Considering a family ferry holiday? Ask Brittany Ferries’ travel expert for advice - £750 voucher to be won

[CeriMumsnet]

Increased travel costs and ongoing uncertainty are prompting many families to rethink their holiday plans this year. With no fuel surcharges, reliable sailings and ABTA-protected holiday packages available, ferry travel could be a smart and stress-free option for a summer getaway.

That’s why we’ve invited Brittany Ferries’ travel expert Jane Elgar to answer your questions about family ferry holidays. Whether you’re looking for destination inspiration, tips for travelling with children or advice on making the journey easier, Jane is here to help.

About Jane
Jane is a ferry travel specialist at Brittany Ferries, with a strong background in customer engagement and family travel. As a mum herself, she loves holidaying in France and Spain and understands the practical realities of planning family trips. With extensive experience helping families travel by ferry, Jane has a strong understanding of common questions around routes, onboard facilities and travelling with children. She’s passionate about helping families feel confident and well prepared, so their holiday can begin the moment they step on board.

Everyone who posts a question on this thread by 14 July will be entered into a prize draw to win a £750 Brittany Ferries sailing travel voucher (T&Cs)

Planning a family holiday to France or Spain? Children travel free on Brittany Ferries sailings this summer. Book by 6 July. Find out more and T&Cs here.

Are there various boat options sailing from Plymouth to Roscoff? In the past we've been on a smaller ferry and it was very rough, hoping that may be better on a bigger boat!

I'm quite interested in going as a foot passenger (do not want to drive abroad). Do you partner with any coach or train companies in France?

Interesting thread. I've booked our first "abroad" holiday for years, and booked an overnight crossing with the car. I've already had to change the details once. Getting paranoid that our aging car won't survive, and I'll have to change details again. Is it likely that a change i.e. to a bigger car could result in us losing our place on the ferry?

What facilities do you have onboard to entertain teenagers? Does it vary by route?

What facilities do you have in the toilets that are stoma friendly?

What entertainment do you have for children, but also adults?

Could you please let me know when the 2027 sailing dates released for the Plymouth - Roscoff route? We are looking forward to planning our 2027 holiday in our camper van!

I'm looking at various ferry routes to France at the moment and I'm finding it really hard to compare! Prices and length of journey differ a lot across the different ports. It would be a long journey for us to reach the South of England and trying to work out the best route to Normandy. A comparison website would be useful, does anything like this exist?

We've done the Portsmouth-Caen trip during the day. The time passes really quickly, but I'd like to know how different a ferry to Spain would be in terms of facilities, entertainment, etc on a much longer trip.

Do you need to book a cabin when going on a ferry?

What type of cabin would suit a family of four? Do you per car or passenger?

What are your tips tips for neurodivergent travellers on ferries?

When my dad was coming on holiday with us BF made sure they did everything they could to make his travel safe and easy (wheelchair user)

Do you have to book a cabin overnight or can you have a reclining chair - if dogs aren’t allowed in cabins? As such, do they turn the lights/muic dosn like in an overnight flight? That’s mire than one question, apologies!

Are there ever sales on crossing to france ? Suspect not but wondering if there is a best time to book. Bees together my head around booking to go for the first time!

Are there ever any promotions on the UK - Spain routes? We are regular ferry travellers and would love to head to Santander one year but the extra costs always feel slightly prohibitive. Are there deals or discounts available? Please can you share your tips on how to get the best possible price for this route.

Is it okay to have a roof bag on the car for a ferry crossing? The soft bag type, that is lockable, but still easy enough for the wrong hands to get into. Would it be safe from theft during the journey?

We love the ferry to France but are planning to try Spain this year. Is it true that the crossing is more likely to be rough? It's putting me off a bit as we don't want sea sickness travelling with children....

Its a long drive to the ferry. Are there quiet spots to stretch out and nap or is all the seating in bars and restaurants?

Can I bring my dog with me as a foot passenger? What are the facilities like for them?

What are you cancellation policies and name changes and charges please?

Do you still have the magician on the Poole-Cherbourg route (it’s been a while since we did a family trip!)?

Do you offer any short-break options with accommodation, taking our own car?

I would love to feel confident to safely order food on the ferries but both my children had food allergies
Last time we travelled - a couple of years ago- I didn't feel like the catering was remotely set up for allergies so we relied on the back up picnics I had packed, but it felt a bit disappointing.

Also, my son started having breathing issues in the car while waiting to get off the ferry (he's asthmatic and I think it was from all the car fumes). We tried to get attention from the staff and I explained the issues but they just wandered off again and didn't grasp that it was an urgent situation.

Has catering for allergies improved? What are the systems you have and can I check allergy menus in advance ?

And what is the best approach for handling a need for urgent assistance when all in a gridlock on the car deck? And how can we manage asthma? The next time we got a ferry we waited to be pretty much the last people to go down to the car deck. But most people were ignoring the instructions to keep their engines off

I love ferry travel and it would be my preference to travel by ferry as we self cater, but allergy provision and issues on the car deck have really put me off

Has disembarkation on the French (and presumably Spanish!) side got quicker as the new EU passport and entry requirements have bedded in? We love popping over to France on the ferry but the queues we faced last time put us off a bit!

Can you go back to your cat once you are in your cabin if you’ve forgotten something urgently needed ?