breakfast on the balcony. Well, fresh air, the views of the Atlantic, a warm croissant and a good cup of tea made it feel like a cruise liner.
⚓️ The Route: From the Solent to the Spanish Coast
Leaving Portsmouth, you glide past the historic naval dockyards, cruise past the Isle of Wight (wave at the confused seagulls), and then it’s open sea for a good chunk of time. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot dolphins or the occasional whale. If you’re Dave, you’ll spot “something that might be a dolphin but also could be a buoy.”
The ferry hugs the French coast for a while — you can make out Brittany’s jagged edges in the distance — then curves down past the wild Atlantic to northern Spain.
As sunrise hits the Bay of Santander, it’s genuinely magic. The golden beaches, the 19th-century lighthouse guarding the harbour, the Picos de Europa mountains (yes, snow-capped, even in late spring) — it’s like sailing into a postcard.
Much better than landing at Madrid Barajas and wrestling your way onto a shuttle bus, wouldn’t you say?
🥖 Food and Drink Onboard
Let’s be honest — ferry food has a bit of a reputation. But Dave was pleasantly surprised. The self-service restaurant offered everything from tapas-style plates to hearty British roast dinners (because some people panic without gravy). There’s also a more upmarket à la carte option if you’re feeling swish.
Sophie tried the seafood platter. Dave ordered plat du jour ( menu of the day ) “for irony”.
Bars and cafés onboard also do hot breakfasts, decent coffee, and cold drinks — all fairly priced and with actual glasses. You’re not drinking £8 warm beer from a plastic cup here.
🧳 Why Choose the Ferry?
✅ No Airport Nonsense
Turn up 45–90 minutes before departure. No check-in queues. No frisking from someone called Kevin with a power complex.
✅ Bring Your Car
Yes — bring the car. No baggage limits. No excess luggage fees. No trying to fit your week’s worth of holiday clothes into a bag that would struggle to fit a baguette.
Driving in Spain? You’re on the road immediately after disembarking. No car hire faff. No insurance sales rep trying to upsell you tyre insurance. Just vroom — off to the beaches, mountains or, if you’re like Dave, the first supermarket with cheap rioja.
✅ You Actually Arrive in Spain
No connecting flights. No 2-hour airport transfer. You dock right in Santander — one of northern Spain’s most underrated cities. From there, you’re a few hours’ drive to Bilbao, Oviedo, San Sebastián, or even Madrid if you’re keen.
💰 What Does It Cost?
Let’s get to brass tacks. Price varies depending on:
- Time of year (summer’s more expensive, obviously)
- Whether you bring a car
- Your cabin type (inside = cheaper, outside = nicer)
- Whether Dave insists on ordering wine with lunch
Expect to pay £250–£500 for two people, one car and a basic cabin. It sounds like a lot, but remember — that covers your accommodation, transport, and freedom from baggage fees.
Compare prices and routes with Omio — it’s genuinely the easiest way to check your options, especially if you’re comparing Portsmouth vs. Plymouth or Santander vs. Bilbao arrivals.
👀 Any Downsides?
Let’s be real — if you get seasick, it’s not ideal. The Bay of Biscay is known for getting a bit lively in winter. But modern ships are surprisingly stable, and Dave swears by travel bands, ginger biscuits, and a cheeky gin and tonic.
Also, it’s not fast. This is the point. You’re trading speed for sanity. If you need to be in Madrid tomorrow for a meeting, fly. If you’re starting a slow road trip through Spain — this is the way to do it.
🌄 Final Thoughts from Dave
Travelling from Portsmouth to Santander by ferry isn’t just a journey — it’s a gentle re-entry into life at a slower pace. No hustle. No queues. No announcements in five languages you don’t understand.
Instead, it’s 24 hours of sea air, sea views, and surprisingly good bread rolls. You land refreshed, not frazzled. Ready to start your Spanish adventure in a much better state of mind than the poor soul crammed in seat 36F on a budget airline.
So if you fancy doing Malaga via motorway, not Madrid via misery, give the ferry a try.
And don’t forget — compare ferry routes and prices easily with Omio. It might just be your new favourite way to cross the border.
Plain sailing – This depends massively on the time of year you’re travelling and the weather and seas around the Bay Of Biscay, I kid you not. You may be lucky and get a little bit of swell, or if you’re not that lucky, you’ll get a ‘bit of chop’. Don’t get me wrong here, if you’ve seen the scene in Wolf Of Wallstreet where they are getting a bit of chop, it isn’t as bad as that.
