Standard three-ferry timetable, year-round — checked 18 September 2026 (two ferries currently running, see season note) · Sailings shown by frequency — exact times from the operator. · Representative sailings only — check the operator for today's full timetable
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Crossing time
~6 min
Operator
Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee (Tamar Crossings)
Map – Torpoint Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Foot passenger or pedal cyclist | Free |
| Motorcycle, single (cash/card) | £1.00 |
| Motorcycle with trailer, single (cash/card) | £2.00 |
| Car, under 3.5 tonnes/2 axles, single (cash/card) | £3.00 |
| Car with trailer, under 3.5 tonnes/2 axles, single (cash/card) | £6.00 |
| Car, under 3.5 tonnes/2 axles, single (TamarTag) | £1.50 |
| Car with trailer, under 3.5 tonnes/2 axles, single (TamarTag) | £3.00 |
| Vehicle over 3.5 tonnes/2 axles, single (cash/card) | £7.30 |
| Vehicle over 3.5 tonnes/2 axles with trailer, single (cash/card) | £14.60 |
| Vehicle over 3.5 tonnes/2 axles, single (TamarTag) | £3.65 |
| Vehicle over 3.5 tonnes/2 axles with trailer, single (TamarTag) | £7.30 |
The toll is charged one-way only, on the crossing from Torpoint (Cornwall) to Plymouth/Devonport (Devon) — except motorcycles, which are tolled the other way, from Plymouth to Torpoint. Foot passengers and pedal cyclists are never charged, in either direction. Regular users can apply for a TamarTag, a prepaid account tag that roughly halves the toll for cars and larger vehicles versus paying cash or card on the day; no TamarTag rate is published for motorcycles, only the standard cash/card price. Quad bikes, trikes and motorcycles with a sidecar are charged at the car rate, not the motorcycle rate. All fares in pounds sterling (GBP).
The Torpoint Ferry is not one boat but three: a trio of chain (floating bridge) ferries running side by side across the River Tamar — locally the Hamoaze — between Torpoint in Cornwall and Devonport in Plymouth, Devon. Each vessel is self-propelled but pulls itself along fixed chains laid across the riverbed using a pair of chainwheels, a design first used here in 1831 and effectively unchanged in principle since, even though the current Lynher, Tamar and Plym were all built new in the early 2000s with a nominal capacity of 73 cars apiece. Run jointly by Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council through the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee, the crossing is funded entirely from toll income shared with the neighbouring Tamar Bridge, and the operator describes it as the busiest estuarial vehicular ferry crossing in the UK, carrying close to two million vehicles a year.
The ferries run around the clock, 06:30-09:30 and 14:00-18:30 on weekdays bringing all three boats into service for a 10-minute frequency, tapering to a single overnight ferry every 30 minutes between about 21:30 and 06:30. That headline frequency assumes the full fleet is available, which is not guaranteed: at the time of writing a two-ferry service has been running for an extended period for essential maintenance, and the operator's own status log shows further brief drops to one ferry and queues of around 30 minutes becoming a near-daily occurrence on both banks.
The toll itself only applies going one way — from Torpoint towards Plymouth — with the odd exception of motorcycles, which are charged on the return leg instead; pedestrians and cyclists are never charged in either direction. Casual drivers pay cash or card on the ferry, while residents and commuters can apply for a TamarTag account that cuts the standard car toll roughly in half.
- 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
Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council run three separate chain ferries (Lynher, Tamar and Plym) side by side rather than one large vessel, so more than one can sail at once at busy times and the fleet can keep running (at reduced frequency) if one boat is taken out for maintenance or a fault.
As of 17-18 September 2026 the operator's live notice states a two-ferry service is running 'for an extended period due to essential maintenance', down from the normal three. Its status log also shows brief further drops to a single ferry for technical faults in the days before, so check the Tamar Crossings status-updates page before travelling.
The toll is charged only travelling from Torpoint (Cornwall) to Plymouth/Devonport (Devon) — the Plymouth-to-Torpoint direction is free for cars. Motorcycles are the one exception: they are tolled the other way, from Plymouth to Torpoint.
Paying by cash or card: a car under 3.5 tonnes costs £3.00 single, a motorcycle £1.00, and a heavier vehicle (over 3.5 tonnes, 2 axles) £7.30. A prepaid TamarTag account roughly halves the car and heavy-vehicle rates (£1.50 and £3.65 respectively); no TamarTag price is published for motorcycles.
No. There is no charge for pedestrians or pedal cyclists in either direction.
It runs 24 hours a day, every day. On a normal weekday with all three ferries available, it is every 10 minutes from 06:30-09:30 and 14:00-18:30, every 15 minutes in the late morning/early afternoon and evening, and every 30 minutes overnight from 21:30-06:30 on a single boat. Weekend and bank holiday patterns differ slightly and are detailed on this page.
About 6 minutes for a routine crossing of up to 650 metres, though the operator can complete an emergency crossing in 3-4 minutes if needed.
On the Cornwall side, at the Torpoint slip on Ferry Street (PL11 2AH); on the Devon side, at the Devonport slip off the A374 in Morice Town, Plymouth (PL1 4FJ).