Hoverspeed Ferries ceased operations on the Dover to Calais route effective from 04 November till further notice.
You are now only able to travel from Dover to Calais or Dunkerque using either Sea France, P&O Ferries or Norfolkline - all routes that you are able to obtain ferry ticket prices for and book using the booking engine below. Alternativley LD Lines offer a daily ferry service from Portsmouth to Boulogne.
Hoverspeed Ferries
Hoverspeed used to be the fastest way of getting getting between Dover and Calais across the channel. But the service was terminated in November 2005.
The Company carried around 2.5 million passengers and over 500,000 vehicles across the Channel to Europe each year.
Hoverspeed operated a unique fleet of high-speed catamaran and monohull car ferries. In 2003 Hoverspeed operated a fleet of three Seacat catamarans on the prime Dover - Calais route, crossing in just under one hour with up to 15 daily departures during the peak season.
Hoverspeed was also the only high-speed operator from Newhaven to Dieppe. The Company reinstated this popular direct link to Normandy in April 1999. Hoverspeed operated a Superseacat monohull high speed ferry with a crossing time of around two hours, with up to three return sailings operating daily in the peak period.
Hoverspeed Ferries ceased operations on the Dover to Calais route on the 7th November 2005.
After implementing a number of changes to their business over the last few years in an effort to improve financial performance, including moving to a seasonal service, despite vehicle carryings increasing by 17 per cent in 2005, there remained surplus capacity on the Dover to Calais route and average yields declined.
The dramatic increase in the price
of fuel – up 54 per cent from 2004 – were among the principal reasons for halting the service.
Although the Hoverspeed Dover to Calais Ferry service has not been replaced, there is no shortage of alternatives.
For Dover to Calais ferry sailings, choose from P&O Ferries and Sea France. Norfolkline operate the ferry service from Dover to Dunkerque and LD Lines a service from Portsmouth to Boulogne.