Irish Ferries with a baby
Irish Ferries sails from Wales to Ireland (Holyhead to Dublin and Pembroke to Rosslare), across the Channel from Dover to Calais, and overnight from Dublin to Cherbourg in France. With a baby you can walk about on board, keep the car full of gear, and under-4s travel free. Here's what Irish Ferries and GOV.UK say, with links so you can check.
Everything below comes from Irish Ferries' own website, help centre and conditions of travel, and from GOV.UK travel advice, checked October 2026. Rules and timetables change, so check before you book.
Key facts
Short answer: On Irish Ferries, under-4s are included in an adult's fare, but you must still count them as passengers when you book. Cots aren't provided on the Irish Sea routes because the crossings are short; on the overnight Dublin–Cherbourg ferry you can reserve a cot for €11 per crossing if you've booked a cabin. Every ship in Irish Ferries' facilities table has baby changing. From 28 September 2026, everyone on Holyhead–Dublin and Pembroke–Rosslare, babies included, needs a passport (or an Irish passport card) to board.
Quick answers
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Does my baby need a ticket? | No. Irish Ferries' conditions say the adult fare includes an infant under 4, but the infant must be included in the number of passengers when you book (Terms and conditions) |
| Can I get a cot? | Not on Irish Sea routes. On Ireland–France sailings, a cot costs €11 per crossing with a cabin, and suits children under 2 (Booking cots) |
| Is there baby changing on board? | Yes. Irish Ferries lists a changing facility on all eight ships in its fleet table (Children's facilities) |
| Is there a luggage limit in the car? | No. Car passengers can bring as much as they can safely fit in or on the vehicle |
| Can I take a pushchair as a foot passenger? | Yes. On Dublin and Holyhead sailings, pushchairs used to carry young children are the one loose item Irish Ferries carries (Foot passenger luggage) |
| Does my baby need a passport for Ireland? | From 28 September 2026, yes on Dublin–Holyhead and Rosslare–Pembroke, for every passenger regardless of age (Passport requirements) |
| Is there a pregnancy limit? | No restrictions up to 28 weeks; a doctor's certificate from 28 to 31 weeks; no travel from 32 weeks (Travel whilst pregnant) |
| How early do I need to check in? | By car: 30 minutes before on the Irish Sea, 1 hour on Dover–Calais and Ireland–France (Check-in times) |
Routes and ships
| Crossing | Time on board | Ships | Good to know with a baby |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holyhead – Dublin | About 3 hours 30 minutes on the cruise ferries | Ulysses, James Joyce | Up to 4 sailings a day, with night and daytime departures |
| Pembroke – Rosslare | About 4 hours | Isle of Innisfree | Two sailings each way a day; foot passengers go to the ship by bus |
| Dover – Calais | About 1 hour 30 minutes | Oscar Wilde, Isle of Inishmore | Up to 20 sailings a day; fares from one price for a car and up to 5 people |
| Dublin – Cherbourg | Overnight | W.B. Yeats, Isle of Inisheer | The only route where you can book a cot; Isle of Inisheer is a basic service |
Crossing times come from Irish Ferries' route pages and timetables in October 2026. The Holyhead–Dublin page also mentions the Dublin Swift fast ferry (just over 2 hours), but doesn't list it among the ships on the route. You can book up to 9 passengers online; for more, Irish Ferries asks you to phone.
Tickets: under-4s are free
Clause 37 of Irish Ferries' conditions of travel says the fare for an adult includes any infant under four travelling with them. You still have to add the baby to the passenger count, and Irish Ferries asks for each traveller's full name, gender, date of birth and nationality when you book. Children under 16 must travel with a parent or guardian aged 18 or over.
Booking online or in the app avoids the service charge Irish Ferries adds to phone and port bookings (£10 for motorists, £5 for foot passengers in October 2026).
Cabins and cots
Irish Sea (Holyhead, Pembroke): Irish Ferries says that, because these crossings are shorter, it doesn't provide cots. Its fleet table does tick cots for Ulysses and James Joyce, so the two pages don't agree. Don't count on one; on a daytime crossing a sling, a car seat or a pushchair that lies flat is the practical option. Ulysses has en suite cabins on deck 10 if you want a private space to feed and nap.
