Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries
Operates some of the longer cross channel ferry routes between the UK, North West France and Spain. Britanny Ferries accounts for over 50% of the traffic on the Western Channel, carrying 2.6 million passengers, 780,000 cars and 170,000 lorries a year. As Britanny Ferries has grown and expanded, it has had a significant impact on tourism in Western France and Northern Spain.
Britanny Ferries was set up by local farming co-operatives and the North Finistère Chamber of Commerce in 1972 to transport cauliflowers and artichokes between Roscoff and Plymouth, and when Britain joined the Common Market it soon expanded its operation to bring British tourists south on the return trip. The French farming co-operatives remain majority shareholders in the ferry company, with the French State having no financial stake, and the crews are fully French.
Brittany Ferries also runs schemes for customers who make regular trips to visit a property in France, or who are property-hunting there, and letting advertisements can be placed in the Britanny Ferries brochure. In addition to running ferries, Britanny Ferries also acts as a tour operator: they have packages of complete holidays in France and Spain. The range on offer is extensive and includes golfing, outdoor activities, camping and pet friendly holidays.