Travelling by Car
Holidaying in the UK, Channel Islands and France is easy with Condor Ferries. You can take your car and pack everything you need and explore your destination to the full without the need to worry about excess baggage charges.
When you book a ferry with us, we need to know your vehicle type and dimensions. We can help with this.
What is an SUV?
Condor Ferries defines an SUV as a Sports Utility Vehicle with 4 or more seats.
What is an HSUV?
Condor Ferries defines an HSUV as a High Sports Utility Vehicle with 4 or more seats.
What is an MPV?
Condor Ferries defines an MPV as a "Multi Purpose Vehicle" or "People Carrier" with the capability to carry 6 or more people.
What is a Motorhome?
A motorhome is defined as a vehicle with integral sleeping/living quarters within the same chassis. Motorhomes can be up to 6.5 metres long but less than 3.1 metres high. Please note the maximum laden vehicle weight is 3.5 tonnes for our Fast Ferry services, any vehicle exceeding this, will be refused boarding.
Bicycle Racks
Condor Ferries charges a small supplement for rear bicycle racks. Roof racks or bicycles stacked on the roof of vehicles/trailers must be declared as part of the overall height of the vehicle or vehicle trailer. Supplements are charged for vehicles over 1.85m high.
Trailers
Condor Ferries accept vehicles towing trailers, which must be declared at the time of booking. Charges apply to vehicles with a trailer.
Trailers up to 2.5m in length are classed as small trailers and trailers up to 5.5m in length are classed as large. If your trailer is longer than 5.5m, a supplement will be charged per extra meter up to 6.5m in length. Trailers over 6.5m in length are not accepted onboard the fast ferries.
For more information regarding vehicle definitions and dimensions read our Vehicle Definitions.
In order to be able to make your journey with Condor Ferries as easy as possible you must inform us at the time of booking if you will be taking a roof or rear rack on your car. Due to space allocations onboard, the rear or roof rack will need to be booked on to the journey in order to load the vehicles correctly, there may be an additional charge. You can add this when making your booking on-line by selecting rear or roof rack as applicable when selecting your vehicle or you can contact us by calling 0845 609 1024.
If you have booked through an agent or tour operator you should advise them of your requirements, and ask them to update your booking (subject to availability) as this may incur extra costs.
Once you have contacted us, the roof/rear rack will then be added to your booking. If you have not contacted us before you travel to alert us to your needs, we cannot assure you that your vehicle including the rear or roof rack will be accepted for your journey.
Please ensure that you check in no later than 60 minutes before your departure time. On arrival at the car check in booth, please show your booking confirmation, and if travelling to France your passport. You will then be given your boarding cards and a car sticker showing your arrival destination. The sticker should be placed on your car windscreen, and your boarding tickets kept ready to show when you embark.
A member of our check in staff will assign you to your car lane which will be dependent on the length and size of your vehicle.
When your time comes to embark, you will be brought forward and asked for your boarding cards. The stubs will be torn off and the cards returned to you. Your boarding cards should be kept with you at all times. You will need to show them if asked to do so, and if you wish to make a purchase in the onboard Duty Free shop.
You may notice cars that checked in after you are loaded onto the ferry before you. This is because many of our services stop at more than one port, so it is important that cars are loaded in a certain sequence to ensure disembarkation at each destination port is carried out easily and efficiently.
On our fast ferries, some types of vehicle will need to be loaded in specific parts of the car deck due to the restrictions on the vehicle deck heights; this may also affect when you are loaded and where you asked to park.
In some circumstances you will be directed to park at the top of the car deck on the fast ferries, although there may be space elsewhere. This is to improve the operational performance of the ferry.
When you return to the car deck on busy sailings you may find that other vehicles have been parked close to your car. If you are unable to access your vehicle safely you may be required to wait for other vehicles nearby to move away before getting back in to the car.
Please take care when moving around the car deck.