Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 2

Can I travel with an LPG system or a fixed gas tank?

Accepted Answer

Draw a distinction between gas as a fuel and gas for cooking and heating. LeShuttle (Eurotunnel) carries no vehicle that runs on LPG, not even as a second fuel; other dual-fuel combinations such as petrol-electric are fine. On the ferry it is different: Irish Ferries and Brittany Ferries carry LPG, LNG and CNG-powered vehicles without any fuss, provided it is a factory-fitted system and the valve is shut off. A refillable gas tank or refillable bottle (Gaslow, Alugas, Safefill) counts as domestic gas and may also go through the tunnel: up to 47 kg, filled to less than 80%, and you must be able to demonstrate that at the gas check.

Question 3

Can my dog stay in the motorhome during the crossing?

Accepted Answer

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).

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 5

Can I take an electric motorhome or van on the ferry, and can I charge on board?

Accepted Answer

Carrying one is fine: electric vehicles are accepted on all ferries that carry vehicles, according to the UK trade body Discover Ferries. Charging on board is the exception. Brittany Ferries states explicitly that it is currently not possible to charge your electric or hybrid vehicle on board, and Smyril Line bans charging of electric cars, caravans and motorhomes altogether and also wants you to declare your EV when booking. TT-Line does have charging points on the Green Ships Nils Holgersson and Peter Pan (Travemünde-Trelleborg), and LeShuttle has large charging areas at the terminal on both sides: four 210 kW EVBox rapid chargers plus a 50 kW charger in Folkestone and Calais, and Tesla Superchargers in Calais as well. So plan your charging stops before and after the boat, not on it.

Question 6

Can I nip down to my motorhome while the ship is sailing?

Accepted Answer

Usually not: the vehicle deck is closed and only crew go there. There are two kinds of exception. First, supervised dog visits: DFDS, P&O, Brittany Ferries and Irish Ferries let you go down with a member of staff to look after your dog, and Color Line has fixed 15-minute visiting times on Kiel-Oslo. Second, Tallink on MyStar and Megastar (Helsinki-Tallinn): there you can buy a paid garage ticket for a space on deck 7 where you can reach your vehicle during the voyage — but there too, staying in your car or on the vehicle deck is not permitted.

Portsmouth – Santander / Bilbao

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