These operate from the south west of Scotland and north west of England to the ports of Larne and Belfast.
The routes are
- Cairnryan to Larne operated by P and O Irish Sea
- Fleetwood to Larne operated by Stena Line
- Stranraer to Belfast operated by Stena Line
- Liverpool to Belfast operated by Norfolk Line
In addition P and O Irish Sea operates a spring and summer service to Larne from Troon on the Firth of Clyde.
Ferries From Scotland to Northern Ireland Offer Shortest Crossing Times
Timetables show the Cairnryan to Larne, Troon to Larne and Stranraer to Belfast services offer the shortest crossing times.
The Cairnryan to Larne route is operated by the vessels 'European Causeway' and 'European Highlander' which take two hours to sail between the two ports.
Between March and October they are joined by the fast ferry 'P and O Express' which crosses from Troon to Larne in 110 minutes and from Cairnryan to Larne in 50 minutes.
Stena Line's High Speed Ship (HSS) 'Stena Voyager' sails Stranraer to Belfast in 120 minutes while the conventional ferry 'Stena Caledonia' completes the crossing in 170 minutes.
Norfolk Line sails from Liverpool to Belfast
Norfolk Line's ships 'Lagan Viking' and 'Mersey Viking' take eight hours to travel between Liverpool and Belfast. Passengers can choose to make the crossing either during the day or overnight.
The Stena vessels 'Pioneer', 'Leader' and 'Seafarer' also take eight hours to travel between Fleetwood and Larne and offer passengers a choice of day and night sailings.
Online brochures show facilities on board all the ships include restaurants, lounges and bars.
In addition Stena offers the opportunity to ugrade to 'Stena Plus' on both the 'HSS Voyager' and 'Stena Caledonia'.
This allows passengers to access a dedicated lounge where they can enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks.
Cabins Available on ferries Between Fleetwood and Larne and Liverpool and Belfast
Cabins are available on the Liverpool to Belfast and Fleetwood to Larne routes. It is compulsory to occupy a cabin on some Stena night sailings between Fleetwood and Larne.
Motorists can drive into Belfast from Larne in 30 minutes and the port is ideally situated for tourists planning to spend time on Northern Ireland's scenic north coast as it lies at the start of the famous 'Antrim Coast Road'.
The Stena and Norfolk Line terminals in Belfast are located at Fortwilliam on the north foreshore of Belfast Lough.
Disembarking passengers can join the southbound M2 motorway to travel into the city centre or the northbound lanes to travel towards Templepatrick and Antrim.
Motorists taking their cars to Northern Ireland can use the English motorway system to access ferry services from Liverpool and Fleetwood.
Ferries to Larne and Belfast Offer Motorists Shorter Crossings but Longer Drives
However, Cairnryan and Stranraer which are just six miles apart on the shores of Lough Ryan are approximately 120 miles from the northern end of the M6 at Carlisle.
They are also approximately 90 miles from Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Motorists taking their cars to Belfast and looking for somewhere to stay can click here to read about one of the latest hotels to open in the city.
Travellers who would rather fly to Northern Ireland can click here for a detailed guide to airlines and the routes they operate to George Best Belfast City and Belfast International Airports.
Neil Greenlees - Neil Greenlees (www.greenleesjournalism.com) originally intended to pursue a career in the travel industry but decided to change direction ...
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