Skip to main content
N I Direct government services

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
  • Contacts
  • Help
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS

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.

You can find information on the following page:

  • Rathlin Island ferry

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 Ferry.

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 accessibility
  • Strangford ferry service conditions of carriage

You can find information about fares and where to buy tickets at this link:

  • Strangford ferry fares

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:

  • Kintyre Express

Manx Ferries operates a seasonal service between Belfast and Douglas, Isle of Man.

  • Manx Ferries

P & O Ferries operates a service from Larne to Cairnryan.

  • P & O Ferries

StenaLine operates services from Belfast, to Cairnryan and to Liverpool.

  • StenaLine

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. 

More useful links

  • Tidal prediction service
  • Cross-channel travel: information and advice
Share this page Share on Facebook (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share on Twitter (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share by email (external link opens in a new window / tab)

Ferry travel

  • Coronavirus (COVID-19): face coverings guidance
  • Ferry services
  • Ferry travel and disability
  • Rathlin Island ferry
  • Strangford ferry accessibility
  • Strangford ferry fares
  • Strangford ferry timetable

Translation help

How to translate this page

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What do you want to do?
Report a problem
Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

Messages

You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

What is your question about?

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

  • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
  • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
  • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

Related sites

  • gov.uk
  • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

Links to supporting information

  • Accessibility statement
  • Crown copyright
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS