Backpacking In Northern Ireland🔴✋️☘️: Getting The Ferry From Portaferry To Strangford

“All this talk of getting old, it’s getting me down my love” – Richard Ashcroft.

My early days of travelling were walking, cycling, car and ferry. I wasn’t really aeroplane loyal when I was young. Last month, I realised that I had Jumbo-jetted my aeroplane status by taking my 747th flight! Yes, I have now had over 747 flights in my life. That’s Boeing Loyal. Yet as a kid, I much much preferred ferries. I still do, I love them.

I’d sail on them, I’d build them out of Lego (above, my model from 1989) and in my twenties I finally got a job working on ferries where I served drink and food whilst working for Seamariner, Wightlink, Condor Ferries and Brittany Ferries. I worked on routes such as Lymington, Poole and Weymouth (England), Saint Peter Port (Guernsey), Saint Helier (Jersey), Yarmouth (Isle of Wight), Cherbourg and Saint Malo (France).

Before all that, I loved the buzz of travelling on ferries. I’d estimate I’ve done 2,000 ferry crossings in my life. At Wightlink, we’d often do 10 or 12 per shift, on 5 days a week, that’s 50 – 60 per week, in 10 weeks, it’s 500 – 600. And I spent two seasons on ferries. One of the first ever ferry crossings I did in life was from Portaferry to Strangford, both in Northern Ireland’s County Down. As the crow flies, Portaferry is only a mere 0.8 miles from Strangford!

But if you were to drive it, you’d have to drive all the way north to Newtownards, then Comber and finally just bypassing Downpatrick. This would take 1 hour and 14 minutes (at best) just to stare across the water at where you left from, so the ferry is obviously a big time saver, not to mention petrol, and super views.

Portaferry, Northern Ireland

Getting to Portaferry isn’t hard – it’s at the tip, the end of the penis. Sorry, the Peninsula, the Ards Peninsula, but it looks like a penis. The journey down here from Newtownards, Bangor or Belfast offers rewarding views on either side of Northern Ireland’s under-rated coastline. On the Newtownards side, check out Islandhill, Greyabbey and of the course the town of Newtownards. On the Bangor side, stop by in Portavogie where George Best once lived or visit Ballyhalbert. You can dine out at Ireland’s eastern-most pub (The New Quays), and Ireland’s oldest pub (Grace Neill’s). Grace Neill’s therefore is of course the oldest Irish Pub in the world.

Here are a few photos of the actual town of Portaferry and around it.

Portaferry To Strangford Ferry

No passports are needed as you are staying in Northern Ireland here, and in County Down. It’s not like you are crossing by train to Dublin, by land to Monaghan or by land to Muff in the Republic of Ireland, therefore there are rarely bag checks. If your car or bags looks suspicious or unusual and stand out, of course you might be asked about it. In general, you turn up in Portaferry and if you are in a car, you join the queue to cross. You can cross as a foot passenger, a cyclist, a motorcyclist, or with a car, van etc. The prices (April 2024) are here, but be sure to double check current prices before you travel.

Current Prices Portaferry to Strangford ferry

Here are the prices when I was there last, in 2017, it was a bit cheaper then.

Crossing from Portaferry to Strangford, Northern Ireland

In all my travels, I have to admit I love this one. It is a calm, pleasant, picturesque and peaceful crossing. I love it. The views are tremendous and the crossing is usually short – weather dependent. The Portaferry to Strangford ferry route typically takes around 8 minutes to cross Strangford Lough. However, actual crossing times may vary depending on factors such as weather conditions and tidal currents. There are seats on deck (which can of course get wet and windy), there is an inside seated area, and even a lower one which they sometimes open.

I like to spend my time on deck – I just love the fresh sea air, I’m a beach boy, I’m a seaside city boy. Mum stayed in the car and Dad spent some time with me looking out at the views.

Arrival in Strangford, Northern Ireland

My latest trip here was in 2017 and yes, it only took about 8-9 minutes! It’s really fast and calm. On arrival in Strangford that day, we were heading south to Dublin, but of course you can stay in STrangford and explore the castle or visit nearby Dundrum, Newry, Warrenpoint, Kilkeel or Downpatrick.

This is not the only internal ferry service in Northern Ireland. I have also taken the famous Northern Ireland mainland to Rathlin Island ferry. There is also a ferry between Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, a cross border one and that heads across Carlingford Lough from Greencastle To Greenore. I highly recommend the Portaferry to Strangford Ferry, I love it! Here are some of my videos from the Portaferry to Strangford Ferry: