Ferry services
Whether you want to go abroad, across the Irish Sea or simply avoid traffic congestion on the way to work, a ferry service may be the answer. There is a range of ferry services that offer a good alternative to road or air travel.
Northern Ireland Ferry services
Local services run from Northern Ireland ports to England, Scotland and the Isle of Man.
Rathlin ferry
A passenger and vehicle ferry service runs between Ballycastle and Rathlin Island.
The service is operated by Rathlin Island Ferry Limited and offers nine return daily sailings in summer and five return sailings in winter. The journey time is 45 minutes by the vehicle ferry and 20 minutes by the passenger-only vessel.
At peak periods demand can be greater than places available and advance booking is recommended.
Vehicle access to the island is restricted and only those drivers eligible to hold passes are permitted to take their vehicles on the ferry.
For information about timetables, fares, booking, or the vehicle pass system, contact Rathlin Island Ferry Limited.
Strangford ferry
A ferry service operates across Strangford Lough between the villages of Strangford and Portaferry.
To travel the distance between Strangford and Portaferry by road is around 46 miles and takes about an hour-and-a-half by car. By contrast, the ferry route is about 0.6 nautical miles with a typical crossing time of about eight minutes.
The ferry runs for about 16 hours each day, 364 days per year.
- weekdays 7.30 am until 10.45 pm
- Saturday 8.00 am until 11.15 pm
- Sunday 9.30 am until 10.45 pm
For information on disruptions to normal service, check the TrafficwatchNI website.
The service normally operates with one vessel, leaving each slipway at 30 minute intervals; from Strangford on the hour and half hour and from Portaferry at a quarter past and a quarter to the hour.
- Strangford ferry timetable
- Strangford ferry fares
- Strangford ferry accessibility
- Strangford ferry service conditions of carriage
If you're a regular user of the ferry service, SmartCards can be bought and topped up at:
- Kevin Og Newsagents in Strangford
- Centra, 91 High Street, Portaferry
Other ferries (privately operated)
From June to September, a local service operates between Warrenpoint and Omeath in County Louth.
- phone: 028 4175 3425
Kintyre Express operates a service from Ballycastle to Campbelltown (Kintyre) and then from Campbelltown to Troon. More information can be found on the following website:
Manx Ferries operates a seasonal service between Belfast and Douglas, Isle of Man.
P & O Ferries operates a service from Larne to Cairnryan.
StenaLine operates services from Belfast, to Cairnryan and to Liverpool.
Inland waterways
Waterways Ireland is responsible for the management, maintenance, development and promotion of over 1,000km of inland navigable waterways.
You can get further details from the Waterways Ireland website.