Question 1

Does the gas valve have to be shut off during the crossing?

Accepted Answer

Yes, without exception. Every ferry operator requires the main valve of your gas system to be closed the moment you drive onto the ship, and to stay closed until you drive off. Color Line checks this as you board, TT-Line explicitly prohibits the use of a gas fridge on board, and Smyril Line requires all gas appliances to be switched off and the bottles to stay in the vehicle. So switch your fridge over to 12V in good time, or accept that it will be off for a few hours: a properly pre-cooled fridge will handle a crossing of 6 to 8 hours without any trouble.

Question 2

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 3

Can I sleep in my motorhome during the crossing?

Accepted Answer

No. On practically every European ferry the vehicle deck is locked as soon as the ship is under way, and you may not stay there or return to it. Finnlines states in so many words that spending the night in the motorhome is not possible for safety reasons, TT-Line that the vehicle deck is closed during the crossing, and Smyril Line that you must take everything you need en route up to your cabin beforehand. The reason is fire safety: on a closed ro-ro deck nobody can be evacuated quickly and an incipient fire is almost impossible to reach. So always count on a cabin, a reclining seat or a deck passage.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

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.

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 carry a jerrycan of diesel or petrol?

Accepted Answer

The rules vary widely here, so check per ferry operator. Stena Line allows a maximum of 5 litres in an approved plastic or metal jerrycan free of wear or leaks. DFDS bans jerrycans entirely, full or empty, and P&O allows no fuel containers at all. Irish Ferries prohibits spare cans in passenger vehicles. TT-Line, by contrast, is generous: up to 60 litres of spare fuel per vehicle. So count on having to set off with a full tank on the Channel and Ireland routes.

Rostock – Trelleborg

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