Alternatives
Liverpool to Dublin by ferry
No ferry takes cars or foot passengers from Liverpool to Dublin any more. These crossings replace it, for Dublin and for Cork
- Holyhead - Dublin, about 2 hours' drive from Liverpool, then 3 hours 15 to 3 hours 30 minutes at sea
- Liverpool - Belfast overnight with Stena Line, then under 2 hours on the M1 to Dublin
- For Cork, Fishguard or Pembroke to Rosslare, then about 3 hours by road
Popular routes
Ferries from England and Wales to Ireland
The crossings that replace Liverpool - Dublin, with duration, operator and booking.
Prices per person, one way
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Route map
Ferries from north-west England and Wales at a glance
Holyhead - Dublin, Liverpool - Belfast and the two crossings to Rosslare. Click a line for duration and operator.
- Stena Line
- Irish Ferries
Stena Line 3 hours 15 minutes
Check prices Irish Ferries 3 hours 30 minutes
Check prices Stena Line 8 hours
Check prices Stena Line 3 hours 30 minutes
Check prices Irish Ferries 4 hours 1 minute
Check prices Liverpool to Dublin by ferry
Liverpool to Dublin by ferry
No passenger ferry from Liverpool to Dublin
P&O Ferries stopped sailing between Liverpool and Dublin at the end of 2023, when its berth in Liverpool was no longer available. The route had mainly carried freight, and the ships that still cross from the Mersey to Dublin take freight only: there is no sailing you can book with a car, a motorhome or on foot. From north-west England you now reach Dublin via Holyhead in North Wales or via Belfast, and Cork via the Welsh ports for Rosslare. The Isle of Man Steam Packet sails from Liverpool to Douglas, but goes on from Douglas to Dublin only on a few dates in the season, so it is no regular way across.
Via Holyhead: the quickest way to Dublin
Holyhead - Dublin is the closest replacement for the old route. Holyhead sits at the end of the A55 on Anglesey, around 2 hours by car from Liverpool, and Stena Line and Irish Ferries cross from there to Dublin in 3 hours 15 to 3 hours 30 minutes. With up to eight sailings a day, spread over the day and night, the timetable usually has a departure that fits your drive. The ferries land at Dublin Port, about 6 km east of the city centre, where a shuttle bus meets every arrival.
Via Belfast: the overnight ferry from the Mersey
If you would rather not drive to Wales, Liverpool - Belfast leaves from the Twelve Quays terminal in Birkenhead, across the Mersey from Liverpool. Stena Line sails it with one daytime and one overnight crossing in each direction, about 8 hours at sea; with a cabin on the overnight sailing you arrive in Belfast in the morning. From Belfast, Dublin is under 2 hours on the M1. The whole journey takes longer than via Holyhead, but you sail straight from Liverpool and the cabin replaces a night's stop on the way. The guide to Northern Ireland has more on the Belfast terminals.
Without a car
Holyhead is the easier route on foot: the railway station sits right next to the ferry terminal, so you can travel from Liverpool by train and walk on board. Stena Line and Irish Ferries both take foot passengers, and in Dublin a shuttle bus meets every arrival and runs into the city centre in about 30 to 35 minutes, calling at Heuston and Connolly stations. Liverpool - Belfast carries foot passengers too; the Twelve Quays terminal is reached by bus from Hamilton Square station in Birkenhead or by taxi.
Ferry to Cork from the UK
No ferry sails from Great Britain to Cork. The only ferry into Cork is Roscoff - Cork from Brittany, a seasonal overnight crossing of about 14 to 15 hours with Brittany Ferries that lands at Ringaskiddy, 30 to 40 minutes south of the city. From Britain, the ferries that land nearest to Cork are the two crossings from south-west Wales to Rosslare: Fishguard - Rosslare with Stena Line takes about 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours, Pembroke - Rosslare with Irish Ferries around 4 hours, each with two sailings a day. From Rosslare Europort the N25 brings you to Cork in about 3 hours. From Liverpool and the north of England, Holyhead is much closer than the ports in Pembrokeshire, so weigh Holyhead - Dublin and the drive south through Ireland against the longer drive to Fishguard or Pembroke.
Which route for which trip
- By car from Liverpool or the north-west to Dublin: Holyhead - Dublin, the shortest combination of road and sea.
- Sailing straight from Liverpool: Liverpool - Belfast overnight with a cabin, then the M1 to Dublin in the morning.
- On foot: the train to Holyhead and the ferry to Dublin Port, then the shuttle bus into town.
- To Cork and the south: Fishguard or Pembroke to Rosslare; from the north of England, compare it with Holyhead - Dublin.
Documents and pets
On the routes to the Republic of Ireland, Stena Line asks every passenger for a valid passport at check-in in Holyhead, Dublin, Fishguard and Rosslare, and Irish Ferries requires official photo ID. Liverpool - Belfast stays within the United Kingdom and involves no passport control, but Stena Line requires photo ID that matches the booking. A dog, cat or ferret travelling into the Republic needs a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and a travel document, and dogs also a tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before arrival. For Northern Ireland, a microchip and the free Northern Ireland pet travel document are enough. The pets guide has the details.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ - Liverpool to Dublin by ferry
The key questions about the ferry from Liverpool to Dublin and to Cork, answered briefly.
Is there still a ferry from Liverpool to Dublin? +
Not for cars or foot passengers. P&O Ferries stopped sailing Liverpool - Dublin at the end of 2023, and the ships that still cross from the Mersey to Dublin carry freight only. The closest replacement is Holyhead - Dublin, about 2 hours by car from Liverpool.
What is the quickest way from Liverpool to Dublin by ferry? +
Drive to Holyhead on Anglesey, around 2 hours from Liverpool, and cross with Stena Line or Irish Ferries in 3 hours 15 to 3 hours 30 minutes. Holyhead - Dublin has up to eight sailings a day, spread over the day and night, and the ferries land at Dublin Port, about 6 km east of the city centre.
Can I travel from Liverpool to Dublin as a foot passenger? +
Yes, via Holyhead: the railway station there is right next to the ferry terminal, and Stena Line and Irish Ferries both take foot passengers to Dublin. In Dublin a shuttle bus meets every arrival and runs into the city centre in about 30 to 35 minutes. Liverpool - Belfast also carries foot passengers, from the Twelve Quays terminal in Birkenhead.
Is there a ferry from the UK to Cork? +
No ferry sails from Great Britain to Cork; the only ferry into Cork is Roscoff - Cork from France. From Britain, take Fishguard - Rosslare or Pembroke - Rosslare from south-west Wales and drive about 3 hours from Rosslare to Cork.
Is Liverpool - Belfast a good way to get to Dublin? +
Yes, if you want to sail straight from the Mersey. Liverpool - Belfast with Stena Line takes about 8 hours from Birkenhead, with a daytime and an overnight sailing each way, and Belfast is under 2 hours from Dublin on the M1. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, so the crossing itself involves no passport control.
Found your way across?
Compare the crossings to Dublin, Belfast and Rosslare and check departure, vehicle and cabin right in the booking.