All year: weekdays 07:30-22:30 from Strangford, 07:45-22:45 from Portaferry; Saturday and Sunday patterns shown separately
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Crossing time
~8 min
Frequency
every 30 min
Operator
Strangford Lough Ferry Service (Department for Infrastructure)
Map – Strangford Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult passenger, single | £1.40 |
| Adult passenger, return (valid one week) | £2.80 |
| Child (5 to 15), single | £0.70 |
| Child (5 to 15), return (valid one week) | £1.40 |
| Child under 5 | Free |
| Vehicle up to 6 m including driver, single | £8.00 |
| Vehicle up to 6 m including driver, return (valid one week) | £13.90 |
| Vehicle 6 to 8 m including driver, single | £13.90 |
| Vehicle 6 to 8 m including driver, return (valid one week) | £25.10 |
| Motorcycle and first rider, single | £4.90 |
| Motorcycle and first rider, return (valid one week) | £7.60 |
| Vehicle with Blue Badge holder (vehicle and one person), single | £3.20 |
| Bicycle (cyclist pays the passenger fare) | Free |
| Adult passenger, 20-journey SmartCard top-up | £16.80 |
| Vehicle up to 6 m, 20-journey SmartCard top-up | £69.70 |
| SmartCard, one-off charge | £2.00 |
Fares in force from 1 February 2026. Single and return tickets are sold on deck, and contactless payment by credit or debit card or by ferry SmartCard is accepted on board. A return is valid for one week. A vehicle fare covers the driver only; every other person in the vehicle pays the passenger fare. Cyclists dismount and pay as foot passengers, and the bicycle itself is carried free. A 20-journey SmartCard costs a one-off £2.00 and its journeys last one year from purchase or last top-up. Group warrants, concession tickets for NI SmartPass holders and a Blue Badge vehicle fare also exist. All fares in pounds sterling (GBP).
The Strangford Lough ferry is a roll-on roll-off vehicle ferry run by the Department for Infrastructure, the Northern Ireland government department, across the narrow mouth of Strangford Lough. It joins Strangford, on the County Down mainland, with Portaferry at the southern tip of the Ards Peninsula. The Department describes the route as about 0.6 nautical miles, with a typical crossing time of around eight minutes. It sets that against a road journey of around 46 miles, which it says takes about an hour and a half by car.
This is a public service managed in-house rather than a private contract. The Department uses two similar vessels, MV Portaferry II and MV Strangford II, interchangeably, though the normal timetable is worked with one boat. It sails every day except Christmas Day. From Strangford the boat leaves on the hour and the half hour; from Portaferry it leaves at a quarter past and a quarter to. Only the first and last sailings differ by day: on weekdays they are 07:30 and 22:30 from Strangford, on Saturdays 08:00 and 23:00, and on Sundays 09:30 and 22:30, with Portaferry departures a quarter of an hour later in each case.
There is no check-in. Both ports are unmanned between sailings, and the crew on board direct vehicles and foot passengers on from the public road. Tickets are bought on deck, and contactless cards and the ferry SmartCard are accepted. Since 1 February 2026 an adult single has cost £1.40 and a car up to six metres, driver included, £8.00; returns last a week. Cyclists walk on as foot passengers and the bicycle itself is carried free.
For delays and suspensions the Department points travellers to TrafficWatchNI, and it runs a free SMS alert list (text FERRY to 07984 406004). In June 2026 it ran a public questionnaire on the timetable and how the service is used, closing on 31 August 2026. It says any decision on the service's future would need further assessment and, where appropriate, formal consultation, so the pattern above is the one currently published.
- 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
The Department for Infrastructure gives a typical crossing time of about eight minutes over a route of roughly 0.6 nautical miles. By road between the two villages is around 46 miles, which the Department says takes about an hour and a half by car.
Normally one boat leaves each side every 30 minutes. From Strangford it sails on the hour and half hour; from Portaferry at a quarter past and a quarter to the hour. The Department says the service normally runs with a single vessel.
From Strangford, weekdays 07:30 to 22:30, Saturday 08:00 to 23:00, Sunday 09:30 to 22:30. From Portaferry, weekdays 07:45 to 22:45, Saturday 08:15 to 23:15, Sunday 09:45 to 22:45.
From 1 February 2026: adult £1.40 single or £2.80 return, child (5 to 15) £0.70 single, under-5s free. A vehicle up to 6 m including the driver is £8.00 single or £13.90 return, and a motorcycle with its first rider is £4.90 single. Other people in a vehicle pay the passenger fare.
Not on Christmas Day, when there is no service. On Christmas Eve the last sailings are 21:30 from Strangford and 21:45 from Portaferry. Boxing Day and New Year's Day run the Sunday timetable.
The DfI pages describe no advance booking. Single and return tickets are sold on deck, and contactless payment by credit or debit card or by ferry SmartCard is accepted on board. SmartCards are topped up online or at the ferry terminal, a shop in Strangford or the Centra in Portaferry.
Yes. There is no charge for the bicycle, but cyclists must get off and walk on as foot passengers, and they pay the passenger fare of £1.40 for an adult single.
The Department points travellers to the TrafficWatchNI website for disruptions and offers a free SMS alert service: text FERRY to 07984 406004. On 15 October 2026 the nidirect timetable page showed no service-disruption notice.