A popular gateway to Normandy, Cherbourg is ideally placed for receiving visitors from the UK and Republic of Ireland. The town itself is steeped in history and has many links to England. Cherbourg is also a fishing port, yachting centre, naval base and ship building ground. Many visitors to France arrive by ferry in Cherbourg.

More than one million passengers pass through the port of Cherbourg each year, many taking advantage of one of the shortest crossings on the Channel. Brittany Ferries operate a service between Poole and Cherbourg, with the conventional ferry taking 4 hours, 15 minutes, and the Fastcraft vessel making the crossing in just 2 hours, 15 minutes.

P&O Ferries operate daily sailings between Portsmouth and Cherbourg with four sailings each day, with the exception of Mondays when there are only three crossings. Their standard ferries take 5 hours, 45 minutes to make the crossing, while the Fastcraft ferries passengers in a swift 2 hours, 45 minutes.

Irish Ferries provide crossings from Cherbourg to Rosslare in the Repbulic of Ireland three times each week. Ferries depart at 18:00 and arrive in Rosslare the following day at 12:30. Between June and November there is a weekly sailing between Dublin and Cherbourg, with a crossing time of 18 hours.

The terminal at Cherbourg port has reasonable facilities including a café, convenience store, bureau de change and newsagents. Both the terminal and the ferries are equipped for disabled passengers, with good wheelchair access and disabled toilets. The port also features lowered telephones.

The port is at the centre of an excellent transport network, with good road and rail connections as well as ferries to the UK and Republic of Ireland. The port has both a long stay and short stay car park and a shuttle bus runs between the city centre and the port.

Tags: Brittany Ferries, Cherbourg Port, Dublin, England, Fastcraft vessel, Ireland, UK