2026 day-trip timetable, 31 March to 23 October 2026. The ship sails on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (plus Friday 23 October) from Ilfracombe or Bideford depending on the tide, so only mainland departure times are published. Read on 28 September 2026. · Representative sailings only — check the operator for today's full timetable
Map – Lundy Island Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult (16+), day return by ship | £59.00 |
| Concession, day return by ship | £54.00 |
| Child (15 and under), day return by ship | £30.00 |
| Infant (under 4), day return by ship | Free |
| Family ticket (2 adults and 2 children), day return by ship | £133.00 |
| Adult (16+), period return by ship | £100.00 |
| Child (15 and under), period return by ship | £54.00 |
| Infant (under 4), period return by ship | £25.00 |
| Adult (16+), helicopter return | £184.00 |
| Child (15 and under), helicopter return | £102.00 |
| Infant (under 2), helicopter return | £28.00 |
| Adult (16+), ship one way plus helicopter one way | £166.00 |
| Child (15 and under), ship one way plus helicopter one way | £90.00 |
| Coach transfer between Bideford and Ilfracombe, per person | £13.50 |
Prices are the operator's 2026 sailing tickets. Day returns are booked online; period (staying) returns are booked by phone on 01271 863636 and carry no concessions. Discounts on day returns are offered to over-65s, students, National Trust members, NHS staff, groups, schools and coaches. Ship and helicopter tickets are separate products. If the ship leaves one port and returns to the other, a coach transfer to the original port costs £13.50 per person (under 2s free), bookable with the ticket. Dogs are not permitted unless they are registered assistance dogs. All fares in pounds sterling (GBP).
Lundy is a three-mile-long island in the Bristol Channel, run by the Landmark Trust, and its lifeline is the MS Oldenburg, a German-built ship from 1958 that the trust calls Lundy's own ferry and supply ship. Unlike most crossings on this site it does not run every day. The operator publishes a list of dates, each with a mainland departure time and a time the ship is due back, and the ship makes at least three sailings a week during the season.
Which port you use depends on the tide. The Oldenburg loads either at Ilfracombe Pier or at Bideford Quay, and the timetable gives one port per date: in 2026 most sailings leave Ilfracombe at 10:00 and return at 18:00, while a handful of Bideford days start at 08:00 and finish at 19:00. The trip takes about two hours each way, which the operator says allows between four and six hours on the island. Lundy departure times are not published, so plan around the time the ship is due back on the mainland.
The 2026 ship season ends on Friday 23 October. After that the island is served by a helicopter between Hartland Point and Lundy, flying on Mondays and Fridays from 26 October 2026 to 2 January 2027 and again from 25 January to 22 March 2027. The flight takes about seven minutes, and the Landmark Trust publishes per-person fares for it. The 2027 ship timetable opens on Saturday 27 March 2027, and tickets for 2027 are not on sale until October or November.
A day return costs £59 for an adult, £54 concessions and £30 for a child, with a family ticket for two adults and two children at £133. Conditions matter as much as price. The Captain can vary or cancel sailings, and if conditions are judged unsuitable for day visitors you can change the date or take a refund; miss your departure or choose not to sail and there is no refund. The information line, 01271 863636, is updated after 20:00 the evening before. Dogs are not allowed unless they are registered assistance dogs, and the ship has heated saloons, a bar, a buffet and a shop.
- Arrive at the slipway a few minutes before departure; vehicle queues build quickly in summer.
- Check the operator's notices before travelling — tides, weather and maintenance affect sailings.
- Confirm accepted payment methods: several crossings are contactless-only.