How many gas bottles am I allowed to carry on the ferry?

The rule of thumb on virtually every North Sea, Channel and Irish Sea route is: a maximum of 3 bottles with a combined weight of up to 47 kg. That is literally how Stena Line, Brittany Ferries, DFDS, Irish Ferries and Smyril Line word it. P&O Ferries differs: on the North Sea and Channel routes only the 47 kg of gas per vehicle limit applies, but on the Irish Sea routes it is a maximum of 3 bottles of no more than 11.2 kg each. LeShuttle (Eurotunnel) applies 47 kg per bottle or tank, which must also be filled to less than 80%. Two standard 11 kg bottles therefore stay comfortably within the margin everywhere.

Can my dog stay in the motorhome during the crossing?

That varies by ferry operator and route, and it is the single biggest pitfall. On the short Channel crossings it is allowed: P&O and DFDS Calais/Dunkirk-Dover (around 15 to 19 euros per animal), Stena Line Hook of Holland-Harwich (around 19 euros) and Color Line Denmark-Norway (9 euros). It is explicitly not allowed on DFDS IJmuiden-Newcastle, Brittany Ferries to Spain, TT-Line, Finnlines, Smyril Line and Go Nordic Cruiseline: there the vehicle deck is locked and your dog has to go into a kennel on board or a pet-friendly cabin. In the Eurotunnel your dog simply stays with you in the motorhome, which is what makes that route so popular with dog owners (around 25 euros per animal).

How do I book a pet-friendly cabin, and why do they sell out so fast?

Ships only have a handful of them: Irish Ferries has 5 pet-friendly cabins on the James Joyce (Dublin-Holyhead), P&O has 6 dog cabins per ship on Hull-Rotterdam, and Brittany Ferries has a limited number on the Spain ships Galicia, Salamanca and Santona. You select them while booking, but for DFDS IJmuiden-Newcastle you even have to phone. For summer sailings and the Spain and Ireland routes they are often gone months in advance, so book the cabin before you plan the rest of your trip. Budget around 35 to 50 euros or pounds per animal each way, on top of the cabin fare.

Which ferry to England is cheapest with a motorhome?

On ticket price alone, Dunkirk-Dover with DFDS nearly always wins (around 100 to 260 euros one way for a motorhome up to 7 m with 2 people), followed by Calais-Dover and Dieppe-Newhaven. But factor in the drive: from Utrecht it is a good 300 km to Calais or Dunkirk, which soon costs 60 to 90 euros in diesel plus toll. Hook of Holland-Harwich with Stena (daytime sailing around 150 to 300 euros) saves you some 400 driving kilometres and is often the cheapest overall solution for the central Netherlands. IJmuiden-Newcastle (350 to 650 euros including the compulsory cabin) is the most expensive per ticket, but replaces 800 driving kilometres and a hotel night if you are heading for northern England or Scotland.

How far in advance should I book, and when is it cheapest?

Ferry prices are dynamic: the fuller the ship, the more expensive. The early-booking window of January to March usually yields 20 to 40 per cent off for the summer, and that is when Finnlines, TT-Line, DFDS and Color Line publish their motorhome packages. For space that is scarce by definition you need to be even earlier: Smyril Line to Iceland is often sold out for the summer as early as the winter, and the same goes for pet-friendly cabins and spaces for high vehicles on the Kiel-Oslo and Stockholm-Helsinki cruise ferries. Last minute is only a realistic option on high-frequency routes (Calais, Dunkirk, Algeciras, Puttgarden). Note: the cheapest early-booking fares are often neither changeable nor refundable.

What does a ferry to England with the motorhome cost in total?

For a return in high season with a motorhome up to 7 m and 2 people, reckon on roughly 200 to 520 euros via Dunkirk-Dover, 300 to 600 euros via Hook of Holland-Harwich (daytime sailing), 500 to 1,040 euros via Eurotunnel and 700 to 1,300 euros via IJmuiden-Newcastle including the compulsory cabins. On top of that: 2 x 20 pounds UK ETA, possibly 15 to 25 euros per dog each way, and the diesel to your departure port. Outside the school holidays all these amounts are 30 to 50 per cent lower. Always compare the total price including cabin and pet, because the from-prices on comparison sites are for cars without height.

