Why this site exists

Getting from the UK to the Netherlands by ferry is one of the nicest ways to travel – there are direct overnight crossings that drop you right in the country by morning. But we kept noticing the same thing: the options are spread across different operators and booking sites, and nobody simply explains, in plain terms, which crossing makes sense from where you are starting.

So we built ferrytonetherlands.co.uk to do exactly that. For every starting point in the UK and every destination in the Netherlands, we set out the sensible routes, with real crossing times, what each one costs, whether foot passengers and bikes are carried, and the practical details that actually matter once you are on the road.

We are a small Dutch team of five who work on ferry-related websites, so we know the destination from the inside. Between us we have made all three direct crossings – Hull to Rotterdam, Harwich to Hook of Holland and Newcastle to IJmuiden – several times over, and the photos of the ferries on this site are our own. That first-hand experience is the whole point: we would rather tell you what a crossing is genuinely like than repeat a brochure.

To keep the site running, some of the links here earn us a small commission when you book. It never changes the advice. If a longer crossing or a different operator is the better choice for your trip, that is what we will say.

Curious who is behind it? We are part of a wider group of ferry websites – you can read more about our company here. And if you are ready to plan, start by finding your route on the homepage.