There’s a NEW ferry option from Devon to France

I was glad I’d left two hours to drive from East Devon to Plymouth.

As I weaved through country roads around Ivybridge – I’d naively followed Google’s recommended route off the A38 – I wondered if the ferry I was booked on would even be departing.

I was booked on a Plymouth to St Malo Brittany Ferries crossing.

Ferries usually depart Plymouth for Roscoff in Brittany, but this journey had a different concept. It would take 12 hours to sail to St Malo and depart the following evening, with guests invited to book a “mini-cruise” where they’d stay in the same cabin on both legs.

Or, there was the option to book a weekend trip, with a return sailing two days later.

Or of course, passengers could book a one-way journey too. I booked two one way journeys so I could try two different rooms.

This journey will be departing again in February and March, so if you’d like to learn more, here’s my experience.

Cabins on the Amorique ferry

I stayed in two very different cabins across the outbound and return journeys.

On the outbound crossing, I had an Outside Four Berth Plus cabin on the Armorique, and it felt like a suite!

As well as a bed, it had a sofa, chairs and a table.

Features like a box of tissues, a socket by the bed and complimentary Lindt chocolates added to the ‘luxe feeling. There was even a courtesy tray with tea and biscuits!

I’ve taken a lot of ferries all over Europe, and having a kettle – so I could make hot drinks in my cabin – is rarer than calm seas on the Bay of Biscay!

I also had a large window that overlooked Plymouth docks in the evening and showed me views of the Breton coast the next morning.

Plus, I got breakfast (included in the room rate) brought to my cabin the next day.

For the return journey, I opted for the cheapest cabin.

The bed folded down from the wall, and the bathroom had a shower, toilet and sink. There was no window and only one charging point away from my bed. 

That said, I thought the bed felt comfier than the night before – unless I was just very tired by that point! 

Sleep quality

As I mentioned, the weather was awful in Devon on the first evening. We were delayed over two hours departing Plymouth, but we were reassured that the delay wouldn’t affect our arrival time.

But it did make it bumpy. This is an open-sea crossing, and trust me, you can feel that in winter!

I took travel sickness tablets before settling in for the night, and was in and out of sleep until the morning. It wasn’t as bad as some ferries I’ve taken, but definitely expect it to be a little bumpy!

The return crossing surprised me. I expected it to be worse, partly because the cabin had no window.  But I slept well!

All in all, it could have been worse, but of course this depends on each individual crossing!

Food and drink onboard

On the return sailing, I ate in the self-service restaurant and went for the chilli sin carne with rice. It cost €13.60. It was fine – affordable but nothing to write home about!

I forgot to buy water before boarding and ended up paying nearly €3 for a bottle on board. Don’t make this mistake if you do this sailing!

I also had a glass of wine at the bar, which cost €6.30. 

In the plus cabin, breakfast was brought directly to my room. I had a roll, jams and honey, an orange, coffee, and water from the minibar (which was free). 

On the return leg, I headed to the self-service restaurant and bought a pain au chocolat and a pear. 

Timings

Both legs were scheduled to be 11-12 hours.

On the outbound crossing I boarded early, but departure was delayed because of the bad weather. Despite departing over 2 hours late, however, we arrived at the same time!

On the return sailing, once everyone was loaded, the ship departed earlier than scheduled. 

I think that the sailing was scheduled to be deliberately longer than it needed to be – to allow people to eat, settle into their cabins and actually sleep. 

As this ferry trip is marketed as a “mini cruise”, my theory is that they try to elongate the “cruise” element a little!

Border checks

As a foot passenger arriving in St Malo, I spent around an hour getting through immigration, thanks to the introduction of EES biometric checks, which required fingerprints and a facial image for every non-EU passenger. 

Another note as a foot passenger: like many ferry terminals across Europe, St Malo felt designed primarily for vehicles. On my return leg, walking routes were not immediately obvious, and I found myself circling before locating the correct entrance! 

Facilities on the ship

The ship is actually huge, and felt quite empty on this winter crossing!

Large lounges filled with rows of chairs were almost completely empty.

The outdoor decks have plenty of seating and multiple levels, even though the conditions meant I didn’t stay outside for long! 

Reception was centrally located and easy to find.

There were two onboard shops; one serving duty-free alcohol and standard ferry purchases, while the other sold gifts and souvenirs. There was also an on-board cinema.

I also looked at the budget sleeping option, where you could rent a reclining chair for a very low price. But after sitting in one briefly, I was glad I had booked a cabin!

If you’d like to learn more about the Amorique and this sailing, you can see my full YouTube video here.

And click here to go through to Brittany Ferries’ website, with more information about February and March’s upcoming crossings from Plymouth to St Malo.