Where Europe's
great routes
cross the sea.
Cyclists, walkers and pilgrims. The Channel is the same.
SailLink was built for cyclists.
It is open to everyone who travels by their own effort.
The Channel between Dover and Boulogne is the same piece of water whether you arrive on a loaded touring bike, in walking boots, or with a pilgrim's pack. SailLink carries all three. No car deck. No lorries. Twelve passengers, under sail.
Your bike rolls on. Your panniers stay on. You ride off in Boulogne.
SailLink was designed around the loaded touring bike. No dismantling. No removing bags. Wheel across the pontoon, lift two steps, your bike is secured in the cockpit. 12 bikes maximum per crossing. Road bikes, tourers, e-bikes, cargo bikes and tandems all welcome. Book early.
NCN1, Dover to Scotland ↗
Board with your pack. No vehicle needed. The Channel on foot.
Long-distance walkers on the Via Francigena, the Saxon Shore Way, or simply crossing under their own steam are all welcome. No car, no bike required. Your rucksack goes under your seat or in the hold. Covered seating and open deck throughout. Passport check at the boat.
Via Francigena ↗
Sigeric crossed here in 990 AD. The water is the same.
The Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome, crosses the Channel at Dover and Boulogne. Medieval pilgrims crossed by sail. The car ferry erased that meaning. SailLink restores it. Around 4h30 on average, fully present on the water, as pilgrims experienced it for a thousand years.
Via Francigena ↗
The crossing is not the transfer. It is the experience.
Andrew Simons built SailLink after trying to cross the Channel as a family with two loaded bikes. The car ferries were not built for that. SailLink was. Twelve passengers maximum. No lorries. No car decks. No queuing at a terminal building.
Your bike stays with you in the cockpit. Panniers stay on. You board at the marina. Passport check at the boat. The crossing takes around 4h30 on average depending on wind and tide, under sail throughout.
SailLink operates April to October, Dover and Boulogne in both directions. Cyclists, walkers and pilgrims board the same boat. The sea is the same for everyone.
Every route passes through Dover and Boulogne.
SailLink is the link between them.
Whether you arrive from Scotland on NCN1, from Paris on the coast road, from Roscoff on EuroVelo 4, or from Rome on the Via Francigena, the Channel crossing is always the same. Dover Marina on one side. Boulogne Marina on the other. SailLink in between.
Dover to Scotland
The full length of Britain from Dover Marina to Kirkwall in Orkney. 2,034 km on the east coast. NCN1 begins and ends at the same marina as SailLink. Roll off the boat, onto the route.
Full route guide ↗Atlantic Coast to Dover
EuroVelo 4 runs from Roscoff to Kiev. Its Channel section passes through Boulogne Marina. SailLink arrives metres from the EV4 route. Roll off, turn right, the Atlantic coast awaits.
Full route guide ↗Paris to London
The capital-to-capital cycle via Boulogne. Paris by road or the Avenue Verte, then under sail to Dover, then London. The adventure alternative to the Eurostar. No trains, no terminals.
Full route guide ↗Canterbury to Rome
The ancient pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome, walked and cycled in both directions. The Channel crossing at Dover and Boulogne is the same point Sigeric used in 990 AD. SailLink is the sailing crossing.
Full route guide ↗How the crossing works.
Roll on, roll off. No dismantling.
Wheel your loaded bike across the flat pontoon, lift two steps onto the catamaran (around one metre). Panniers, frame bags and handlebar bags all stay in place. Your bike is secured in the cockpit, visible throughout. Nothing to unpack.
Walkers board with their pack
No vehicle required. Rucksacks go under your seat or in the hold. Covered seating and open deck available. Hot drinks on board. Passport check at the boat, not a terminal building. Same crossing, same boat, same sea.
Getting to Dover Marina
NCN1, NCN2 and NCN16 all connect directly to the marina. By train: Dover Priory Station is 10 minutes by bike from the marina. London St Pancras to Dover Priory in around 1 hour by High Speed train. Bikes free on Southeastern outside peak hours.
Getting to Boulogne Marina
La Vélomaritime (EV4) passes the marina directly. By train: Boulogne-Ville station is 10 minutes by bike. TGV via Lille to Paris Nord in around 2h20, bike reservation required. TER direct in around 2h35, free bike reservation mandatory since July 2025.
Bike spaces are reserved at booking
12 bikes per crossing, strictly. Spaces sell out in summer, especially June and September. Book your bike when you book your ticket. Cargo bikes and tandems: select Large Bicycle at booking.
Everything included.
Nothing hidden.
Per person, one way. Season 2026: April to October. Up to 12 passengers and 12 bikes per crossing. French passengers: approximately €95 per person, €12 standard bike, €17 large bike.
Book Now ↗