Sailing from England (easy-to-get-to destinations)

Robin Hood's Bay

Ava Lily

As an island nation, there are quite a few places that you sail to from England (obviously more places if you own your own boat!) In this case, read more on how to be a sustainable sailor!

For everyone else, it’s a case of taking a ferry.

Tips if sailing abroad with pets

Most pets will find it stressful travelling on ferries abroad. So it may be sometimes best to find a nice sitter, and leave them at home. If you do take pets with you, check policies of each operator before travel.

For travel abroad, you may need a pet passport. Note that Eurostar does not allow pets (bar guide dogs) from UK routes.

Le Shuttle offers a 35-minute crossing from Folkestone to Boulogne (pets stay with you in cars – check the weather and don’t leave them). There is also a pet-friendly check-in, just follow the paw prints.

Sailing from England to Isle of Wight

There are several ferry routes from England to Isle of Wight. Or take a hovercraft from Portsmouth (20 minutes and better for the seabed, as hovercrafts have no propellrs so glide over the water). The HoverPaws refreshment station provides water and rest):

Ferry times are:

  • Lymington to Yarmouth (40 minutes)
  • Portsmouth to Fishbourne (45 minutes)
  • Southampton to East Cowes (1 hour)

Sailing from England to Isles of Scilly

Resembling the Caribbean Islands, the Isles of Scilly are23 miles off Cornwall’s coast, although seas can be rough, in evidence from the number of shipwrecks (one lighthouse even blew down a storm, and had to be rebuilt).

The ferry leaves from Penzance, on the far west of Cornwall near Land’s End. The journey takes almost 3 hours.

Sailing from England to the Channel Islands

You can sail from a few places to the Channel Islands, which are nearer France to England. Crossings are a few times a week (not every day):

  • Poole to Jersey takes around 4.5 hours
  • Poole to Guernsey takes around 3 hours
  • Portsmouth to Jersey takes around 9 hours
  • Portsmouth to Guernsey takes around 10-11 hours

Sailing from England to France

Northern France (Normandy and Britanny) are within easy reach of southern England, with several crossings. Plus it’s only 20 miles from Kent to Calais, a a few hours from Sussex to Dieppe.

Plan ahead for private sailors, as the English Channel is one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.

Popular routes include:

  • Dover to Calais (around 90 minutes)
  • Folkestone to Boulogne (around 90 minutes)
  • Dover to Dunkirk (no foot passengers, around 2 hours)
  • Newhaven to Dieppe (around 4 hours)
  • Poole to Cherbourg (around 4 hours)
  • Portsmouth to Caen (around 6 hours)
  • Portsmouth to Le Havre (around 5.5 hours)
  • Plymouth to Roscoff (around 9 hours)
  • Portsmouth to Saint-Malo (11 hours – overnight ferry)

Sailing from England to Ireland

Weather in the Irish Sea can change, so check before travel. Times can change or ferries can even be cancelled for safety. These crossings are notoriously choppy:

  • Holyhead (North Wales) to Holyhead (around 4 hours)
  • Liverpool to Belfast (around 8 hours)
  • Fishguard or Pembroke (Wales) to Rosslare (around 4 hours)
  • Cairnryan (Scotland) to Belfast or Larne (around 3 hours)

Sailing from England to The Netherlands

There are a few ferry crossings to The Netherlands (there are no longer sailings from England to Ostend or Zeebrugge in Belgium).

There are also no longer passenger ferries from Newcastle to Sweden (the last one got cancelled due to not enough passengers and Swedish environmental laws). There is a freight ferry from Immingham (Lincolnshire) to Gothenberg but as a passenger costs nearly £1000!

There are presently three direct routes to The Netherlands:

  • Harwich to Hook of Holland (around 8 hours)
  • Hull to Rotterdam (11.5 hours)
  • Newcastle to Amsterdam (16 hours, overnight)

Sailing from England to Scottish Highlands

You have to visit the Scottish mainland, to take ferries to the Scottish Highlands. Some popular routes are:

  • Skye (there is also a bridge, along with direct car ferries)
  • Mull (the car ferry takes around 45 minutes)
  • Mallaig operates ferries to the small isles of Eigg, Muck, Rum and Canna
  • Skye has ferries to the Outer Hebrides (North Uist, Harris and Islay
  • You can also catch ferries from Scrabster and Gill’s Bay (near John o Groats) to Orkney.
  • You can take ferries to the Shetland Isles from Orkney or Aberdeen (much longer – around 12 hours – these isles are closer to Norway than London!)

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