Strangford ferry fares
You can find details of fares when using the Strangford ferry. The ferry operates between Strangford and Portaferry in County Down.
Contactless payment
Contactless payment is available onboard by ferry SmartCard or credit/ debit card.
Tickets
There are a number of ticket types available:
Single and return tickets
Single and return tickets are available on deck.
Cars and other vehicles by length (fare includes driver only)
| Vehicle and driver | Single | Return (valid for one week) | SmartCard top-up (20 journeys - valid for one year after date bought) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle up to six metres in length | £7.70 | £13.30 | £66.70 |
| Vehicle six to eight metres in length | £13.30 | £24.00 | £160.10 |
| Long vehicles – each additional two metres in length for vehicles over eight metres (Note: vehicles towing trailer/ caravan will be charged at the proper total train length) | £6.00 | £10.70 | £72.00 |
| Motorcycle and (first) rider | £4.70 | £7.30 | £41.40 |
Occupants of a vehicle, other than a driver, will be charged at the proper passenger rate.
Vehicles with disabled driver or passenger
A concessionary vehicle fare is available on showing a Blue Badge held by either the driver or a passenger.
The fare includes the vehicle and one person. Any other people in the vehicle will be charged at the proper passenger rate.
| Fare category | Single | Return (valid for one week) | SmartCard top-up (20 journeys) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concessionary fare (occupants of a vehicle, other than the blue badge holder, will be charged at the proper rate) | £3.10 | £5.00 | Not applicable |
Bicycles
There is no charge for bicycles.
Cyclists will be charged at the proper passenger rate.
Cyclists must get off their bike and walk on as foot passengers.
Passengers
| Passenger category |
Single |
Return (valid for one week) | SmartCard top-up (20 journeys - valid for one year after date bought) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult passenger | £1.30 | £2.60 | £16.00 |
| Child (five to 15 years) | £0.70 | £1.40 | £7.30 |
| Child under five years | Free | Free | Not applicable |
| Concessionary ticket* | £0.70 | £1.30 | Not applicable |
| Concessionary ticket** | Free | Free | Not applicable |
| Group warrant adults# | £0.80 | £1.60 | Not applicable |
| Group warrant children# | £0.40 | £0.80 | Not applicable |
Note: * Available on showing the proper valid Northern Ireland-issued SmartPass. Holders of either a Learning Disability, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Registered Partially-Sighted or Refusal of a Driving Licence on the Grounds of Medical Fitness SmartPass.
Note: ** Available on showing the proper valid Northern Ireland-issued SmartPass. Holders of either a Senior 65+, 60+, War Disablement, Republic of Ireland Senior Citizen SmartPass (issued by Translink), or Registered Blind SmartPass.
Note: # Group warrants are available to groups travelling together and making a minimum of 20 single journeys or 10 return journeys.
20 Journey SmartCards
Strangford Lough Ferry Service has a SmartCard scheme for frequent travellers.
SmartCard journeys are valid for one year after the date it was bought. SmartCards cost £2.00 and are available from all top-up outlets.
SmartCard top-ups
| Category | SmartCard top-up (20 journeys) |
|---|---|
| Adult | £16.00 |
| Child (five to 15 years) | £7.30 |
| Vehicle up to six metres in length | £66.70 |
|
Vehicle six to eight metres in length |
£160.10 |
| Additional two metres | £72.00 |
| Motorcycle | £41.40 |
- there is a £2.00 charge for a SmartCard
- new SmartCards are not available on the ferry
- each SmartCard can be used for one ticket category only
- SmartCards can be topped up in multiples of 20 journeys, up to a maximum of 100 journeys
- journeys on a SmartCard are valid for one year after the date it was bought or last topped up (for example, journeys bought anytime on 13 June 2024 will run out at 11.59 pm on 13 June 2025)
- topping a SmartCard up will extend all valid journeys on the card for a further year
- the expiry date and card balance are printed on all tickets
- no refunds will be given for unused journeys
- when journeys run out on a SmartCard, the card can be re-used and topped up with 20 new journeys
Where to buy or top-up SmartCards
| Location | Opening hours | Payment methods accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Strangford Ferry Terminal, Strangford |
9.00 am to 4.00 pm Monday to Thursday for walk-ins (closed 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm) |
All payment methods |
| Connolly’s VIVO Essentials, 18 Downpatrick Rd, Strangford |
8.00 am to 9.00 pm |
All payment methods |
| Centra, 91 High Street, Portaferry |
7.00 am to 10.00 pm Monday to Saturday |
Cash and debit/ credit card |
Lost, stolen or damaged SmartCards
There is an optional card registration scheme.
- no credit can be given for unregistered cards which are lost, stolen or damaged
- to register a card, you must complete the form provided when you bought the card and return it to the ferry terminal in Strangford
- allow five working days for registration
- the personal information provided on the registration form will be processed by Strangford Lough Ferry Service for the purposes of managing the SmartCard system only (non-personal statistical data may be collected and used to analyse usage of the service)
- personal information will be held securely and will not be given to any other bodies
- if a registered card is lost or stolen it can be disabled so that no-one else can use it (before a card is disabled, you will be asked to confirm the personal information provided when registering the card)
- any unused balance on the card when it is disabled will be transferred to a new card (a £2.00 charge will be made for the new card)
- to stop a card you must:
- phone the Strangford ferry terminal on 0300 2007 898
- or send an email containing the personal information provided when registering the card to strangfordferry@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk (the office is not open at weekends or on public holidays)
- Contacting 08 and 03 telephone number
- allow one working day for a card to be disabled
Non-payment of fares
It is an offence to intentionally travel on the ferry without paying the proper fare.
Action may be taken to recover unpaid fares and repeat offenders will be reported to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
Failure to pay the proper fare at the time of travel will result in a non-payment report being issued. You will be asked to provide contact details. If you do not provide the information requested, you may be refused passage.
Late payment will not be accepted on board the ferry.
Full fare must be received at the ticket office in Strangford within one week (SmartCards will not be accepted as late payment).
All passengers and cargo are carried under the conditions of carriage, available if asked for from Strangford ferry terminal.
SMS text message alert service
Passengers can register to receive SMS alerts about delays and service suspensions, and so on. Simply:
- text 'FERRY' to 07984 406004 to register
- text 'STOP' to 07984 406004 to stop
Receiving SMS alerts is free when in the UK. A registration/ stop text is charged at your network operator’s standard rate.
For information on disruptions to normal service, check the TrafficwatchNI website.
Who to contact
You should either contact the ferry manager or the ferry operations manager at Strangford ferry terminal.
Complaints
The Department for Infrastructure aims to investigate complaints thoroughly and it would be helpful if as much detail as possible about date and time of travel and circumstances is given.
Written complaints will be responded to within 15 working days.
A written reply will not normally be sent to a verbal complaint.
You may also email your comments on the Strangford ferry operation directly to DfI Roads staff using the contact details at this link:
If you would like to get a written response you will need to provide your name and postcode.