Hull to Rotterdam ferry- all you need to know
The Netherlands is one of the closest countries to the UK, particularly from where we live in the North of England. For us, it’s great to be able to save the long drive down to the south coast of England. Instead we can hop on the Hull to Rotterdam ferry from the Yorkshire coast. From Rotterdam it’s not far to Amsterdam or indeed any other city in the Netherlands and beyond. We have now done this ferry crossing a couple of times. In this post we include all the details you need to help you planning your ferry crossing. We’ll cover how to get to the ferry terminals, what to expect on board and how to book.
Booking the Hull to Rotterdam ferry
Booking the ferry is fairly easy on the P&O website. There are crossings every evening in both directions and the 12 hour crossing time means that you can actually get a proper nights sleep. You can book several months in advance. If you are travelling at peak times you’ll most likely get a cheaper price by booking ahead. When booking there are also variable options regarding flexibility of ticket. You obviously pay a little bit more to have the flexibility of changing your dates. When we travelled we knew we had set dates so went for the cheapest option.
Once you have chosen dates you’ll be given all sorts of options including different types of cabins, rebooking meals and transfer buses.
Choosing your cabin type on the Hull to Rotterdam ferry
When travelling on this ferry as a student (many years ago!) there was an option to book a reclining seat or even just one bed in a cabin. This doesn’t seem to be an option anymore meaning that you have to book a whole cabin out. The most basic cabins are interior ones, although for a 4 birth cabin it is only slightly extra to get a window which I think is definitely worth it. There are then also premier and club cabins, giving a bit of extra space and comforts. We did have a four birth cabin, back when we were a family of four. At the time Martha was a baby, but we were able to bring a travel cot, fold up one of the lower bunks and put that in its place.
As a family of five now, a four birth cabin was obviously no good and at first I thought we would have to book (and pay more) for 2 cabins. However we discovered that the club cabins sleep five which was perfect. It also gave us the perfect excuse to try out the more comfortable club cabins.
Club cabin review on the Hull to Rotterdam ferry
Our club cabin felt reasonably spacious compared to the normal cabins we have been in before. It consisted of one set of bunk beds and then a double bed with an extra bunk above it. Plenty of space for our family of five.
We got an ensuite shower room, which I also thought was reasonably spacious. Completing the club cabin experience was a TV- we didn’t switch it on so I can’t comment on what there was to watch. There was also a whole host of snacks and drinks which was great. Wine and beer for us adults and some soft drinks for the kids as well as crips and biscuits.
Would I pay extra for the club cabin if we were just a family of four? Even though we do tend to try and travel on a budget as much as possible, I would be tempted to upgrade for the extra space and the snacks! It’s worth costing up both options and deciding if it is worth it to you. We didn’t actually spend a lot of time in our cabin except for sleeping as there is lots to keep you busy on the ship.
What else is onboard the Hull to Rotterdam ferry?
We travelled on the Pride of Rotterdam. The Pride of Hull, is the other ship on this route. I think both have very similar facilities.
There are a couple of different restaurant options. These probably should be pre-booked to make sure you can eat at the time you would prefer. We took our own picnic tea on board (ever the budget traveller!) and so I can’t comment on the quality of the food.
We did enjoy a drink at the bar and blessed with a beautiful evening were able to sit outside and enjoy the sunset as we set sail. It also meant we were able to eat our picnic tea there rather than being stuck in our cabin.
There are also different bar options to choose from. There is a small bar near the outside tables area. This was lovely before we set sail but soon became quite windy! The Sky lounge bar is on the top deck. With floor to ceiling windows it has great views out to sea and we have enjoyed cocktails here. The kids have also enjoyed pretending to steer the ship.
For more entertainment there is also the show bar. When we were aboard this had a live quiz followed by live bands/ singers. Benjamin was itching to get on the dance floor, it all added to the novelty of sleeping on a ship!
Getting to and from the ferry
Obviously if you are taking your car across this part is easy as you will drive straight onboard and off the other end. We travelled as foot passengers so had to navigate our way from Hull city centre to the ferry port and then to Amsterdam at the other end.
There is no public transport to either Hull or Rotterdam ports so the options are to prebook the P&O shuttle bus or take a taxi.
Transfers in Hull
There is a shuttle bus from Hull train station that can be prebooked when you book your ferry tickets or any time up until you travel if there is availability. If you are travelling alone or in a couple this would be the most cost effective way to arrive. As a family of five we opted to take a taxi, this was slightly cheaper than the coach transfer and meant we weren’t restricted by the bus times.
There is also an option for a coach transfer direct to/ from the city of York if this is where you are travelling to/ from.
Once at the ferry port, you check in at the terminal and would then normally go up an escalator and walk straight onboard. Unfortunately, the passenger bridge was out of action when we travelled so we had to take a transfer bus to take us onto the car decks and then get the lift or stairs up to the main decks from there.
Transfers in the Netherlands
It is a much longer journey from the port to the city of Rotterdam and so the coach transfer becomes the much easier/ more cost effective option. We opted for the transfer direct to Amsterdam which took around an hour but meant we were straight away at our desired destination.
Is the ferry trip worth it?
In all honesty it’s not necessarily the cheapest way to get to the Netherlands. Depending on when you are travelling, you may be able to find flights for less. However we love this ferry crossing as it becomes part of the holiday. Although it is a long crossing, being overnight it doesn’t eat into holiday time. Another bonus is that you can take your own vehicle if you are wanting to travel by road once arriving in the Netherlands. We really like taking the ferry and will definitely be using it again in the future.
