Brittany Ferries to restart Plymouth sailings after Covid disruption

Brittany Ferries will resume all of its Plymouth routes in March.

Brittany Ferries is planning on reopening all of its routes this summer following two years of Covid disruption.

The French-owned company, which has its UK headquarters in Plymouth, will restart services from Plymouth and Poole and increase its sailings between Ireland and France.

Well-known vessels Pont-Aven and Amorique will also return to Millbay following a winter service hiatus.

Pont-Aven will serve two weekly rotations to Santander from March 26 as well as a weekly round-trip to Roscoff.

Brittany Ferries has faced two years of disruption during the pandemic.

Amorique, meanwhile, will return to daily rotations - linking Plymouth with Roscoff - from March 28.

‘A symbol of commitment’

“We are delighted to confirm our ships and schedules for the summer season, which will bring renewed optimism and reassurance to staff, customers and port partners,” Christophe Mathieu, chief executive of Brittany Ferries, said.

“The return of favourites like Bretagne at the end of March, coincide with the arrival of our first LNG-powered vessel Salamanca.

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“She is a symbol of our commitment to our customers, our routes and to a more sustainable future. Three sister ships will join her in the years ahead, as fleet renewal gains pace.”

The return to full operations is welcome news for Brittany Ferries, which needed a 45m Euro bailout in 2021.

This was to compensate for Covid travel restrictions, which saw passenger numbers and profits plummet.

Brittany's Plymouth crossings will return to normal later this month.

What sailings are returning?

Brittany Ferries’ first LNG powered vessel will sail for the first time with passengers from Portsmouth to Bilbao on March 27.

As well as connecting the UK with Spain, she will run a weekly rotation between Portsmouth and Cherbourg.

The vessel Bretagne, known as the “grande dame'' of the Brittany Ferries’ fleet, will return to service after nearly 18 months servicing Portsmouth to St Malo, beginning March 26.

The ferry Barfleur was laid up for almost two years during the Covid crisis. However, after a period serving freight on Portsmouth-Caen, she will return to her home route - Cherbourg to Poole - on April 4.

The flagship of the fleet, Pont-Aven, will serve French and Irish passengers as well as freight drivers on Roscoff to Cork - with two round trips per week.