Why travelling to and from Spain by ferry became a highlight of my holiday

From embracing the slow travel trend to reducing your carbon footprint, there are means reasons to opt for a journey by ferry over a short-haul flight, discovers Abra Dunsby as she travels with Brittany Ferries to northern Spain and back.

As we sail away from Plymouth harbour, I’m sitting in a roomy, natural light-filled bar, sipping on a glass of cold beer while listening to a fascinating talk about the different types of cetacean that swim in the Atlantic’s waters.

It feels miles apart from other journeys to Europe I’ve made in recent years via budget airline: there’s no kid kicking the back of my seat while I try to enjoy a cardboard-flavoured, lukewarm cheese toastie and the person in front of me hasn't pulled their seat down, leaving me with even less room in which to eat said toastie. It all feels far more… pleasant – and we’ve only just departed.

Check-in was also a relaxed affair: we arrive at Plymouth harbour an hour and a half before departure and join the line of cars and campers in the check-in queue, inching forward while humming along to the tunes from our car radio and munching snacks with the air conditioning on. No one around us looks in the least bit disgruntled. Cortisol levels feel communally low and things move at a slow, steady pace.

Brittany Ferries' Galicia (Image: Maritime Photographic)

Travel slow

My partner and I are travelling to Santander by ferry, a decision made for a combination of reasons: we’re borrowing his parents’ campervan and taking it on a road trip to explore the landscapes and culinary might of northern Spain, and we want to have more frequent flight-free holidays to try and reduce our carbon footprint. While the ferry can’t compete with budget airlines on price, if you’re travelling by campervan and staying in campsites, like we are, you are saving money on accommodation in destination. Plus, you don’t have to fork out for car hire either.

Of course if you’re a foot passenger, ferry prices are cheaper and your carbon footprint is particularly low when compared to flying: a foot passenger travelling by ferry creates just 19g of CO2 per kilometre compared to 156g when travelling on a short haul flight. Meanwhile travelling by car on a ferry creates around 130g per person.

Pleasant pastimes

We are sailing with Brittany Ferries and on the outward leg it’s on board the flagship Pont-Aven, which can carry up to 2,400 passengers and 650 cars (though it feels like there are fewer people on board when we travel in early June).

The sailing takes just over 21 hours, so most people travelling have booked a cabin (there is a seated section of the ferry where those who haven’t booked a cabin can rest overnight). While that might sound like a long time compared to the mere hour or two it takes to nip to Spain by plane, the journey feels like more of an adventure and I’m much more relaxed than I’ve ever felt on a plane – plus there’s plenty to keep you occupied on board.

There’s entertainment throughout, which takes place at the bar – everything from fun pub quizzes to the aforementioned talk on sea life by an Ocean Conservationists rep, who then moves up on deck to help you spot sea life during the journey.

There’s even a small indoor swimming pool which is ideal for families with young children, as is the kids’ play area.

As the weather is calm and warm, we spend much of our time out in the fresh air on the sun deck reading our books in the sunshine with a glass of wine, soothed by the backdrop of endless blue. We also enjoy the freedom to mooch about, ambling over to the shop, which sells everything from cosmetics to tasty snacks such as French biscuits and madeleines, Spanish olives, plus plenty of duty-free wine.

The shop on board Pont Aven (image: Brittany Ferries)

There’s also a small spa, where you can book massages, facials or nail appointments to up the relaxation ante further.

There are two restaurants on board: the self-service cafeteria option is La Belle Angele (where a starter, main course and dessert costs around €20,50/£18) or the a la carte restaurant is La Flora (€42/£36pp).

We opt for La Belle Angele, where I have a tasty lunch of poached hake with ratatouille and potatoes, plus a tiramisu; and a veggie burger with chips for dinner.

Main courses at La Flora sound delicious, with baked halibut, razor clams and stuffed piquillo peppers; organic salmon and chicken supreme all on the menu.

Pont Aven's La Flora restaurant (Image: Brittany Ferries)

After dinner, we head for a drink at the bar by La Flora, where we watch the sunset from a large port hole as a piano player tinkles the ivories (so civilised!), before heading to our cabin. It’s small but clean and comfortable, with two single beds, a TV with English, French and Spanish channels and our own bathroom with a good shower. There’s also a kettle with tea and coffee for the morning.

There’s something about the gentle rock of the boat (the water is extremely calm) that sends me off to sleep in next to no time, and I sleep deeply, waking up feeling bright-eyed and bushy tailed, excited for our arrival into Santander.

Culture shift

The return leg on board, departing from Bilbao to Portsmouth, is even more enjoyable as we’re travelling on board Galicia, which launched in 2020 and feels lovely and new, with red and pale blue decor and nods to the Galicia region in the artwork and on the TV screens, which talk about the area’s culinary and cultural highlights.

Galicia (Image: Benjamin Deroche) Image: Benjamin Deroche

The ship is the first of Brittany Ferries’ three E-Flexer vessels, each of which reduces CO2 thanks to its exhaust-emission-scrubbers, which strip particulate matter and harmful sulphur oxides from airborne emissions, while the hull has also been designed to reduce drag and improve efficiency. The ferry line also has two hybrid ships which run on liquified natural gas (LNG) – Salamanca and Santona – and they will be joined by two more LNG-powered ships, Guillaume de Normandie and Saint Malo, running between Portsmouth and Caen from early 2025.

The Galicia’s Spanish theme continues in the ship’s tapas restaurant, while Plaza Mayor bar is the place for snacks and entertainment, and a la carte dining is in the Azul Restaurant.

Galicia's tapas restaurant (Image: Benjamin Deroche) Image: Benjamin Deroche

Out on deck, there’s a play area for kids and this time there’s even an outdoor gym, for those who want to do more than just potter around all day.

A highlight on board this ship is the C-Club Lounge, a private premium lounge that’s well worth the £54 per person. Here, there’s an ever-changing buffet where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, with a good selection of wine plus soft drinks included in the price. The large windows make the lounge feel bright and cheerful, with gorgeous views especially in the evening as the sun begins to lower over the glassy water. The lounge is also a good place to set up camp, and people relax here between meals with a book or a crossword puzzle.

The journey time from Bilbao to Portsmouth is longer – between 26 and 30 hours depending on the time of year – but again, we relish the slower-paced end to our holiday and enjoy relaxing on the sun deck. This time, we spot an excited group chattering and pointing animatedly out to sea and nosily join them in time to see a small pod of dolphins splashing about in the Bay of Biscay.

On deck on board Galicia (Image: Benjamin Deroche) Image: Benjamin Deroche

We're treated to an after-dinner surprise too, when we wander over to one of the decks to view and snap a spectacular sunset. As the peachy sun melts into the silvery, rippling water of the Atlantic, a whole pod of dolphins suddenly emerges, dipping in and out of the water in perfect synchronicity and swimming towards the ferry as if to say hello.

It’s a magical moment, and one of the highlights of the entire holiday. Which I'm not sure you could ever say about a budget flight...

Need to know

Prices for the Plymouth-Santander journey start from £379 each way for a car and two people, or from £483 each way for a car and family of four.

Prices for Bilbao-Portsmouth start from £439 each way for a car and two people, or from £531 each way for a car and family of four. All prices mentioned include an ensuite cabin.

All ferry cruises take place from March to November, with two weekly overnight sailings each way.

For more information visit brittany-ferries.co.uk

Main image: Brittany Ferries