Ferry schedule opens up new trade link to France

A long-awaited winter ferry schedule includes a new route to northern France which the government says will provide "new opportunities" for travel and trade.

In addition to the Cherbourg route, from November Brittany Ferries' service to Portsmouth is also set to increase from six days a week to daily, the States of Guernsey said.

The schedule includes a combination of direct sailings to Portsmouth, as well as a new triangular route via Cherbourg to Portsmouth.

The States' "principle approval" of the routes and timings for 2026-27 and the imminent summer 2027 schedule follows complaints of "extremely frustrating" waits for the updated timetables.

The new three-and-a-half hour route will allow islanders to travel directly to Normandy.

With Cherbourg added, Guernsey will have sea connections with five ports - Portsmouth, Poole, Cherbourg, St Malo and Jersey.

It comes as Brittany Ferries seeks to streamline its operations due to financial pressures.

Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, President of the Committee for Economic Development, acknowledged the community had been expecting the schedule "for a while".

A "huge amount of technical work" had taken place, she said, some of which was ongoing.

Citing climate change and geo-political instability she underlined the importance of supply-chain resilience, noting nearly 100% of this was currently tied to the UK.

Kazantseva-Miller said the new schedule created "new opportunities" for travel and trade - including of food and building materials - via Cherbourg.

Discussions were underway with a French supermarket, she said, while the new route could offer a "more direct export channel for seafood", she added.

The States said the new Cherbourg route would "open the door" to south west France and the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Ireland.

The timetable launch follows a period of frustration in the community - with passengers complaining they could not book services beyond December.

Christophe Mathieu, chief executive of Brittany Ferries said the schedule would provide more choice for islanders, tourism and local businesses.

He said the new Cherbourg link would connect "seamlessly" with the Bayonne rail service.

The winter timetable is available for bookings from 1 November 2026 through to 21 March 2027 and the summer schedule is to be released on 5 October.

Passengers travelling from Guernsey to Portsmouth on sailings routed via Cherbourg will need to carry a valid passport to comply with UK re-entry requirements.

The schedule and operating arrangements would remain "under review to ensure they meet the needs of islanders and businesses", the States said, and were "subject to final border control technical integration".

Follow BBC Guernsey on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.