Huge Britanny Ferries boat floating on the water off the coast of Plymouth during sunset.Credit: Wirestock Creators, Shutterstock
It’s back, folks — and this time, it’s year-round! After a frosty 14-year gap, Brittany Ferries is finally reinstating its daily winter service between Poole and Cherbourg, bringing a major boost to British travellers, French exporters, and local economies on both sides of the Channel.
Starting December 14, 2025, and running right through to March 29, 2026, the MV Commodore Clipper will be ploughing the four-and-a-half-hour route daily, keeping freight and passengers flowing even in the darkest winter months.
‘This marks a new chapter for our operations,’ Brittany Ferries CEO Christophe Mathieu declared. ‘Poole will be the UK hub for our intermodal freight route, connecting French Atlantic ports with southern England.’
It’s no small change. The revival of the winter run coincides with the launch of Brittany Ferries’ new “rail motorway” — a slick freight system that shuttles goods by train from Bayonne, down in south-west France, up to Cherbourg, before hopping the Channel to Poole. The first trailers have already started rolling, promising faster, greener cargo movement.
The 14,000-tonne MV Commodore Clipper — a veteran of Condor Ferries — will shoulder winter duties, stepping in while the 20,133-tonne Barfleur takes a seasonal breather until spring. The last time a full daily winter service ran was back in 2011; since then, it’s been sporadic sailings at best. The most recent winter crossing was in 2019, when the Connemara made a brief comeback. But this marks the first full winter schedule since the early days of David Cameron’s premiership.
The move spells the end for Brittany Ferries’ struggling UK–Spain freight link between Poole and Bilbao, which has run just twice weekly, operated by the MN Pelican. With the new rail corridor now stealing the freight limelight, the Basque route will quietly bow out.
Over at Poole Harbour, the champagne corks were practically popping. Harbour chief Captain Brian Murphy hailed the move as a win for the regional economy: “We remain committed to supporting reliable, year-round cross-Channel connectivity and a thriving regional economy in partnership with Brittany Ferries,” he said.
With summer air traffic control strikes looming over France and holidaymakers fearing disruption in the skies, the return of a reliable Channel crossing might just become the surprise hit of the winter getaway season.
Passenger bookings and full schedules for the revived winter route are expected to be released later this year — so keep your eyes peeled, ferry fans. After all, who needs airport chaos when you can sail your way to Normandy with a warm croissant and a cold pint?
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