Ferry to Holland from UK
There are three ferry routes from England to Holland
It is easy to get a ferry to Holland from England. There are three main routes from Newcastle, Hull and Harwich respectively.
Each route arrives at a different port, with Newcastle the only one actually arriving in Amsterdam. Harwich arrives in Hook of Holland and Hull arrives in Rotterdam. It is though an easy and quick transfer from either of these into Amsterdam.
If you’d like to compare all the different ways to get to Amsterdam you can use our comparison page.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links to companies and services we trust. If you purchase something after clicking any link, then we will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you (policy page).
Harwich to Holland
Harwich is a town in Essex close to Felixstowe, Ipswich and Colchester. It is one of the Haven ports of the North Sea.
Harwich has been used for maritime operations for hundreds of years. It is a simple crossing to Europe and especially Holland. The navy used to use the port but now it is for freight and passenger operations only.
Harwich International Port
SItuated on the south bank of the River Stour across from Felixstowe, Harwich is a major port for ferry and freight. Cruise liners can stop here too, although it is not as popular as Dover or Southampton, so cruise stops here are pretty rare.
The International port is smaller than Dover or Southampton but does have good links to London. You can get into London by train in 1hr 10m using Greater Anglia Trains. These arrive in Liverpool Street Station.
This makes the port popular for Londoners and the Dutch who travel with or without their cars and those who enjoy taking the ferry rather than flying or using the train.
Harwich to Hook of Holland
From Harwich, the ferry crosses the sea and arrives in the Hook of Holland (Hoek van Holland). This is a small town fairly close to Rotterdam.
Stena Line operate the ferries crossing to Holland and have two ships – Stena Hollandica and Stena Britannica.
Stena run a night sailing and a daytime sailing for every day of the year bar two (363 days).
The daytime sailing departs at 9am and arrives at 5.15pm.
The night sailing departs at 11pm and arrives at 8am the following day.
Ferry tickets for Harwich to Holland
Use our link below to check ticket prices and availability.
Hook of Holland to Amsterdam
When you arrive iin Hook of Holland from Harwich you’ll have a couple of options for your onward travel to Amsterdam.
By rail:
From Hook of Holland you can get a subway train to Rotterdam (changing once at Schiedam Centrum). From Rotterdam you take an intercity train to Amsterdam.
This overall journey will take between 90minutes and 2hrs.
You can if you prefer take a bus (line 31) from Hook of Holland to Rotterdam and then take the train to Amsterdam or travel from Rotterdam to Amsterdam by bus. This will take a little longer at roughly 2h15m.
By car:
If you have bought your car with you then you have a lot of options. You can drive into Rotterdam to explore this area first and perhaps stay a night or two or you can go directly tO amsterdam along the A4 route.
This route will take you directly past Delft which is a beautiful town well worth stopping at either on your way home or way to Amsterdam.
Hull to Holland Ferry
The Hull to Holland Ferry will connect you with Rotterdam Europort.
P&O run the ferry service from Hull to Rotterdam, they have two ships in operation, the Pride of Rotterdam and Pride of Hull.
How long is the ferry from Hull to Rotterdam?
The ferry takes around 10hrs and is a night crossing. You book your tickets with a cabin so you can relax and use all the ships facilities and then catch some sleep, arriving in Rotterdam refreshed.
Rotterdam Europort Ferry Terminal to Amsterdam
Although you arrive in Rotterdam, you are not in the centre by any stretch. The Europort terminal is a good 24 miles from the centre, so you will need to make your own way to Rotterdam and then onto Amsterdam.
By Car:
By car it would take you about 40 minutes to reach the centre of Rotterdam or you can go directly to Amsterdam and use the A15 towards Rotterdam and then the A4 for Amsterdam. To head for Rotterdam Central follow the A15.
No public transport at Europort
One important point is that there is no provision of public transport at the Europort. This creates the need for those without their own transport to either book a coach transfer from the port itself into Rotterdam or get a taxi. From Rotterdam it is easy to get to Amsterdam using an intercity train.
Another option would be to hire a taxi to Hook of Holland (Hoek van Holland), you can then take a subway train into Rotterdam and from there a train or bus to Amsterdam.
Newcastle to Holland by ferry
This is by far the longest ferry from England to Holland, lasting nearly 17 hours. However, this route does end in Amsterdam, so when compared to the other two routes from Hull and Harwich which end close to Rotterdam (with onward travel/transfers required) it is a good option. Especially if you are in Northern England or travelling there.
How long is the ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam?
The ferry takes 16hrs 45minutes, but this is all weather dependent, so it may be a little longer or even a little less. It is run by DFDS Seaways.
It is though an overnight ferry and leaves at 5pm from Newcastle, so most of your travel is through the night. You can book various types of cabins, dining and breakfast. There is enough to do onboard when you are not sleeping too.
Newcastle to Ijmuiden
Ijmuiden is on the outskirts of Amsterdam, so although the ticket will say Newcastle to Amsterdam it is worth knowing that you will be alighting at Ijmuiden which is around 33km from the heart of Amsterdam.
Ijmuiden is actually a nice place to visit. It is very popular with watersport fans and has a host of sandy beaches too. You’ll be coming for Amsterdam, but if you need a bit of sunshine by the beach before your return, an early trip back before your ferry crossing will allow you to enjoy some beach time before boarding.
How to get to Amsterdam from Ijmuiden
Cruise liners often stop at Ijmuiden along with the ferry, so lots of people will be making the journey between the two places.
If you have your car then driving into Amsterdam will take you around 30 minutes. If you are travelling without car then you can catch the No.82 bus from the cruise terminal into Amsterdam. Another option is a taxi which will cost you around €80.
You can also take bus 82 or 75 to Haarlem and get off at the Sloterdijk stop. From here you can catch a train into the centre of Amsterdam.
Newcastle to Holland Ferry Tickets
Use our link below to explore ticket options and availability.
Where to stay in Amsterdam
If you are unsure on where to stay in Amsterdam then we have created some pages that you may find useful.
Our areas of Amsterdam page will give you a detailed overview of the areas of Amsterdam and the type of things available to do in each area. This can help you narrow your search for accommodation.
Our Amsterdam map page gives you a visual overview of the city areas, plus attractions in each area and is a great way to focus on things you want to see in Amsterdam and which area they are located in.
We also have a page all about chain hotels in Amsterdam. We appreciate that some people like to know what they are getting or have reward schemes they are signed up with, so knowing which hotel chains operate in Amsterdam and where their properties are can be useful information.
Finally, we have pages on luxury hotels in Amsterdam should you wish to splash out that bit more as well as a page dedicated to hotels close to Van Gogh Museum, one of the most popular attractions and a lovely part of the city to stay in.
