Isle of Man TT Ferry Bookings - How it works

Booking a ferry to the Isle of Man TT is sometimes like searching for the golden ticket. Some sailings during peak days and times sell out within days of going on sale. But beyond the three main sailing days which are the Friday before the first race and the Saturday and Sunday after the final race there are ferry bookings to be made.

But how do sailings work and what is the booking process?

Sailings for the Isle of Man TT are released a year in advance. Anyone can secure a crossing with a deposit payment, but at this time the final reservation costs are not known. Ferry crossings at the time are provisional and are subject to change, the changes tend to be an hour later or earlier, nothing too significant.

One question we always get asked is will more sailings be released? The answer is no. What has been released a year in advance are the sailings available. In November/December the final ferry costs are published by the ferry company. Everyone booked would receive an updated booking confirmation with the final amount due, which must be paid by January/February.

What happens to bookings not paid?

Isle of Man TT ferry bookings opening a year before the next event, not everyone goes ahead and pays the remaining balance. All the unpaid bookings are held in the system before being released in early March. This is the last chance to get your preferred booking. If you have made a reservation, but prefer a better date you can also try to change the original booking.

Over the past couple of years, the number of sailings that are cancelled have been getting less and less. There is no guarantee that waiting until March will result in getting a sailing.

After March anyone who cancels due to ill health or a change in circumstances will have the reservation put straight back into the system. This usually does not happen earlier in the booking process as cancelled sailings are held until March.

Where can I sail from?

Daily and up to two times a day sailings are available from Liverpool and Heysham in England. There are no daily ferry crossings from Ireland. Sailings from Ireland are limited especially from Dublin. Dublin is once per week on Tuesday/Wednesday, and Belfast has a little more sailings around the first race day up to the last race day, but not every day.

Daily - Liverpool and Heysham (England)
Dublin - Tuesday
Belfast - Thursday, Saturday and Sunday

How much is the ferry to the Isle of Man TT?

This is another question we get asked a lot, especially by those who have paid a deposit. We use our experience and estimate ferry costs from the previous TT.

Estimated costs:
Foot passenger: £120 per person return
Motorbike and Rider: £250-280 per person return
Car and 2 adults: £450-£600 per car and two

Booking travel to the Isle of Man TT is the key aspect when planning a trip. Travel is the main element and once in hand, everything else will slot into place.