Overnight
ferries can be useful on some routes across Europe and are essential on others.
A private cabin on an overnight ferry can be as restful as staying overnight in
a hotel, with the same benefit of a night train, i.e., while you sleep, you are
continuing your journey. On the other hand, the carbon footprint of ferries is
similar to (or more than) the carbon footprint of flying the same distance.
Nevertheless, I recommend using ferries on some routes for the following
reasons:
The
overnight ferry from Hoek van Holland (The Netherlands) to Harwich
International (Great Britain) can be a good (or necessary) alternative to
Eurostar. This is because Eurostar only have a small number of seats for
Interrail passholders. What this means in practise is that you might not be
able to get a seat on a suitable Eurostar and if you are heavily delayed in
Germany (which can happen) and miss your Eurostar, you risk finding that there
are no passholder seats on the next one …
The
overnight ferries from Göteborg to Keil (Germany) or Trelleborg to
Travemünde (Germany) can be useful alternatives to SJ’s Euronight to
Hamburg if it is fully booked and you need to reach Hamburg in the morning.
The
overnight ferry from Bari (Italy) to Patras (Greece) is the only option
for getting to Greece (otherwise) by train.
Hoek
van Holland to Harwich International
Stena Line operate ferries from Hoek van Holland (The Netherlands) to Harwich
International (Great Britain). This is an alternative to the Eurostar for
reaching Great Britain.
The
ferry to Great Britain sails from Hoek van Holland at 22:00 (with boarding from
19:30 to 21:15) and disembarkation at Harwich International begins at 06:30.
The ferry from Great Britain sails from Harwich International at 23:00 (with
boarding from 20:45 to 22:15) and disembarkation at Hoek van Holland begins at
08:00.
The
nearest railway station to the ferry terminal at Hoek van Holland is Schiedam
Centrum (which can be reached by metro). The ferry terminal at Harwich
International is at a railway station with the same name.
Onboard,
there are a variety of cabins to choose from, a restaurant, a bar, and an open
deck.
Select
“Hoek van Holland - Harwich”, enter your travel dates, return or one way,
and click on “Search trip”.
Enter
the number of passengers, check “On foot” and click on “Continue”.
Select
your sailing and choose “Premium”, “Flexi” or “Economy”.
(Tip: “Premium” is excellent value for money. It is more flexible and includes
lounge access, with complementary food and beverages.)
Click
on “Continue” and select a cabin.
(Tip: It’s a beautiful crossing, so I recommend a cabin with a window.)
Click
on “Continue” (Don’t add any meals. If you have lounge access, meals are nicer
in the lounge. If not, you can decide about meals when you are onboard.).
Click
on “To checkout”, enter your passenger details, click on “Continue” and pay for
your tickets.
I
will explain about rail connections for travel to/from the ferry terminals in
the “Hamburg to London” section of the chapter on “Suggested Itineraries”.
Göteborg
to Keil
Stena
Line operate ferries from Göteborg to Keil (Germany). This is an alternative to
SJ’s Euronight for reaching Germany in the morning.
The
ferry to Germany sails from Göteborg at 18:45 (with boarding from 16:30 to
18:15) and disembarkation in Keil begins at 09:15. The ferry from Germany sails
from Keil at 18:45 (with boarding from 16:30 to 18:15) and disembarkation in Göteborg
begins at 09:15.
The
nearest railway station to the ferry terminal in Göteborg is Göteborg Central (which
can be reached by tram). The railway station in Keil can be reached from the ferry
terminal on foot (30 minutes).
Onboard,
there are a variety of cabins to choose from, a restaurant, a bar, and an open
deck.
You
buy tickets from Stena Line as above, except that you select “Göteborg - Keil” (Obviously!) and “Premium” includes a
complimentary breakfast (rather than lounge access). Again, make sure to choose
a cabin with a window.
Trelleborg
to Travemünde
TT
Line operate ferries from Trelleborg to Travemünde (Germany). This is a second alternative
to SJ’s Euronight for reaching Germany in the morning.
The
ferry to Germany sails from Trelleborg at 21:30 (check-in 19:30–21:00, boarding
for foot passengers by shuttle bus “45 minutes before departure”) and
disembarkation in Travemünde begins at 07:00. The ferry from Germany sails from
Travemünde at 21:30 (check-in 19:30–21:00, boarding for foot passengers by
shuttle bus “well before departure”) and disembarkation in Trelleborg begins at
06:30.
Onboard,
there are a variety of cabins to choose from, a restaurant, and a sauna!
Select
“Trelleborg - Travemünde”, enter your travel dates, return or one way, and
click on “Book now”.
Enter
the number of passengers, make sure that “No vehicle” is selected, and click on
“Let’s go!”.
Choose
“Standard” or “Return”, an optional “Flexibility add-on”, and click on “Book
now”.
Select
a cabin.
(Tip: It’s a beautiful crossing, so I recommend a cabin with a window.)
Click
“Book now” a couple of times and pay for your tickets. (Don’t add any
“add-ons”.)
Bari
to Patras
Superfast
Ferries operate ferries from Bari (Italy) to Patras (Greece). You need to take
this ferry to get to Greece (otherwise) by train.
The
ferry to Greece sails from Bari at 19:30 (13:30 on Sundays, boarding starts 2 –
2½ hours before the ferry sails) and disembarkation in Patras begins at 13:00.
The ferry from Greece sails from Patras at 17:30 (boarding starts 2 – 2½ hours
before the ferry sails) and disembarkation in Bari begins at 09:00.
The
nearest railway station to the ferry terminal in Bari can be reached from Bari
Centrale on foot (30 minutes). The ferry terminal in Patras can also be reach
from the railway station (which is now a bus station) on foot (1 hour).
Onboard,
there are a variety shared and private cabins to choose from, a restaurant, and
an open deck.
Select
Bari from the list of departure ports and Patras from the list of arrival
ports, enter your departure date, enter your return date (or check “one way”,
enter number of passengers and click on “Search”.
Select
your preferred crossing for the outward journey and click on “Proceed”.
Select
a cabin.
(I recommend a one bed cabin with a window, but you need to book early: “1 bed
cabin A1” are the nicest ones.)
Select
passenger type.
(If you are in a shared cabin, enter “Interrail
Global” for a cheaper fare.)
Add
contact information, click on “Proceed” and pay for your tickets.
