Ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre

The DFDS Seaways ferry from Portsmouth to the famous port of Le Havre runs every day of the week across the English Channel, from Monday through Sunday. It sails overnight from Portsmouth for a good night’s rest and a fresh start in the morning. It leaves Portsmouth at 23:00 and arrives at Le Havre at approximately 8:00, and takes approximately 8 hours when acconting for the French plus one hour time zone difference. Departing from Le Havre, it leaves at 17:00 and arrives at 21:30 UK time, taking about 5 1/2 real hours. Check-in opens 90 minutes prior to each departure and closes 45 minutes before departure.

Onboard the ferry, you will find all the amenities – a bar, restaurant, and outdoor deck for relaxing. Private cabins are available, as are play areas for children. Video games and TV are also available.

Prices for foot passengers start at just £15, and £59 for a car plus two people each way. Take your car on the ferry to Le Havre and freely explore Normandy and beyond. Explore the amazing natural beauty of Normandy, which inspired Impressionist painters. Impressionists like Monet captured Normandy’s rugged, stunning coast and picturesque countryside in paintings like “Cliff Walk at Pourville” and “Sunrise at Le Havre”.

Brittany Ferries also offer an alternative Portsmouth to Le Havre ferry crossing route and return with up to two crossings a day for each leg of the journey there and back. The Brittany Ferries sailing is actually faster than DFDS Seaways from only 3 hours and 45 minutes for the full journey compared to 5 1/2 hours or 8 hours with DFDS.

Le Havre

Le Havre means “the harbour” or “the port” in French, and is the second largest port in France after Marseille. Situated on the English Channel or “La Manche”, and at the mouth of the river Seine in Normandy, Le Havre is home to about 240,000 people. Historically, it has been the main harbour for Paris and a center of trade and commerce. Le Havre was heavily bombarded in 1944 during the battle of Normandy, and rebuilt by French architect August Perret. It is now recognized as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

The town center can easily be covered by foot or bus, and is quickly reached from the ferry port. Worth seeing are the Saint-Joseph Church, the Hotel de Ville, and the Malraux Museum. Paris and Rouen are easily reached from the train station.

By car, Normandy can be reached by a two-hour drive along the coast by car. You can easily access any part of Normandy, including famous and breathtaking Mont Saint-Michel, the austere historical D-Day landing beaches, the amazing chalk cliffs of the Alabaster Coast.