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# Brittany Ferries launches daily Portsmouth service and new Cherbourg route for Guernsey
- URL: https://www.thequarry.media/brittany-ferries-launches-daily-portsmouth-service-and-new-cherbourg-route-for-guernsey/
- Published: 2026-09-30T15:39:38.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-30T15:39:38.000Z
- Author: The Quarry
- Tags: News

- Brittany Ferries to increase Portsmouth service from six to seven days per week from 1 November, with new triangular route via Cherbourg
- New Cherbourg link provides 3.5-hour connection to France and access to freight rail services to southwest France, Iberian Peninsula and Ireland
- Freight costs said to be 14% lower than neighbouring jurisdictions 18 months into 15-year contract, with daily freight service to strengthen supply chain
- Passengers on Cherbourg-routed sailings will require passports for UK re-entry; direct Portsmouth services and Voyager operations unchanged
- Guernsey now connected to five ports: Portsmouth, Poole, Cherbourg, St Malo and Jersey, with discussions underway with French supermarket

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Guernsey's ferry services are set to change from November, with Brittany Ferries introducing a daily conventional ferry service to Portsmouth and a new triangular route via Cherbourg.

Economic Development has given in-principle approval to Brittany Ferries' winter 2026-27 and summer 2027 timetables.

The revised schedule, effective from 1 November, increases Portsmouth services from six days per week to seven, incorporating both direct sailings and a new triangular routing via Cherbourg. The winter timetable is now available for bookings from 1 November 2026 through to 21 March 2027, with the summer schedule to be released on 5 October.

Under the new arrangements, passenger and freight capacity will be maintained, with minimum service obligations under the ferry services contract continuing to be met, the committee said.

The new schedule reflects ongoing work as part of the 15-year contract with Brittany Ferries to deliver a resilient and sustainable ferry service. Eighteen months into the contract, freight costs are said to be approximately 14% lower compared to flat rates in neighbouring jurisdictions.

The addition of a Sunday sailing means freight provision will move to a daily service, up from six rotations currently. This is expected to strengthen the resilience of Guernsey's supply chain, help retailers reduce food waste, improve shelf-life and better meet peak demand during weekends and festive seasons.

For hauliers, the new Cherbourg link provides seamless access to Brittany Ferries' multimodal Cherbourg to Bayonne rail service, opening access to southwest France and the Iberian Peninsula. The connection also provides freight links to Ireland, with Brittany Ferries operating a regular freight service from Cherbourg to Rosslare.

Passengers will benefit from a new connection of approximately three and a half hours between Guernsey and Cherbourg, allowing direct travel to the Cotentin Peninsula and creating tourism links to Normandy.

Passengers travelling from Guernsey to Portsmouth on sailings routed via Cherbourg will need to carry a valid passport to comply with UK re-entry requirements. The passport requirement applies only to sailings via Cherbourg: Wednesday to Sunday in winter and Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday in summer.

Direct services to Portsmouth and all sailings from Portsmouth to Guernsey are not affected. In summer, direct services to Portsmouth increase to four days per week. Passengers arriving in Guernsey from Portsmouth at 04:00 will continue disembarking at 06:00.

Both freight and passenger capacity serving Guernsey will remain protected under contractual arrangements and cannot be displaced by traffic from elsewhere in the network. The schedule and operations of the Voyager travelling between Saint-Malo, Guernsey and Poole remain unchanged.

With Cherbourg added, Guernsey will now offer sea connections with five ports: Portsmouth, Poole, Cherbourg, St Malo and Jersey.

Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, President of Economic Development, said: "We are pleased to approve the release of the Islander schedule as I know that many in the community have been expecting it for a while. There has been a huge amount of technical work between many stakeholders going on behind the scenes to evaluate the new proposals and schedule, some of which is still subject to completion."

She added: "The new timetable provides Guernsey with a daily service while maintaining the freight and passenger capacity the island depends on. It is a strategic priority for the Committee to develop longer-term economic resilience and supply-chain diversification. Given the impact of climate change on food security and increasing geo-political instability, we cannot take for granted where our food and essential goods come from and right now nearly 100% of our supply-chain is tied to the UK."

Deputy Kazantseva-Miller said the new schedule creates opportunities for travel and trade via Cherbourg, including importing building materials and food. The Committee is already in discussions with a French supermarket. The route may also offer a more direct export channel for seafood and other local products, including octopus.

"We have an excellent relationship with Brittany Ferries and have worked closely with them on this new schedule. It is important that the organisation develops in a way which is sustainable and competitive. In the short period of operation of our new contract with Brittany Ferries, we have already seen some excellent results both for passengers and tourism as well as freight service delivery and pricing and these proposals are further steps in enabling Guernsey's sea connectivity resilience and sustainability," she said.

Christophe Mathieu, Chief Executive of Brittany Ferries, said: "From this winter, Guernsey will have a choice of five destinations by sea with Brittany Ferries: Portsmouth, Poole, Cherbourg, St Malo and Jersey. That means more choice for passengers and more connectivity for freight and logistics, which is good news for islanders, for tourism and for local businesses, especially retailers."

He added: "The new Cherbourg link opens up new horizons. It connects seamlessly with our daily multimodal rail service from Cherbourg to Bayonne, giving unaccompanied hauliers straightforward access to southwest France and the Iberian Peninsula."

Mr Mathieu said: "Islanders and businesses need a service they can rely on through the winter, and a regular daily conventional ferry service gives them that resilience. This new timetable brings together our know-how and our long experience of operating triangular routes from the Channel Islands, and it's a sustainable service that has been made possible by our partnership with the States of Guernsey."

The schedule and operating arrangements will remain under review.

The new consolidation proposals aims to ensure Islander's spare capacity is utilised better, helping to reduce operational costs for Guernsey and keeping freight costs down. The changes will help meet changing market conditions, including the increase in the use of double-decker trailers, which requires lower lane-metre capacity on vessels.

The winter schedule is available for booking online, through travel agents or by calling Brittany Ferries Guernsey contact centre on 0345 609 1026.

## Q&A

**Q: When does the new ferry schedule come into effect?**  
A: The new schedule comes into effect on 1 November 2026, with the winter timetable available for bookings through to 21 March 2027\. The summer schedule will be released on 5 October.

**Q: Which sailings require passengers to carry passports?**  
A: Passengers travelling from Guernsey to Portsmouth on sailings routed via Cherbourg need valid passports for UK re-entry. This applies to Wednesday to Sunday sailings in winter and Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday in summer. Direct services to Portsmouth and all sailings from Portsmouth to Guernsey are not affected.

**Q: How does the new schedule benefit freight operations?**  
A: The new schedule increases freight provision to a daily service from six rotations currently, strengthening supply chain resilience. It provides access to multimodal rail services to southwest France and the Iberian Peninsula, as well as freight connections to Ireland via Rosslare. Freight costs are already approximately 14% lower than neighbouring jurisdictions.