# Taking a camper on the ferry: height, gas, pets and booking

> Fares follow length and height, gas must be declared and shut off, and the vehicle deck is closed at sea: what to settle before the booking.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/magazine/eu-ferries-with-a-camper/

*By CampingSpirit Editors, 2026-09-29*

A ferry crossing is often the shortest way to a good camping region: Sardinia, Corsica, the Greek west coast, Morocco or Scandinavia all begin with a gangway. The practical side is less obvious than it looks. A motorhome is priced, loaded and treated differently from a car, and the rules on gas, pets and access to the vehicle are set by each operator rather than by one European standard.

Operators publish their conditions on their own websites, and they change from year to year, so the points below describe how the usual systems work and what has been confirmed on operator pages. Anything that decides the booking, such as dimensions and gas, should be checked on the page of the line actually used.

## How fares are set: length and height

Passenger ferries price a vehicle by its length and height, not by its type. Minoan Lines, which shares its conditions with Grimaldi Lines, places campers in classes by height, for example 1.91 to 2.80 m and 2.81 to 4.20 m, with lengths from 2.5 to 9 m. DFDS on its Channel and North Sea routes works with small, standard and extra-large motorhome categories, up to 4 m in height and 7, 10 or 12 m in length. Both operators say the declared dimensions must include everything attached to the vehicle: roof boxes, bicycle carriers, towbars and rear racks. A vehicle declared too small can be refused at the port or charged extra, and a motorhome that is simply too high for a vessel's garage will not be loaded at all.

The consequence is that exact measurements are needed before the booking: height with roof-mounted air conditioning, solar panels and antennas, and length including the bike rack. A tape measure and ten minutes beat any assumption based on the brochure.

## Declaring gas

Almost every operator requires gas to be declared. Grimaldi and Minoan ask at boarding whether a vehicle runs on LPG or methane, and the gas supply valve must remain closed while the vehicle is parked in the garage. CalMac, a Scottish operator, asks that LPG be declared at least 24 hours ahead, that gas cylinders be shut off before departure, appliances not be used during the crossing and cylinders be secured. DFDS states that gas bottles with a combined weight of up to 47 kg are allowed per motorhome on most routes, with at least one connected to an appliance such as the fridge, while on its Baltic routes the limit is two cylinders of 12 kg each, which may be secured and unconnected. Cylinders must always be mentioned at check-in.

These rules differ enough that a camper needs no assumptions. Before sailing: ask whether valves must be closed (as at Grimaldi, Minoan and CalMac) or one bottle must stay connected to the fridge (as at DFDS), check that nothing leaks, and keep a spare cylinder within the stated limits.

## Pets on board

Pets need the usual documents: within the EU, a pet passport or health certificate, microchip and a valid rabies vaccination, and a different set of papers when a journey starts in the United Kingdom or ends outside the EU. The ferry line then adds its own rules. A common arrangement on Italian and Greek routes is that dogs may travel in a pet-friendly cabin, in a kennel on board or, on some lines, in the vehicle; Grimaldi Lines offers a pet kit and allows up to three pets per cabin, Minoan Lines one or two, Moby and Tirrenia up to three, and Corsica Ferries limits dogs to the outer deck and to designated dog-friendly cabins. DFDS describes a Channel arrangement in which pets stay secured in the vehicle.

Pet cabins and kennels are limited, so they should be booked at the same time as the crossing. Moby, for example, requires a lead and muzzle and keeps pets out of lounges and restaurants; other lines have similar rules. Leaving an animal in a camper on the vehicle deck of a long crossing is dangerous and often not allowed, because the garage can become hot and no one may go below.

## Booking, routes and arriving early

Short crossings can often be booked a few weeks before departure outside the holidays, but long overnight routes, summer sailings to Sardinia, Corsica and Greece, and any sailing with a pet cabin sell out earlier. Booking several months ahead for July and August is a sensible default, and a change in height class after booking can mean a new fare. The Strait of Gibraltar is among the shortest ferry links: Baleària lists about 1 hour 30 minutes between Algeciras and Tangier Med, covering roughly 30 km, and recommends that passengers have valid travel documents before entering the port. Its route page names cars, motorcycles and vans, so a motorhome should be confirmed with the operator before the booking. Vehicle import into Morocco involves separate customs formalities.

Operators set a check-in deadline, often an hour or more before departure, printed on the ticket. Arriving early is worth it, because a late arrival can cost the booking.

## Living on board and a short checklist

Do not plan to sleep in the camper. Minoan states that access to the garage is forbidden for the entire crossing, and DFDS notes that there is no electricity for campers on board, so the fridge runs on the vehicle battery or, where the operator allows a connected bottle, on gas. All items for the crossing, such as medicines, passport, a jacket and the dog lead, must be carried upstairs before boarding. A cabin or a seat ticket is therefore part of the plan. Before leaving home: measure height and length, confirm the gas rules, book pet places, charge the phone, and write the registration plate and booking reference on the first page of the travel documents.

## Sources

- [Vehicles on board (Minoan Lines)](https://minoan.it/en/before-departure/vehicles-on-board)
- [Vehicle types: motorhomes (DFDS Seaways)](https://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/customer-service/dover-dunkirk/vehicle-types)
- [Caravan, motorhome, campervan and trailer information (CalMac Ferries)](https://calmac.co.uk/faqs/before-you-go/caravan-motorhome-campervan-trailer-information)
- [Ferry Algeciras to Tangier Med (Baleària)](https://www.balearia.com/en/routes-timetables/ferry-algeciras-tangiermed)
- [Traghetti e animali domestici (Moby)](https://www.moby.it/servizio-clienti/informazioni-viaggio/animali/)
- [Pets on board information (ADAC Fähren)](https://adac-faehren.de/en/pets-on-board-information)