Standard weekly timetable in force since Monday 20 July 2026 (Monday–Wednesday pattern shown; Thursday–Saturday and Sunday differ, see variants) · Sailings shown by frequency — exact times from the operator.
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Crossing time
~7 min
Frequency
every 30 min
Operator
Nexus
Map – Shields Ferry
Fare type
Price
Ferry single, adult (card, on board)
£2.80
Ferry single, adult, with Pop Pay As You Go
£1.70
Ferry Day Ticket, adult (card, on board)
£4.20
Ferry Day Ticket, adult, with Pop Pay As You Go
£2.80
Ferry single, child 5–15, without Under 16 Pop card
£1.00
Ferry single, child, with Under 16 Pop card (concessionary)
£0.60
Child All-day Ticket, with Under 16 Pop card
£1.10
Metro Day Ticket, All Zones (also valid on the ferry)
£7.00
Children aged 11 and under, up to 3 per fare-paying adult
Free
Concessionary (Metro Gold Card holders)
Free
There is no separate 'boat fare' system: the Shields Ferry is paid for exactly like Metro and buses across Tyne and Wear. Board and tell the crew which ticket you want, then pay by contactless debit or credit card (no cash is taken) or touch a Pop Pay As You Go card on the reader for a discounted price — unlike Metro, Pop fares on the ferry are not capped for the day, so each tap is charged separately. A Ferry Day Ticket covers unlimited crossings for the rest of the day and also covers three specific connecting bus routes (19, 317 and 333) at the North Shields end. Commuters can instead use a Metro Day Ticket, but only the All Zones tier is valid on the ferry — One Zone and Two Zone Metro tickets are not accepted. Under-16 Pop cardholders pay a concessionary fare; up to three children aged 11 and under travel completely free with a fare-paying adult, every day; and anyone holding a Metro Gold Card (State Pension age or disability concession) rides free all day. All fares in pounds sterling (GBP).
The Shields Ferry is Nexus's cross-Tyne passenger service between North Shields and South Shields, run as part of the same Tyne and Wear public transport network as the Metro and local buses — it is not a leisure boat trip, even though the seven-minute crossing draws plenty of sightseers. Nexus has operated it since 1972, continuing a river crossing that has existed in some form for over 800 years, and the current fleet is two vessels, Pride of the Tyne (303 passengers, dating from 1993) and Spirit of the Tyne (200 passengers, built in 2007). Normally only one boat runs at a time, with the second held as backup, and each is fitted with Voith Schneider propulsion units at both ends so it never needs to turn around mid-river.
Crossings run every 30 minutes from both banks, seven days a week, with slightly different minute-past-the-hour patterns depending on which side you start from. The evening finish time varies by day: services run into the mid-evening Monday to Wednesday, considerably later Thursday to Saturday, and stop earlier on Sunday, when the first sailing is also mid-morning rather than before 7am. This is a genuinely well-used commuter link, not just a tourist ride, which is why Nexus treats disruption seriously: after Storm Chandra damaged the North Shields landing in January 2026, the ferry was replaced by buses for three months while repairs were carried out, and a separate crew shortage over early summer briefly cut the evening timetable short before three new crew members let Nexus restore the full pattern from 20 July 2026.
Fares follow Tyne and Wear's normal transport ticketing rather than a standalone boat fare: pay the crew by contactless card, tap a Pop Pay As You Go card for a lower price, or use an All Zones Metro Day Ticket, which is the only Metro day ticket that also covers the ferry. Bikes travel free as part of National Cycle Route 1, dogs are welcome, and up to three children aged 11 and under travel free with a paying adult. Nexus is also rebuilding the ageing North Shields landing at a new site on the Fish Quay, a project that will eventually change journey times slightly but is not expected to interrupt the current service.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Every 30 minutes from each bank, seven days a week. The crossing itself takes about 7 minutes.
Monday to Wednesday, the first sailing from South Shields is 06:45 and the last is 19:45 (North Shields: 07:00 to 20:00). Thursday to Saturday the last sailings run until about 22:40–22:50; on Sundays the first sailing is not until around 10:15–10:30 and the last is around 17:45–18:00.
A standard adult single costs £2.80 paid by card on board, or £1.70 with a Pop Pay As You Go card. A Ferry Day Ticket for unlimited crossings that day costs £4.20 on board, or £2.80 with Pop.
Only the All Zones Metro Day Ticket (£7.00) is valid on the ferry — One Zone and Two Zone Metro tickets are not accepted. A dedicated Ferry Single or Ferry Day Ticket is usually cheaper for a ferry-only trip.
Up to three children aged 11 and under travel completely free with a fare-paying adult. Older children with an Under 16 Pop card pay a concessionary 60p single fare.
Yes, bikes are carried free of charge, and the ferry is part of National Cycle Route 1 across the Tyne.
Yes, but on a shorter timetable: sailings start around 10:15–10:30 rather than before 7am, and finish by around 17:45–18:00.
Nexus runs a replacement bus over the Tyne Tunnel between the two ferry landings, though it takes longer than the ferry and cannot carry bicycles.