North Sea & Channel

Dunkirk – Dover

Dunkirk (Loon-Plage) (FR) → Dover (GB)

Dog may stay in the vehicle
Year-round
Short crossing

Key facts

Ferry operators

DFDS

Crossing time

2 hrs

Frequency

up to ±9–12 sailings per day (±63 per week)

Season

year-round

Price indication

€100–260 one-way high season (motorhome ≤7 m + 2 people) — often slightly cheaper than Calais — indication

Pets

Pets stay in the vehicle (±€19); no kennels or cabins on this route

Reachable only by ferry

Overland alternative: no overland route; alternatives are the Eurotunnel or the Calais ferry ±40 km away

For Dutch motorhomes ±45 km less driving than Calais; quieter terminal, spacious decks

Ferry or drive on? Do the maths

Departure port & check-in

Be there at least 60 min before departure; 90 min is wiser at weekends, during school holidays or if you are travelling with a motorhome, children or pets. Crucial detail: the terminal is NOT in Dunkirk but in Loon-Plage, roughly 20 km to the west. Put 'DFDS Loon Plage' or the exact port address into your sat nav - 'Dunkirk' will send you to the town centre or the coast.

Facilities at the terminal

Fresh water

Not at the terminal in Loon-Plage. The nearest reliable drinking water: the Gravelines aire (€2 per 100 l) or Bray-Dunes; the aire in central Dunkirk has had no working water for a long time.
Chemical toilet

Disposal at the aires in Dunkirk (Rue des Chantiers de France), Gravelines and Bray-Dunes; not at the terminal.
Showers

No showers at the terminal or at the aires; there are showers at Camping La Licorne and at the campsites in Bray-Dunes and Gravelines.
Fuel

Petrol stations in Loon-Plage and Grande-Synthe along the D601; none on the port site itself.
Gas & LPG

Not known
Groceries

Supermarkets in Loon-Plage and Grande-Synthe; nothing on the port site.

Where to spend the night before departure

Car park at Rue du Petit Dena, 59279 Loon-Plage (GPS 51.0161 / 2.1976)
Car park

Distance to terminal

±0.2 km

Price per night

free

Overnight stays allowed

Arguably the best free pre-boarding spot in all of north-west Europe: 30 places on lit, marked-out tarmac, right beside the DFDS ticket desk and check-in, 24/7 toilets in the terminal building, wifi and waste containers. 4.54/5 from 84 reviews. DFDS staff permit overnight stays; some motorhome owners check in during the evening and clear border control there and then, before sleeping in the lane until departure. No water or electricity, and virtually no facilities nearby - do your shopping beforehand.
Aire de Gravelines, Rue de la Gendarmerie
Motorhome aire

Distance to terminal

±12 km

Price per night

water €2 per 100 litres

Overnight stays allowed

Accessible daily with card payment; cassette emptying plus grey and black water disposal. Handy when the Dunkirk aire has no water. There are also 50 paid places on the Quai des Islandais and 15 free places at Le Parc des Rives de l'Aa.
Aire de Camping-Car de Dunkerque, 6 Rue des Chantiers de France, 59140 Dunkerque
Motorhome aire

Distance to terminal

±20 km

Price per night

€8 per 24 hrs (€4 per 6 hrs); free from November to March

Overnight stays allowed

±20 places, open all year, black and grey water disposal and containers, but the fresh water has been out of order for a long time according to several recent reviews. Two levels with a considerable slope - levelling blocks are essential. No toilets, showers or electricity. Close to the beach at Malo-les-Bains and the Dunkerque 1940 museum. Reports of rats and of a payment machine that does not work.
Camping La Licorne, Dunkerque
Campsite

Distance to terminal

±20 km

Price per night

€11.60-€15.10 for touring pitches

Overnight stays allowed

Open April to October, on the seafront at Malo-les-Bains.
Aire de Bray-Dunes, corner of Avenue de la Liberté / Avenue de l'Église
Motorhome aire

Distance to terminal

±35 km

Price per night

€15-19 per day

Overnight stays allowed

18 places with an electricity hook-up, parking, waste disposal and a launderette. On the Belgian border, so it only makes sense if you are coming from the east.

