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Irish Sea

Cairnryan to Larne, onto the Antrim coast road.

Two hours across the North Channel, and the coast road starts near the ramp. Sat-nav to the P&O terminal, which isn't the same place as Loch Ryan Port.

BritainIrelandBelfastHolyheadDublinLiverpoolFishguardRosslarePembroke DockCairnryanLarne

Timetables checked August 2026, and how they are checked

2 hat sea6sailings a dayYear roundP&O

The crossing

Two hours across, up to six times a day.

Operator
P&O
Sailings
Up to 6 sailings a day
Crossing
About 2 h
Check-in
Vehicles close 30 minutes before sailing, foot passengers 45, and anyone travelling with a pet 45. Allow 60 to 90 minutes in August: the ships are shared with P&O freight and the queue isn't a car queue.
Gas bottles
Up to three cylinders on the P&O Irish Sea routes, none heavier than 11.2 kg. Valves off, cylinders secured, declared when you book.
Pets
Pets travel free and stay in the vehicle for the crossing. P&O gives the allowance as five per booking on the route page and four on its pet page, so treat anything above four as worth confirming. There are no kennels or pet lounge on this route, and the deck is closed at sea, so you can't go down to check on them. Check in 45 minutes before departure with an animal aboard, not 30.Paperwork: a dog, cat or ferret needs a free Northern Ireland Pet Travel Document and a microchip. No rabies vaccination or tapeworm treatment is required on this movement. Apply before you travel; it's a form, not a vet appointment.
Book with
P&O (opens in a new tab)Fares and availability live with the operator, not here.

Seasons, weather and operators all move these, so confirm with the operator before you book.

Getting there

Glasgow is 1 h 40 away, London 6 h 30.

Typical driving hours to Cairnryan with light traffic
Starting fromDriving hours
Glasgow1 h 40
Edinburgh2 h 30
Manchester3 h 30
Leeds4 h
Newcastle upon Tyne4 h
Liverpool4 h
Birmingham5 h
London6 h 30

Ashore

You come off at the foot of the Antrim coast road.

Larne Harbour puts you almost straight onto the A2. Carnlough, Glenarm and the Glens of Antrim are inside the first hour, Cushendall about fifty minutes, and Carrickfergus Castle twenty minutes south. Belfast is around forty minutes by the A8 and M2, and the Giant's Causeway an hour and a half up the coast.

If not this boat

Belfast lands you in a city. Liverpool saves the drive north.

Every crossing on the map

Still asked

Two ports five minutes apart, and the smallest gas allowance on the network.

The terminal at Cairnryan village itself, on the A77 about five miles north of Stranraer. Loch Ryan Port, five minutes further north, is Stena and sails to Belfast. Two separate sites with separate check-ins, so put the operator into the sat-nav rather than the village name.

Yes, and on this route it's the only option. P&O carries the pets free and they travel in the vehicle. The deck is closed once the ship sails, so leave water, park in the shade if there's any, and expect two hours without a visit. Check in 45 minutes ahead rather than 30, and have the Northern Ireland Pet Travel Document with you: it's free and it's done online, but it has to exist before you reach the booth.

The P&O Irish Sea routes cap each cylinder at 11.2 kg rather than working to a 47 kg total the way the Dover and North Sea boats do. Three cylinders is still the limit. A single large bottle that travels fine to France can be refused here, so check the size stamped on it before you book.

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Cairnryan to Larne in one page: the times, the sailings, the port and the first hour ashore. Free to read, no account needed.

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