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Irish Sea

Fishguard to Rosslare, a small port and a quiet landing.

One operator, one ship, two sailings a day, and a little over three hours across. Miss one and the next is roughly twelve hours away.

BritainIrelandCairnryanBelfastLarneHolyheadDublinLiverpoolPembroke DockFishguardRosslare

Timetables checked August 2026, and how they are checked

3 h 30at sea2sailings a dayYear roundStena Line

The crossing

The shortest crossing from South Wales, twice a day.

Operator
Stena Line
Sailings
2 sailings a day, fewer off season
Crossing
About 3 h 30
Check-in
Cars and vans close 30 minutes before departure, foot passengers the same, freight an hour. There's little queuing at a port this size, but there's also only one ship, so leave margin on a slow A40.
Gas bottles
Up to three cylinders, 47 kg between them, valves closed for the whole sailing. Stena also wants a call to its contact centre before you travel, about 24 hours ahead, and then a second declaration at check-in.
Pets
The dog stays in the vehicle free, or in a free onboard kennel booked ahead under Onboard Extras. Pet-friendly cabins take up to two pets.Paperwork: an EU pet passport or a GB Animal Health Certificate, a microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days old, and for dogs a vet-administered tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before you land. Ireland also wants 24 hours of advance notice. None of it can be arranged at the port, and an Animal Health Certificate needs a booked appointment with an official vet.
Book with
Stena Line (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

Bristol is 2 h 50 away, Liverpool 4 h 30.

Typical driving hours to Fishguard with light traffic
Starting fromDriving hours
Bristol2 h 50
Birmingham3 h 30
Plymouth4 h 20
London4 h 30
Manchester4 h 30
Liverpool4 h 30

Ashore

Rosslare is quiet, and Wexford is twenty minutes on.

Rosslare Europort is small, its passenger facilities are modest, and the exit onto the N25 is quick. Wexford town is about twenty minutes, Curracloe beach and Kilmore Quay around half an hour, Hook Head an hour by Wellingtonbridge and Waterford just under. North on the M11, Enniscorthy is thirty minutes and Gorey fifty for a first night towards Wicklow.

If not this boat

Pembroke lands at the same port, a little longer. Holyhead sails four times as often.

Every crossing on the map

Still asked

One ship, so most of this is what happens when it isn't there.

The route has historically run one daytime and one night-time departure each way, and the night one is popular with freight and arrives in the small hours. It's still a three and a half hour crossing rather than an overnight, though a cabin is bookable if you want to treat it as a short night. Clock times move, so check the current timetable rather than planning around remembered ones.

One operator and one ship means little resilience. In January 2026 the Stena Nordica was borrowed to cover the Stena Estrid, damaged calling at Holyhead on 7 January, and this route ran on a chartered ship, the Manx ropax Ben-my-Chree, from 7 January to 3 May. The service held rather than thinned, but it took a charter to hold it. Pembroke Dock sails to the same Irish port and is the sensible backup to have in mind.

Longer than the map suggests. From Haverfordwest it's single carriageway and slow through Pembrokeshire villages, and in summer it carries holiday traffic. Fill up in Fishguard or Goodwick, because there's nothing at the harbour itself.

Yes, carry one. From 28 September 2026 Stena asks for passports at check-in on its routes between Wales and the Republic of Ireland, which includes this crossing. That's a check-in requirement rather than a border control, but arriving without one is a problem you can't argue your way out of.

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