Direct ferries from Ireland to mainland Europe offer a great alternative to UK landbridge routes, which are now available from Irish Ferries, DFDS, Brittany Ferries and Stena Line.

Have you considered taking the direct ferry from Dublin to Rotterdam or Dublin to Zeebrugge instead of the Dover to Calais landbridge? There is far less traffic on these routes and it can prove to be much less hectic.

Here are five other reasons why you should consider a direct ferry from the Republic of Ireland to mainland Europe.

Reduce the number of ferries you have to take 

There are many direct routes from Ireland to mainland Europe going from a number of major ports such as Dublin, Rosslare, Santander, Cherbourg and Rotterdam. This means that you can take just one ferry all the way to your destination, sit back and relax instead of worrying about traffic and possibly not making your next sailing.

Rest time

As mentioned; taking a longer, direct ferry instead of two shorter ferries and some driving in between means more rest time for the driver. They can have a decent sleep, eat properly and relax knowing that they are on the way to their destination. This also means that when you might have normally had to send two drivers to make a journey more efficient by avoiding delays whilst the other driver rests, you can just send one driver, cutting down on your costs and freeing up the availability of your drivers for other jobs.

Less paperwork

As you are only taking one ferry, there is much less paperwork to deal with due to the simpler declarations and no need for other papers and documents that are required for using the UK as a land bridge. This means less time figuring out what paper work you need and less stress relating to worrying that you have everything you need with you. In the future, skipping out the UK all together will also mean avoiding any EU/UK customs procedures that may be in place. We aren't sure what procedures will be in place post-Brexit, but with alternative direct routes to mainland Europe, it won't affect your journey. 

Cost effective

You can significantly reduce your costs by travelling directly from the Republic of Ireland to mainland Europe due to mileage savings and their vehicle not being driven as much. You can also save on food and drink costs as meals and drinks are often included in ferry tickets, meaning that usually when your driver would have to have found their own meals at a local pub or fast food place that would cost you expenses, they will be provided with complimentary meals. You can also make savings on fuel as your driver will not be doing as much driving as would be required if entering the UK at Liverpool, then driving across England to cross over at Dover to get to mainland Europe. This also cuts down on parking costs at ports or along the way, as the driver will be doing their sleeping on the ferry so there will be no need for overnight parking along their route. It is also easier to transport goods unaccompanied on longer haul ferries and have them collected by courier on the other side, meaning costs are kept to a minimum regarding drivers.  

Additional capacity

There is now additional capacity due to these routes between Republic of Ireland and mainland Europe being less busy than Dover ⇄ Calais. There is a much higher chance of getting on a sailing at the time that you want. Such routes as Dublin ⇄ Zebrugge and Dublin ⇄ Rotterdam run multiple times a day and are rarely completely booked up. 

If you are interested in making your journeys to Ireland from mainsland Europe more efficient and cost effective, get in contact with us. We have the best direct routes to and from the Republic of Ireland.