Dublin–Cherbourg: if you've booked a cabin you can reserve a cot for €11 per crossing. Irish Ferries says the cots are small and only really suitable for children under 2. Bedding is supplied, though many parents bring their own. Numbers are limited, so reserve when you book, and if you book by phone or at the port, ask for the cot then.
On W.B. Yeats, every cabin can take a cot as long as one lower berth is folded up as a couch. Irish Ferries recommends the 4-berth family cabins if you want to use all the berths and have a cot, as they have the most floor space between the lower berths. There's also a Deluxe Family Suite for 2 adults and up to 4 children.
For safer sleep away from home, the Lullaby Trust recommends your baby has their own clear sleep space. Our camping with a baby guide covers the same safer-sleep principles.
Baby changing, highchairs and play areas
Irish Ferries publishes a table of baby and child facilities for each ship:
| Ship | Route | Cot | Microwave | Changing | Highchair | Play area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ulysses | Holyhead–Dublin | Yes* | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| James Joyce | Holyhead–Dublin | Yes* | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Isle of Innisfree | Pembroke–Rosslare | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Oscar Wilde | Dover–Calais | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Isle of Inishmore | Dover–Calais | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| W.B. Yeats | Dublin–Cherbourg | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Isle of Inisheer | Dublin–Cherbourg | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Dublin Swift | Holyhead–Dublin fast ferry | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
*Irish Ferries' cot page says cots aren't provided on Irish Sea routes.
A microwave on most ships helps with warming baby food. On W.B. Yeats there's the Salley Gardens kids' room, soft play areas and a cinema, and during the Easter school holidays and summer Irish Ferries runs live music and a children's magic show on the Ireland–France route. Ulysses has the Cyclops family entertainment centre and a two-screen cinema. Isle of Inisheer is what Irish Ferries calls a basic service with limited facilities and no play area, so if you can choose your sailing to Cherbourg, W.B. Yeats is the better pick with a baby.
Pushchairs, luggage and boarding
By car: Irish Ferries' conditions let car passengers bring as much luggage as they can safely fit in or on the vehicle, and its Dover–Calais page says there's no strict luggage limit when you travel with a car. You can't go back to the car during the crossing, so take a changing bag with nappies, milk, spare clothes and any medicines up to the passenger decks.
On foot, Dublin and Holyhead: take only small items on board, such as a handbag or a baby changing bag. Larger bags go on a carousel at check-in and you collect them in the terminal when you arrive; you can't get them during the crossing. The limit is 2 suitcases per person, 22 kg each. Irish Ferries doesn't carry loose items, except pushchairs and buggies used to carry young children.
On foot, Rosslare and Pembroke: a bus takes foot passengers from the terminal to the ship. The bus travels on the ship, so you can leave bags on it (at your own risk) or take them up to the passenger decks.
On foot, Dublin–Cherbourg: in Dublin you walk on or take a shuttle bus; in Cherbourg a bus takes you to the ship. Either way your luggage stays with you.
Dover–Calais: Irish Ferries' check-in times for this route cover cars, coaches and motorcycles but give no foot-passenger time, so check before you plan to cross on foot. Irish Ferries recommends arriving at least 1 hour before departure (90 minutes if you need assistance), and in Calais, border control comes after check-in, so allow time for both.
If anyone in your group needs help with boarding, email Irish Ferries' disability officer ([email protected]) at least 2 working days before you travel. Irish Ferries will then try to park your car near a passenger lift. The ships on all four routes have lifts from the car deck to the passenger decks.
More ferry pushchair rules, operator by operator, are in our pushchairs on trains and ferries guide.
Food on board
Every ship has a café or self-service restaurant (Boylan's Brasserie and Café Lafayette on most of the fleet; the Food Market on Oscar Wilde), and Irish Ferries offers family meal deals on W.B. Yeats. The waiter-service Lady Gregory restaurant on W.B. Yeats closes from October to March. Highchairs are listed on every ship except the Dublin Swift.
Club Class lounges come with a Flexi+ fare on the Irish Sea and Dover–Calais routes, or you can add them to an Economy fare. They include soft drinks, snacks and free Wi-Fi, and a hot and cold buffet on Dover–Calais. On W.B. Yeats, lounge access comes with Club, Deluxe and Premium cabins.
