I used to believe travel was about getting from one point to another as fast as possible. Direct flights, express trains, quick transfers—anything that minimized “wasted” time. But the moment I stopped rushing and booked a ferry crossing instead, everything about how I saw travel shifted.
It didn’t start with some grand plan. I needed to get from the UK to mainland Europe and flights were either overbooked, expensive, or landing me at odd hours. On a whim, I looked into ferry options and ended up booking a crossing with P&O Ferries. I didn’t think much of it at the time. Just a means to an end.
But that ride turned out to be one of the most grounding travel experiences I’ve had.
The slow start that I didn’t know I needed
Boarding a ferry is nothing like boarding a plane. There’s no rush to find your seat. No one stressing about overhead luggage. You drive on or walk in, take your time, and find your spot. It’s quiet. Open. And for once, you’re not trapped in a metal tube hurtling through the sky.
Instead, you get to stand on the deck. Feel the wind. Watch the shoreline shrink behind you. There’s a sense of being part of the landscape, not just skipping over it. Travel becomes an experience again—not just a transition.
The pace forces you to slow down (in a good way)
I didn’t realise how tightly wound I was until I sat down in the lounge with a coffee and no signal. That mild panic of not checking my phone faded into something better: presence. I started watching the sea. Observing people. Reading a book without checking the time. There’s something about being mid-channel, far from either shore, that forces your mind to settle.
P&O Ferries had plenty of seating options, quiet corners, and even a decent selection of food. But what made the biggest difference wasn’t what was on board—it was what wasn’t. No pressure. No noise. No multitasking.
Ferries make you remember why you travel
I’ve flown into cities so fast I barely remember the airport. But arriving by ferry? That sticks with you.
Whether it’s Calais, Rotterdam, or Dublin, arriving by sea changes how you enter a place. You see the coastline before the streets. You land, literally, instead of just appearing. There’s more continuity. And with P&O Ferries offering regular routes from the UK, it’s an option that makes more sense than I originally thought.
Also, if you’re travelling with a car, it’s much simpler. No rental queues. No taxi hassles. You just drive off and keep going. That alone changed how I plan trips now—especially road-based ones.
Not just practical—actually enjoyable
I used to see ferries as a backup plan, something people did when they couldn’t fly. But after doing it a few more times, I started planning around them. Sometimes I book night crossings and wake up in a new country. Other times, I take earlier departures so I have time to enjoy the ride itself.
I even tried a longer crossing recently with P&O Ferries to Northern Ireland. I packed a meal, downloaded a show, and honestly? It felt like a mini-retreat in the middle of a holiday. A buffer between busy days, not just a mode of transport.
It’s not for everyone—but it might be for you
Look, if you’re in a hurry, ferries won’t compete with flights. But if your goal is to experience your journey, take a breath, and maybe reconnect with the idea that travel can be peaceful, they’re worth trying.
This isn’t about ditching air travel entirely. But when I can choose a ferry—especially with operators like P&O Ferries that make it smooth and straightforward—I almost always do now.
It’s the one change that made me reframe holidays from something to get through quickly, to something worth sinking into. And in a world constantly rushing, that alone makes the trip worth it.
