Brittany Ferries announces first ever winter sailings from Cork to France

Brittany Ferries vessel Armorique departs from Cork for Roscoff passing Cobh on its journey

Brittany Ferries has announced its first ever winter sailings between Cork and Brittany as part of its new 2024 sailing schedule.

The ferry company will operate the Cork Rosscoff service right across the winter months, a move which boosts its scheduled sailings to eight a week between Ireland and France, as well as four linking Ireland and Spain.

In a first for Cork, the Ringaskiddy to Roscoff sailings will operate every weekend during November and December, departing Cork on Saturday afternoons and returning from Roscoff on Fridays overnight, using the Armorique cruise-ferry.

Following a winter refit during the first six weeks of 2024, the vessel will then re-open the Cork to Roscoff route earlier than ever before, returning on February 9, 2024.

Then on March 22, 2024, Brittany Ferries’ flagship cruise-ferry, the 650-cabin Pont-Aven will rejoin Armorique on the Cork to Roscoff route, giving a total of two weekly departures in each direction through the summer and autumn, right up until November 2024.

Aidan Moloney, Assumpta Cahill, Niamh Crowley, and Ashley Okoro pictured alongside the M.V. Armorique, celebrating the announcement.

Brittany Ferries, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary, first opened the Cork to Roscoff service in 1978. Until this year, it has always been a seasonal service, generally running from mid-March to mid-November.

But Hugh Bruton, Brittany Ferries’ general manager for Ireland, said passengers will have more choice than ever before over the coming months.

“Last year we doubled our sailing frequency from Cork to Roscoff with the arrival of cruise- ferry Armorique on the route,” he said.

“These sailings have proven immensely popular with Irish holidaymakers, so much so that they’re back for 2024, and for the first time in our 50-year history, we’ll keep the Cork to Roscoff link running this winter with sailings in November and December 2023, and in February and March 2024.” 

Brittany Ferries, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary, first opened the Cork to Roscoff service in 1978

Fares on the route start from €179 each way for a car plus two with reclining seats, or €210 with an en suite cabin.

The ferry company said it will continue to operate its year-round service to Normandy, with weekly sailings from Rosslare-Europort to Cherbourg using its vessels, the Salamanca, Galicia and Santoña.

And the freight-orientated vessel Cotentin will offer a sailing in both directions every weekend on the Rosslare to Cherbourg route, replacing the service that had previously operated from Rosslare to Le Havre.

Fares on the Rosslare to Cherbourg service start from €179 each way for a car plus two with reclining seats, or €230 with an en suite cabin.