Passports and ID
Holyhead–Dublin and Pembroke–Rosslare (from 28 September 2026)
Irish Ferries says that from 28 September 2026 all passengers on these routes must show a valid passport or Irish passport card before boarding. No other ID is accepted, for anyone, regardless of age, and that includes Irish and UK citizens. Irish Ferries says the change is to meet UK Border Force rules on passenger data.
GOV.UK's Ireland advice says British nationals aren't legally required to show a passport to enter Ireland under the Common Travel Area, but that some airlines and ferry operators insist on one. Irish Ferries now does on these two routes, so every baby needs their own passport. Apply early; see our baby passport guide.
Dover–Calais and Dublin–Cherbourg (France)
For France, Irish Ferries repeats the Schengen passport rules: a British passport must have been issued less than 10 years before you enter France and be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave. On the Ireland–France route, Irish Ferries says all EU citizens, including infants and children, need their own passport or EU ID card.
The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) applies to British travellers. On Dover–Calais, Irish Ferries says the EES checks happen in Dover before departure, so allow extra time. Under-12s aren't fingerprinted; our EES with a baby guide explains what happens at the border.
You can't take meat, milk or products containing them into the EU, but GOV.UK lists exceptions that include powdered baby milk and baby food (GOV.UK France entry requirements).
If you're travelling with a child who has a different surname, or without the other parent, our child travel consent letter guide covers what GOV.UK says to carry.
Pregnancy
Irish Ferries' rules for pregnant passengers are:
- Up to 28 weeks: no restrictions
- 28 to 31 weeks: a doctor's certificate confirming you're fit to travel
- 32 weeks and over: travel isn't allowed
Irish Ferries says it's your responsibility to tell it you're pregnant, and suggests checking with your insurer. Our travel insurance for babies guide covers what to look for on a family policy.
If your baby is unwell on board
Irish Ferries says every ship carries medical supplies and has a first aid team whose members have done an intensive paramedical course, backed by a 24-hour radio medical service. The ships sail close enough to the coast to be within range of helicopter assistance. Take enough of your baby's medicines for delays, and see our GHIC for babies guide for healthcare in France.
Checklist before you sail
- Add your baby to the booking, even though under-4s travel free.
- For Holyhead or Pembroke sailings from 28 September 2026, make sure every baby has their own passport.
- Going to Cherbourg? Book a cabin and reserve the €11 cot at the same time, ideally on W.B. Yeats.
- On a daytime Irish Sea crossing, plan for no cot: bring a sling or a pushchair that lies flat.
- Pack a changing bag for the passenger decks; you can't go back to the car, and checked foot-passenger bags stay out of reach.
- Check in by car 30 minutes before on the Irish Sea, 1 hour before on Dover–Calais and Ireland–France.
- For France, check passport issue and expiry dates and allow time for EES at Dover.
- If you're 28 weeks pregnant or more, get a doctor's certificate; from 32 weeks you can't sail.
Sources
- Irish Ferries: terms and conditions of travel (clause 37: under-4s included in the adult fare; clause 41: luggage)
- Irish Ferries help centre: booking cots (modified 30 October 2024)
- Irish Ferries help centre: children's facilities (modified 13 November 2024)
- Irish Ferries help centre: travel whilst pregnant
- Irish Ferries help centre: unaccompanied and minor travel
- Irish Ferries help centre: check-in times (modified 7 July 2026)
- Irish Ferries help centre: foot passenger luggage (modified 16 June 2026)
- Irish Ferries help centre: passport and travel document requirements and passport and ETA requirements between Ireland and Britain (both modified 26 August 2026)
- Irish Ferries help centre: Dover–Calais passports, Ireland–France passports and EES FAQ
- Irish Ferries help centre: Dover–Calais route, dining and bars, Club Class lounge, W.B. Yeats entertainment, medical facilities, accessibility on Irish Sea ships and how to book
- Irish Ferries: Dublin–Holyhead, Rosslare–Pembroke and Dublin–Cherbourg route pages, and W.B. Yeats families and entertainment
- GOV.UK: Ireland entry requirements (Common Travel Area; carriers may require a passport)
- GOV.UK: France entry requirements (passport validity, baby milk exception)
- The Lullaby Trust: safer sleep on holiday
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Last checked and updated: · Kiddieko · How we check facts
