What a Family of Four Will Pay Across Europe

December 12th, 2025

With the booking season for summer 2026 about to kick off, FerryGoGo once again took a detailed look at what families will actually pay for their ferry crossings next year, and how that stacks up per route, per kilometre and against flying.

Ferrygogo analysed dozens of key routes across Europe and calculated the real cost of a return trip for a family of four with a car, including night vs day sailings, price per mile and costs per person.

Across Europe, a typical night ferry for a family of four with a car costs around €1,060 in late June and €1,220 in early August.

Day crossings look cheaper at first glance; about €430 in June and €510 in August – but per kilometre they’re roughly 50% more expensive than night ferries.
On average, families pay around €1.27 per km on night ferries with a cabin, versus €1.92 per km on shorter daytime sailings without a cabin.
Per person per kilometre, night ferries work out at roughly €0.32, while daytime routes are closer to €0.48 – you pay extra to rush across the sea.
Short “hop” routes like Cairnryan – Larne or Dover – Calais can cost three to four times more per kilometre than long overnight sailings across Europe.
Cairnryan to Larne is one of the priciest crossings in Europe per km, at just under €4 per kilometre for a family with a car in June.
By contrast, long Mediterranean night routes like Barcelona-Rome come in at around €0.54 per kilometre – almost ‘cruise distance’ on a budget.
The epic Denmark-Iceland route (Hirtshals – Seyðisfjörður) covers approximately 1,500 km, yet remains under €0.90 per kilometre in June for a family and car.
Bookings from late June to early August push prices up by roughly 15% on night sailings and nearly 20% on daytime ferries.
Some of the best value per kilometre is found on long North Sea and Baltic routes, such as Newcastle- Amsterdam or Travemünde – Helsinki.
UK-Ireland and Scotland – Northern Ireland links often look affordable in total, but per kilometre they’re among Europe’s most expensive crossings.
Once you factor in distance, cabins, and the car, many night ferries double as both transport and a ‘floating hotel’ without being more expensive per kilometer.