It was only relatively recently I realised my (mostly) vegan existence didn’t necessarily justify or offset the impact of my travelling habit. Since then, I’ve been making an effort to reduce the amount of flying I do.
I started off well, taking my first rail and ferry trip from Granada to Cornwall back in autumn 2019. But then that tiny thing called the pandemic got in the way. So it was back to flying to the UK for me for a while.
I was bloody lucky to be able to get back to see my family at all, but my eco-conscience was nagging me.
Since travel restrictions have (thankfully) faded to a distant memory and I’ve been travelling further afield, I’ve been making a conscious effort to get from A to B more sustainably again when I can, often travelling from Zaragoza (now my Spanish base) to Cornwall by bus and ferry.
Is ferry travel really better for the planet than flying?
As with most things in life, this doesn’t seem to be very black and white.
I can’t give you solid facts and figures for this, unfortunately, but according to the trawling of the web I’ve done so far, ferry travel from Spain to the UK (especially as a foot passenger) is preferable to flying in terms of carbon footprint.
If you’ve found any good pieces or specific numbers on this, please do send them my way.
- This blog is the closest I’ve got to a close look at whether the ferry is a better option (if taking a car). From 2018.
- All UK-Spain routes are covered by Brittany Ferries. They have LNG-powered ferries covering the Bilbao/Santander-Portsmouth routes. As pointed out in the blog above, they don’t seem to be keen to share too much information about exact emissions.
- A look at flying vs. cruise ships. Spoiler – jaunts on big cruise ships are generally not eco-friendly options. From 2021.
- A look at ferry travel in general, from 2020.
- Comparisons of emissions of different forms of transport from 2019.
- A piece on ferry emissions from 2022.
I should because I can
A lot of people can’t take the (more) eco option. Maybe they can only get limited time off work, so can’t spend multiple days travelling. Maybe they have dependents to consider.
Maybe they can’t afford more expensive ferry or train travel, next to often laughably cheap airfares.
And although the financial issue is often a roadblock for me, at the moment I only have a lovely boyfriend and a dog to consider, and they’re very good at looking after each other.
I can work as I travel (in theory – although when I’m on a ferry often I’m too busy dolphin watching to get all that much work done). And I can work when I’m in the UK, too, so I’m not missing out on income or burning through holiday days.
I’m hugely privileged in so many ways – so, if I don’t take the slower, more eco-friendly option, who will?
Ahoy there
Anyway, this bit is for those of you curious about what the trip is actually like.
Plymouth<>Santander on the Pont Aven takes about 20 hours, whereas the Portsmouth<>Santander/Bilbao routes take about 33, meaning you’re onboard for two nights.
The weather
I’ve never really suffered from seasickness, but I have had a couple of pretty rough trips. I find that as long as I don’t move around too much, it’s fine.
I’ve had some trips when it’s been wonderfully calm, with incredibly glassy seas (making dolphin spotting incredibly easy). I’ve even been known to spend time sunbathing out on deck.
But if you don’t have good sea legs, then you might want to stick to the trains, as it’s always a lottery in the Bay of Biscay, especially in spring or autumn.
The food
There is perfectly good food on board, but it’s not particularly cheap. So if you’re on a budget (or vegan, GF, etc – this will come as no surprise to you!) take your own meals and snacks.
There’s a microwave in the main restaurant.
I find I’m always hungry onboard, but can’t bear the idea of alcohol. If you’ve got a stronger constitution (and perhaps a drinking buddy) then there’s a bar with entertainment in the evenings.
Working and WiFi
These days, you get 30 minutes of free WiFi on board for each of your devices. So if you’ve got a phone and a laptop with you, that’s 30 minutes for each.
But it’s pretty patchy depending on where you are on the boat and is only for basics like email, so make sure you come prepared with anything you’re going to need pre-downloaded.
I always make sure I can work on my Google Docs offline (and download a film or two to watch in the evening) and I tend to get a surprising amount done, as there are minimal distractions when you’re travelling alone.
I sometimes put on an OOO message so anyone emailing knows why I’m slow getting back to them.
There’s also paid-for premium WiFi if you need to stay properly connected.
Sleeping arrangements
There are various different options on board, and they vary from ship to ship. But on the Pont Aven (Plymouth-Santander), the cheapest option is a reserved lounge seat.
That was the option I chose for a few years, and it was great for keeping costs down.
You’re assigned a reclining seat in a room resembling a cinema without the screen. You can try and kip in the chairs, but I tended to take things with me to fashion a makeshift bed on the floor between two rows of seats, where I feel nice and protected. There’s a bathroom right outside. I never slept particularly well on the floor, but budget always came first.
I’ve always travelled alone and it’s mostly men in the lounge, but I’ve never felt uncomfortable, thankfully!
For the last two years or so, though, I’ve had some health issues, so I’ve splashed out on a cabin every time I’ve caught the ferry. And the whole experience is an awful lot nicer, I have to say! It’s particularly worth it on the Portsmouth > Santander ferry when you’re onboard for two nights, which would be a trial without a bed to retreat to.
The drawbacks
The dolphin spotting is wonderful and when it’s calm it really does feel like you could be on a Meditteranean cruise. The sunset I saw last time was to die for.
But it’s not all sunshine and performing whales (not that I’ve seen any of these, but I live in hope).
Unsurprisingly, the main drawback is that it’s a really long way, and it really takes it out of you.
But hey, for the sake of doing your bit for the planet, I reckon it’s worth it. And the feeling of achievement once you’ve got yourself to your destination is brilliant.
The price
Taking a vehicle on these ferries is pretty steep, especially for one person.
But travelling as a foot passenger is generally pretty reasonable, even if you add on the cost of a cabin. I’ve paid as little as 100 GBP for the crossing with a cabin in February, when they’re trying to fill up the boats. That being said, though, I just paid 250 GBP one-way in May 2024, and prices are generally pretty steep in the summer.
Finances often mean I can’t take the slower/more sustainable route both ways, so as a compromise I tend to fly one way. Something’s better than nothing, after all!
Planning your own slow adventures
If you’re interested in how you might be able to travel more sustainably, have a read of my interview with Dan Hodd. He’s been around the block by train countless times and is a total mine of information.
He’s also lovely and very keen to get more people into slow travel, so he’d be happy to answer any questions you have.
Sites like Green Traveller are great for figuring out how you can get where you want to go without flying (chances are it’s easier and cheaper than you think – in Europe at least).
And Seat 61 is crammed full of information about how to get practically anywhere in the world by train. It helped me get home from Austria by rail last autumn!
For ferry travel price comparison, there are all kinds of options out there. Whilst for these routes between Spain and the UK I always book directly with Brittany Ferries as they’re the only provider, for other routes in Europe with more options you can give Ferryscanner a try (affiliate link).
Is there anything else you’d like to know? Just leave a comment or send me a message.