FlashFerry
What we measured
Every day our timetable archive queries the sailings for the coming weeks, each with the lowest price per person that the booking system shows for that departure. Because the same sailing is recorded several times, we can see how its price changes before it leaves. For this article we used every sailing for which there is one price from at least ten days before departure and a second from the day of departure or the day before. That gives 30,480 sailings on 308 routes with travel dates between mid-August and the end of October 2026.
Across all sailings, little moves: the median price on the day of departure is the same as ten days before. That is misleading, though. When a price changes, it rarely changes by just a few euros. Where it rose, it ended up a median 57% higher. Where it fell, it dropped by a median 36%. Behind the neutral average are two very different ways of pricing ferries.
Two worlds: dynamic pricing and fixed fares
Some operators work like an airline: the cheap allocations on a sailing go first, then the price rises step by step. Others have a fixed fare that barely moves before departure, however full the ship gets. No booking screen tells you which model applies. In our data, though, the difference is plain to see.
| Operator | Sailings | Dearer in the end | Median change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bornholmslinjen | 372 | 96% | +129% |
| Langelandslinjen | 1,082 | 61% | +64% |
| Scandlines | 1,865 | 62% | +27% |
| P&O Ferries | 661 | 60% | +23% |
| DFDS | 1,141 | 60% | +20% |
| Fjord Line | 104 | 64% | +20% |
| Tallink Silja | 837 | 67% | +16% |
| Finnlines | 223 | 65% | +12% |
| Stena Line | 775 | 54% | +7% |
| Viking Line | 515 | 54% | +7% |
| Irish Ferries | 651 | 50% | ±0% |
| Brittany Ferries | 232 | 49% | ±0% |
| Blue Star Ferries | 905 | 40% | ±0% |
| SeaJets | 1,029 | 32% | ±0% |
| Balearia | 1,258 | 31% | ±0% |
| TP Line | 676 | 30% | ±0% |
| TT Line | 347 | 42% | −3% |
| POLSCA Baltic Ferries | 103 | 37% | −5% |
| Red Funnel | 526 | 31% | −6% |
The list shows a clear pattern. The operators in the north — on the Baltic, between Germany and Denmark, across the Channel — set their prices by demand. With Bornholmslinjen almost every sailing cost more in the end than it had ten days before, often twice as much. With Scandlines, P&O and DFDS that was the case for six sailings in ten.
The Mediterranean looks different. Balearia, SeaJets, Blue Star and the Croatian lines mostly keep their prices stable, and on many sailings nothing changes at all before departure. If you book at short notice there, you usually pay the normal fare as long as there is space.
A third group even gets cheaper at the end. TT Line, Red Funnel and POLSCA Baltic Ferries more often had lower than higher prices on the day of departure. This mainly affects sailings that are not full: the operator cuts the price to fill the last places.
Examples: what waiting costs on individual routes
Routes with plenty of data points show what this looks like in practice. Each row gives the median price per person at least ten days before departure and on the day of departure, plus the share of sailings that were dearer in the end.
| Route | ≥ 10 days ahead | On the day | Dearer in the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ystad – Rønne | €17 | €35 | 96% |
| Puttgarden – Rødby | €40 | €52 | 69% |
| Rostock – Gedser | €58 | €71 | 63% |
| Dover – Dunkirk | €72 | €99 | 68% |
| Dover – Calais | €74 | €94 | 59% |
| Helsinki – Tallinn | €31 | €38 | 72% |
| Stockholm – Helsinki | €80 | €92 | 69% |
| Ibiza – Formentera | €37 | €37 | 18% |
| Naples – Capri | €34 | €34 | 27% |
| Piraeus – Mykonos | €88 | €88 | 35% |
| Trelleborg – Travemünde | €112 | €100 | 35% |
| Caen – Portsmouth | €106 | €86 | 36% |
The figures are medians over many sailings. A single date can look different, especially in the school holidays. The direction is stable, though: between Ystad and Rønne the price doubled on average by the day of departure, while between Ibiza and Formentera it stayed the same on almost every sailing.
When booking early pays off
How far ahead you book also plays a part, but not in the way people often think. Between two and thirteen days ahead it is almost a coin toss: the price on the day of departure was higher in around 40% of measurements and lower in 32 to 38%. Only with more notice does the picture tip in favour of early bookers.
| Booked ahead | Data points | Dearer in the end | Cheaper in the end | Earlier price, on average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–3 days | 37,144 | 40% | 38% | the same |
| 4–6 days | 44,930 | 40% | 36% | the same |
| 7–9 days | 27,543 | 41% | 35% | the same |
| 10–13 days | 37,708 | 42% | 32% | the same |
| 14–20 days | 5,964 | 53% | 32% | 4% cheaper |
| 21–30 days | 3,305 | 55% | 21% | 7.5% cheaper |
For sailings more than three weeks ahead we still have relatively few data points, because the archive only started in August. The trend is clear all the same: the further ahead, the more often the early price was the better one.
What this means for your booking
| Situation | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Baltic, Denmark, Bornholm, the Channel | Book as soon as your date is fixed. On most sailings the price rises until departure. |
| Greece, Italy, Spain, Croatia | No price pressure. Booking at short notice is usually no disadvantage; in high season, still secure your place, especially with a vehicle. |
| Only one or two sailings a day | Book early: if the cheap sailing is full, there is no alternative on the same day. |
| Flexible departure time | Compare every sailing that day. That often saves more than the timing of the booking. |
| Travelling in three weeks or later | Booking now pays off in more than half of cases, and considerably more often on the demand-priced routes. |
Frequently asked questions
Does a ferry get more expensive as departure approaches?
That depends on the operator. For 45% of the 30,480 sailings we compared, the price on the day of departure was higher than ten or more days before; for 33% it was lower. In the north — Scandlines, DFDS, P&O, Tallink Silja, Bornholmslinjen — it usually rises; in the Mediterranean it often stays the same.
Is it worth booking a ferry last minute?
On routes with fixed fares, such as many Greek, Italian and Spanish island connections, you usually lose nothing by booking at short notice. On Baltic and Channel routes it was dearer in six cases out of ten. Prices ended up cheaper more often mainly with TT Line, Red Funnel and POLSCA Baltic Ferries.
How far ahead should you book a ferry?
Between two and thirteen days ahead, the timing makes hardly any difference in our data. From about two weeks ahead the price was on average 4 to 8% below the price on the day of departure, and the early price was the cheaper one in more than half of cases.
Why is the ferry to Bornholm so expensive at short notice?
Bornholmslinjen sells its cheap allocations first. Between Ystad and Rønne the median price per person at least ten days ahead was €17, against €35 on the day of departure. 96% of sailings were dearer in the end.
Can ferry prices also fall shortly before departure?
Yes, for a third of the sailings in our archive. Trelleborg–Travemünde with TT Line and Caen–Portsmouth with Brittany Ferries were cheaper on average on the day of departure than ten days before. Don't rely on it, though: you can't know in advance whether a sailing will stay empty.
Does this also apply to cars and cabins?
We analysed the lowest price per person. Vehicle and cabin supplements come on top, and vehicle spaces and cabins are limited on every ship. If you are travelling with a car or need a cabin, booking early on the demand-priced routes keeps you on the safe side.
The route search shows current prices for every sailing on a given day — and whether a different time is cheaper.
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