 HOVERSPEED FERRY TICKET RESERVATIONS |
Booking your discounted Hoverspeed ferry ticket online is safe and secure.
Simply select your outward and return routes below, enter the number of passengers then click 'Get Price' and follow the onscreen help from there.
If you are not certain of the port name in your destination country click here for country specific ferry route information or click anywhere on the ferry route map below to view an interavtive map of all Hoverspeed ferry routes.
When booking your ferry ticket online a booking reference will be sent to you by email. On arrival at the port of departure present the booking reference number together with a photo ID and you will be given your ferry tickets.
Hoverspeed, formed in 1981 by the merger of Seaspeed and Hoverlloyd, is a ferry company that operates on the English Channel.
Hoverspeed is notable for its part in developing the hovercraft, and ran six Mountbatten class hovercraft (SR-N4 craft) and one SEDAM N500 Naviplane. Hoverspeed last operated hovercraft on its Dover to Calais service. They were withdrawn on 1 October 2000 and replaced by Seacat catamarans.
Hoverspeed's primary service was established by British Railways owned Seaspeed in 1968 with the car carrying SRN 4 Hovercraft The Princess Anne and The Princess Margaret. Seaspeed were not the first hovercraft service between Dover and Calais, Townsend Car Ferries had operated a passenger only SRN 6 in 1966. Hoverlloyd also ran hovercraft services in 1966 to Calais but from Ramsgate. Seacats were introduced on the route on 2 June 1991. It was intended that the Seacats would replace the remaining SRN 4 hovercraft but this did not happen until 2000. The Dover – Calais service has seen all members of the Hoverspeed fleet operation on it at some point.
After years of losses due to strong competition and the Channel Tunnel link, Hoverspeed announced that they would cease operations on the Dover-Calais route, ending over 40 years of service. The last ferry run was on November 7, 2005.
It was initially thought that both the 81m Seacats would move to Sea Containers Mediterranean services; however in March 2006 Rapide and Diamant were put up for sale by Sea Containers. Superseacat 1 which had operated for Hoverspeed on its now closed Newhaven - Dieppe (2000 and 2002-2004) and Dover - Calais / Ostend (2001) fast ferry services was sold in April 2006 to Acciona Transmediterranea and was renamed 'Almudaina Dos'. Although the company ended Hovercraft service, they still retained ownership of the remaining 2 SRN 4 until 2006 when they were sold to a super yacht owner with the intention of using the hovercraft engine as spares for his own Proteus-powered boat. They currently reside at the Hovercraft Museum in HMS Daedalus.
Since the closure of Hoverspeed the Dover Hoverport had remained unused. SpeedFerries has now moved to the site from the eastern docks and has been operating since Easter 2007. Plans have also been drawn up to redevelop the site into a new ferry port to complement the current facilities at the eastern docks.
With the largest selection of ferry routes and operators hoverspeedferry.com is able to offer you the lowest ferry fares with online reservations on all ferries sailing from over twenty six different countries across Europe including ferries to and from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France, Germany, Holland, Spain, Italy, Greece, Russia, Estonia, Sweden, Norway, Belgium and the UK.
Book your Hoverspeed ferry tickets to and from the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Holland and Spain online in advance to benefit from exclusive online discounts of on all major ferry operators including P&O, Stenaline, Brittany Ferries, Seafrance and Irish Ferries.
