Oversea between Spain and the UK: why I bother taking the long way

#1 in the series I'll call Katie's More Sustainable Adventures.

It was in 2019, after a chat with a friend travelling the world with a Brompton bike and no flights, that I realised my (mostly) vegan existence didn’t necessarily justify or offset the impact of my travelling habit.

Ever since, I’ve been making a conscious effort to get from A to B more sustainably when I can, taking various trips as far as Albania, and often travelling from Zaragoza (my Spanish base) to Cornwall (my family base) by bus and ferry.

Is ferry travel really better for the planet than flying?

First up, I want to acknowledge the fact that although it’s wonderful and meaningful to take individual action to reduce our carbon footprints, the very concept of carbon footprints was popularised by BP, who wanted to make us feel guilty about the amount we drive or the fact we have a dog, whilst they quietly got on with deliberately sabotaging the planet in the background. And what we really need is major systemic change.

That being said, I still think there’s an argument for those of us who are privileged enough to worry about this stuff doing what we can, consuming less, eating a more planet-friendly diet, and in this case, being conscious of the impact of our travelling.

But is the ferry really better than flying?

As with most things in life, this doesn’t seem to be very black and white.

I can’t give you solid facts and figures for this, unfortunately, but according to the trawling I’ve done so far, ferry travel from Spain to the UK (especially as a foot passenger - not so much with a vehicle) is preferable to flying.

If you’ve found any good pieces or specific numbers on this, please do send them my way.

• This blog is the closest I’ve got to a look at whether the ferry is a better option (if taking a car). From 2018.

• All UK-Spain routes are covered by Brittany Ferries. They have LNG-powered ferries covering the Bilbao/Santander-Portsmouth routes. As pointed out in the blog above, they don’t seem to be keen to share too much information about exact emissions.

• A look at flying vs. cruise ships. Spoiler – jaunts on big cruise ships are generally not eco-friendly options. From 2021.

• A look at ferry travel in general, from 2020.

• Comparisons of emissions of different forms of transport from 2019.

• A piece on ferry emissions from 2022.

It’s not just about the environment

Yes, the impact of my travel on our beautiful planet is the main reason I started taking the ferry.

But I’ll be honest, these days that’s not the only reason I do it.

The fact is, getting from Cornwall to Zaragoza is neither straightforward nor cheap. There’s a direct flight from Zaragoza to Stansted, but it’s a very expensive train ride via London, or a very long bus from there to Cornwall (as I’m not going to be hopping on the Stansted to Newquay flight anytime soon).

The other option is to get the train to Barcelona, fly to Bristol, then take the bus to Plymouth.

As you can see, it’s all a bit of a faff, so getting on a direct Zaragoza > Santander bus, strolling from the bus station to the ferry terminal and then hopping on board a comfortable ship that’ll take me directly to Plymouth frankly feels easier.

Look into it. Maybe you’ll find out that taking the ferry, or the train, might actually not take you too much longer, or be more of a logistical nightmare, than doing battle with the queues and travelling to and from the airport at each end.

It’s a proper adventure

The other motivation for taking the long way. Getting on a plane and suddenly landing in a totally different culture can be disorientating, and somehow feel like cheating.

But watching the landscape go past the train window or standing out on deck as you cut through the waves is a whole different kettle of fish. You’re really living the adventure of getting from place to place and adapting as you go.

A lot of my family spent their lives on ships chugging back and forth to India, for weeks on end, so being on the high seas, even if just for 24 hours, makes me feel connected to them.

And although it’s great having someone with you for the onboard quiz, there’s a romance to the marvellous solitude of travelling alone.

I should because I can

A lot of people can’t take the (more) eco option. Maybe they can only get limited time off work, so they can’t spend multiple days travelling. Maybe they have dependents to consider.

Maybe they can’t afford more expensive ferry or train travel, next to often laughably cheap airfares.

And although the financial issue is often a roadblock for me (although foot passenger ferry tickets are surprisingly cheap out of season), at the moment I only have a lovely husband and a dog to consider, and they’re very good at looking after each other.

I can work as I travel (in theory – although when I’m on a ferry, often I’m too busy dolphin watching to get all that much work done). And I can work when I’m in the UK, too, so I’m not missing out on income or burning through holiday days.

I’m hugely privileged in so many ways – so, if I don’t take the slower, more eco-friendly option, who will?

The art of compromising

It took me a little while to realise that something is always better than nothing.

Often, I can’t afford to take the ferry or the train both ways when I’m on a trip around Europe, or there’s something else standing in my way, like time constraints.

But I don’t think that means I should give up on the idea altogether. If I can take a ferry or plane one way, then I should do that thing.

I’ve flown one way and taken the train or boat back on trips to Austria, Italy, Albania, France, Portugal, Belgium and of course the UK.

Planning your own slow adventures

If you’re interested in how you might be able to travel more sustainably, have a read of my interview from the archives with Dan Hodd. He’s the friend I mentioned at the beginning, has been around the block by train and ferry countless times, and is a total mine of information.

He’s also lovely and very keen to get more people into slow travel, so he’d be happy to answer any questions you have.

Sites like Green Traveller are great for figuring out how you can get where you want to go without flying (chances are it’s easier and cheaper than you think – in Europe at least).

And Seat 61 is crammed full of information about how to get practically anywhere in the world by train. My Austria, France and Belgium trips would have all been much harder to organise without it.

For ferry travel price comparison, there are all kinds of options out there. Whilst for these routes between Spain and the UK I always book directly with Brittany Ferries as they’re the only provider, for other routes in Europe with more options you can give Ferryscanner a try (affiliate link).

It’ll come as no surprise that prices will be lowest if you avoid peak travel times, and the experience will be far nicer too, as you won’t have to fight lots of other passengers for the best sunbathing, dolphin watching or sleeping spots!

Is there anything else you’d like to know? Just leave a comment or send me a message.

My next ferry adventure

I’ll be setting sail from Santander to Portsmouth next week to be back in the UK for one of my best friends’ weddings.

Once I’m back on dry land, I’ll share what it’s like to spend more than 30 hours aboard, along with tips for staying comfy even without a cabin (which I’ve done many a time, not this crossing though), and why the number one rule of ferry travel is to always bring snacks.