Practical tip

The route is particularly attractive if you travel by motorhome and would rather not join the crush at Calais: a calmer site, shorter queues, and the free car park next to the check-in makes an early sailing possible without a hotel night. The crossing takes about 2 hrs. Here too, lock every hatch and the garage because of the stowaway checks.

Arrival & first stop

First motorhome stop after arrival

Marine Parade car park, Dover CT16 1LW
Car park

Distance to terminal

±1 km

Price per night

£13 per night (18:00-08:00 only)

Overnight: check in advance

The only place in Dover where sleeping in your vehicle is officially allowed, along with Waterloo Crescent. Daytime parking there is prohibited. Bays up to ±6.5 m. Pay at the machine or via RingGo. Noisy in the evening.
Black Horse Farm Caravan and Motorhome Club Site, Densole CT18 7BG
Campsite

Distance to terminal

±12 km

Price per night

£40-50 for non-members

Overnight: check in advance

Full motorhome facilities, ±30 min from the port; check whether the refurbishment has finished.
Folkestone Services, M20 junction 11
Car park

Distance to terminal

±12 km

Price per night

Not known

Overnight: check in advance

Toilets, showers, food and fuel; named by Dover council as a motorhome facility.

Fuel, gas & LPG

LPG is limited in Kent and a British bayonet adapter is needed; gas bottles cannot be exchanged for continental ones.

Watch out on arrival

Drive on the left. Sleeping in the other Dover District council car parks is prohibited. ULEZ and LEZ if you drive on to London. When it is busy the M20 can be partly closed (Operation Brock).

Practical tip

The A20 from the port joins the M20 (London) and the A2/M2 (Canterbury).

Border, documents & rules

A UK ETA is compulsory (£20, two years). Juxtaposed controls: British border control plus French exit checks and EES in Loon-Plage before boarding. Several motorhome owners report that you can already check in and clear control during the evening and then wait in the lane - which saves a lot of time in the morning.

Motorhome tips

No foot passengers; the 2 hrs crossing leaves time for a meal on board; DFDS gas rules: max 3 bottles / 47 kg, jerry cans prohibited

Frequently asked questions

Sources:directferries.com dfds.com park4night.com engelandovertocht.nl duinkerke-toerisme.com dunkerque-tourisme.fr dover.gov.uk

Dunkirk – Dover

2 hrs€100–260 one-way high season (motorhome ≤7 m + 2 people) — often slightly cheaper than Calais — indication

Dunkirk – Dover

Key facts

Departure port & check-in

Facilities at the terminal

Where to spend the night before departure

Car park at Rue du Petit Dena, 59279 Loon-Plage (GPS 51.0161 / 2.1976)

Aire de Gravelines, Rue de la Gendarmerie

Aire de Camping-Car de Dunkerque, 6 Rue des Chantiers de France, 59140 Dunkerque

Camping La Licorne, Dunkerque

Aire de Bray-Dunes, corner of Avenue de la Liberté / Avenue de l'Église

Arrival & first stop

First motorhome stop after arrival

Marine Parade car park, Dover CT16 1LW

Black Horse Farm Caravan and Motorhome Club Site, Densole CT18 7BG

Folkestone Services, M20 junction 11

Border, documents & rules

Motorhome tips

Frequently asked questions

How many gas bottles am I allowed to carry on the ferry?

Can my dog stay in the motorhome during the crossing?

How do I book a pet-friendly cabin, and why do they sell out so fast?

Which ferry to England is cheapest with a motorhome?

How far in advance should I book, and when is it cheapest?

What does a ferry to England with the motorhome cost in total?

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