The UK is the 2nd most expensive country in Europe to travel by ferry

In this summer period, which is ideal for maritime escapades and cruises of all kinds, travelling by ferry is a very popular means of transport for many travellers. Far from the stress of crowded airports or stations, ferries allow you to travel in comfort while taking your time.

At Vivanoda, a web platform that enables all travellers to find ferry, bus, train and plane tickets, we wanted to launch a major study into ferry prices in Europe in order to gain a better understanding of the variations in ferry ticket prices according to a number of criteria (destination country, distance, seasonality, etc.).

We therefore analysed tens of thousands of ferry fares on hundreds of routes in Europe, as well as crossings to Turkey and the Maghreb countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia), to get as exhaustive a picture as possible.

Here are the key points highlighted by this study at European level:

Ferry crossings to Tunisia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Sweden have the lowest price index.
Conversely, ferry crossings to Turkey, the UK and Morocco have the highest price indexes.
Connections between Greece and Turkey and those between Morocco and Spain are proportionally the most expensive in Europe.
Connections between Germany and Lithuania or Latvia are the least expensive in relation to the distance travelled.
The shorter the crossing, the more expensive it is.
Across Europe, prices are higher on average from July to September. They are also slightly higher at weekends.
And in the UK?

The UK is the 2nd most expensive country in Europe for ferry crossings.
Domestic ferry services are by far the most expensive for the distance travelled.
The Lymington – Yarmouth route is the most expensive, as are the routes serving the Isle of Wight in general.
Crossings to Spain are proportionally the cheapest on average.
The Lerwick to Aberdeen route, linking the Shetland Islands to Scotland, is the cheapest in the country.
As a result, Yarmouth is the most expensive ferry port and Lerwick the cheapest.