What with all the ferry companies that are out there, how do you know where to start looking to find the one that suites you most?  That’s why if you read on - we’ll give you a blow by blow account of each major UK operator, their destinations and their reputations!
Different ports and destinations will provide you with various different options.  If you are travelling to Ireland for instance, from Holyhead then Stena Line would probably be the best option but if you were travelling from Liverpool P&O would then become the best ferry option for you.
Most big operators now have fleets that can please everyone’s needs with modern and in some cases luxurious spaces and designs.  

P & O:  Is the most comprehensive ferry operator servicing the UK.  It has the largest fleet of ships and has dockings in several ports including: Calais, Poole, Portsmouth, Hull, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge and Bilbao, so you can see how well networked it is for yourself!  P & O even has it’s own Irish line with routes including Dublin to Liverpool, Troon to Larne and Cairnryan to Larne.  There cruise ferries to Rotterdam really has set a precedent with quality cabins, top class around the clock entertainment and gourmet restaurants - the trip there could really be a holiday on it’s own!

Brittany Ferries:  As the name would suggest Brittany Ferries provides a network of services to Northern France.  As well as France Britanny also sail to Santander in Northern Spain.  These routes disembark from Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth.  
Brittany Ferries prides itself on customer satisfaction, highlighted when they won the coveted ‘Best Ferry Operator 2006’ award presented by TTG.  Apart from just transport to your destination Brittany also run an in-house holiday operator too - helping you to organize your self drive holiday through France and Spain!

Irish Ferries:  Are the most established ferry operator to Ireland, they picked up the 2007 ‘Best Ferry Operator’ - voted for by a panel of UK travel agents and industry experts.  They boost the worlds largest car ferry in Ulysses.  Ireland is always a treat to visit and with the road infrastructure wholly redeveloped in recent years, you can easily fit in large parts of the country in your self-drive holiday!

DFDS Seaways:  If you are travelling toScandinavia or Northern mainland Europe then DFDS Seaways is the operator for you!  There are different sized boats, with different on-board amenities; so you can pick the one which suits your needs!  DFDS disembark from Harwick in Essex and Newcastle.  Destinations include Amsterdam from Newcastle (in 16 hours), Newcastle to Bergen, Stavanger and Haugesund (19-23 hours) in Norway.  From Harwick you can travel on a DFDS Seaway to Esbjerg (Denmark) and be there in just 16 hours.

Stena Line:  Stena Line’s most optimum destination is Ireland (North and South) and also Holland.  It is a long established operator with a great reputation for class and efficiency.  Stena Line has sailings from Holyhead to Dublin 3 times a day (3 hours) and Stranraer to Belfast 8 times a day (1 ¾ hours), respectively.  2 daily crossings of Fleetwood in the north of England to Larne also occur (8 hours) and with the HSS, the size of a big football stadium, slashing crossing times to Holland to just 6 hours, Stena Line really is a market leader.

UK leading ports
Discover more about the main ports in the UK - Where they are located and where they sail

Cross channel routes
If you are thinking about sailing cross channel - learn of the best ports and routes from the UK

Ferries to Europe
Venture a little further afield - Travel to northern or southern Europe for a holiday or mini cruise!

Holiday ferries
Why not arrange your holiday for a ferry break - winter or summer your needs can be catered for!
Dover - Calais operators
Choose form a range of excellent operators which sail from the UK port to the French port!