The only passenger transport route currently operating between the UK and Belgium travels between Hull and Zeebrugge and is run by British company P&O Ferries.
Several other companies used to offer passenger ferry journeys to Belgium, including TransEuropa Shipping Lines and Norfolkline. TransEuropa ran a frequent ferry service from Ramsgate to Ostend between 2004 and 2013, but cancelled the service when the company filed for bankruptcy.
Norfolkline runs regular freight ferries between Rosyth in Scotland and Zeebrugge and used to carry foot passengers on one of its boats, but from December 2010 the passenger service was cancelled and the company is now strictly freight-only.
For tourists and travellers hoping to travel to Belgium from the UK by Ferry, the options are now limited to the Hull to Zeebrugge route run by P&O Ferries. P&O’s Zeebrugge ferry leaves daily in the evening up to seven times a week and travels overnight for around 13 hours and 15 minutes. The ship can hold both foot passengers and those travelling with vehicles.
P&O has been in operation in the UK since the 1960’s, with P&O ferries travelling from Dover to Zeebrugge from 1987. The company cancelled its service from Dover in 2002. There was also a route between Felixstowe on the North Sea coast of Suffolk and that allowed for passenger and freight ferries from 1987, but operations along this route were also cancelled in 2002.
The current route to Belgium, from Hull to Zeebrugge, was opened by P&O in 1996. The company also have ferries travelling from the port in Hull to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. If you catch the ferry in Hull to Zeebrugge, you’ll be travelling on either the Pride of Bruges or the Pride of York. The Pride of Bruges has been ferrying passengers for P&O since August 1986, while the Pride of York has been at sea since September 1986.
The ferries travelling for P&O offer a luxurious journey from the UK to Belgium. Both ships offer ensuite cabins, several different restaurants and bars to choose from, an onboard casino where you can try your luck and a wide variety of onboard entertainment to enjoy on the overnight trip.
An onboard cinema showing recent films will keep you entertained long into the night, or if some live action is more appealing then the cabaret act on offer is sure to make for an exciting evening. For those who want to shop the night away there’s an onboard shopping area. To fund your shopping, an onboard ATM machine will make sure you always have cash to hand, while the ship’s bureau de change provides foreign exchange without commission so that every passenger is well prepared.
In terms of food, the ferry has a great deal of choice to suit each passenger’s personal taste. For a buffet-style experience, there’s The Kitchen, which P&O describes as offering ‘world flavours’ while finer fare is also available in the Brasserie restaurant. For after dinner cocktails, both the Piano Bar and the Boulevard bar have a wide selection of drinks.