Reflecting on recent bookings, UK ferry operators have identified an emerging travel trend, which sees holidaymakers visiting multiple destinations within one trip. Port hoppers are eschewing traditional linear journeys to “sea more” during their holiday. These travellers are using transport networks to visit several locations, often departing on one ferry route and returning home via a different port.
Discover Ferries, the ferry industry body, has just made it even easier to port hop. It has launched an interactive route-planning map that instantly identifies the most convenient port for any journey. The tool allows users to destination stitch, by planning multi-destination itineraries that can be booked straight away. The new map provides the optimal route and links directly to each operator’s page for a seamless booking experience.
Abby Penlington, Director at Discover Ferries, says: “Recent years have seen resurging interest in land transport and sea journeys as travellers want more from transport than simply travel from A to B. This trend for so-called “slower” travel shows no signs of abating and is shaping the way holidaymakers plan itineraries. More Brits are embracing the flexibility and the different experiences ferry travel offers to immerse themselves in local culture. Prioritising exploration, they are prolonging their adventures to include detours, tack on different destinations and incorporate special journeys and ferry rides.
“Popular journeys include travelling to St Malo via Guernsey and sailing outbound from Dover to France to tour northern Europe before returning to the UK from the Netherlands. As more people yearn for trips off the beaten track, we expect this type of holiday to grow in popularity in 2026 and beyond, so we have developed a tool to help travellers find and book their best routes.”
To inspire travellers, Discover Ferries has charted the ultimate port hopping itinerary, encouraging use of the extensive networks of road, rail and sea networks that link Britain to a wide variety of holiday destinations.
The Great Island Hop - the ultimate ferry journey
Wiggling its way around the British Isles, this itinerary tours through 28 ports, incorporating travel to the Isle of Wight, the Channel Islands, Western France, Ireland, the Hebrides and the Isle of Man. Using a mix of local ferries, fast catamaran and international cruise-style ships, holidaymakers can visit in 11 different countries and islands within three weeks.
Starting from Southampton, the Great Island Hop takes travellers to the Isle of Wight before heading to Guernsey and Jersey on the way to St Malo. The journey continues aboard the luxury cruise ferry from Cherbourg to Dublin before travellers head to Scotland via Northern Ireland. With visits to Hebridean islands and locations across the Firth of Clyde there’s a chance to sample whisky and see whales and dolphins from the ferry before ending the tour at the summit of Mount Snaefell on the Isle of Man, which boast views of all Seven Kingdoms (England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, The Isle of Man, the Kingdom of Heaven and The Kingdom of the Sea). As well as sailing details and timings, the itinerary suggests unmissable highlights in each location so, even if travellers aren’t going the whole distance, they can design shorter trips.
Discover Ferries has also developed Rail, Sail and Away Itineraries for staycationers, daytrippers and travellers looking to explore destinations on their doorstep. All accessible without a car, the journeys connect rail routes with ferry services and cover sightseeing day trips along the Thames, hopping through the Isles of Scilly and visits to the Isle of Wight.
What’s on travellers’ 2026 Bingo card?
Ferry operators see the trend for authentic travel experiences ranking highly on travellers’ wish lists when booking holidays for 2026. Holidaymakers still seek famed landmarks and iconic dishes but away from crowded tourist hotspots, making them increasingly intrepid in the search for unique connections with their destination.
Penlington continues: “Tourists may expect to see monuments such as the Eiffel Tower as part of their trip, but it is no longer their aim. Instead, they want to travel through more countries and collect different experiences such as sampling iconic dishes, stand up paddle boarding through Holland’s waterways, encountering wildlife in its natural habitat, or attending events including London’s New Year Fireworks.”
Discover Ferries has devised a Travel Bingo Road Trip, this continental travel itinerary enables visitors to gain a range of bucket list-worthy experiences from five Western European countries all in one trip. Covering 580 miles within four days, the road trip is curated so travellers can tick off unique experiences such as “See a Dutch Windmill”, “Eat chocolate in Belgium” and “Visit Europe’s richest country”. Plus, as travellers will have their own car with a boot load of space to fill, the itinerary even suggests the best souvenirs to bring home.
UK ferry operators, emerging travel trend, holidaymakers, Port hoppers, “sea more”, Abby Penlington, Discover Ferries,
