Blue ferry timetable from 1 November 2026 to 30 April 2027: Monday to Saturday shown; extra evening sailing on Fridays; shorter Sunday timetable
Christmas and bank holidays The operator publishes no separate holiday timetable, and its date checker shows the usual weekday, Friday or Saturday times on 25 and 26 December, 1 January, 1 February, 17 March and 29 March. Its timetables do not include cancellations or last-minute changes, so check the Arranmore Ferry app or call +353 74 954 2000 before travelling on those days.
Tides, weather and last-minute changes The company says tides and weather can disrupt sailings. The free Arranmore Ferry app for Android and iOS shows timetable changes and sends notifications.
Arranmore Red Ferry: a different company Arranmore Red Ferry (arranmoreferry.com, +353 74 95 42233) also sails between Burtonport and Arranmore, with its own timetable and online booking. Its times are not shown on this page.
Map – Burtonport – Arranmore ferry
| Ticket type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult foot passenger, single (half the return) | €7.50 |
| Adult foot passenger, return | €15 |
| Travel Pass or NI SmartPass holder, return | €2 |
| Car and driver, return | €30 |
| Car and driver, single (half the return) | €15 |
| Car, driver and 1 adult, return | €45 |
| Car, driver and 2 adults, return | €60 |
| Car, driver and 3 adults, return | €75 |
| Small van (e.g. Caddy) and driver, return | €30 |
The Blue ferry lists its prices as returns and says every single costs half the return; the singles below are worked out that way. Car tickets include the driver, and the listed car prices cover up to three adult passengers. Prices for students, children and the family car ticket are listed by the operator without age limits, so they are not repeated here; ask the office before you travel. The Irish Free Travel Pass and the Northern Ireland 65+ SmartPass are accepted, and the price list shows a 'Travel / Smart Pass' fare of EUR 2 return. Tickets are non-refundable but can be moved to another date or sailing if you contact the office before your sailing. Book online, in the Arranmore Ferry app, or at the Blue Ferry office on Burtonport Pier (open 08:00 to 18:00 Monday to Saturday, 09:00 to 18:00 on Sunday). All fares in euros (EUR).
The Blue ferry to Arranmore is run by Realt Na Maidne Teoranta, a family company that trades as The Arranmore Ferry and calls itself part of the island community. Its boats link Burtonport Pier on the Donegal mainland with Arranmore Port in about 15 minutes, all year round, weather permitting, and the service is subsidised by the Department of Rural and Community Development. The main vessel since June 2025 is the Arranmore Blu, which the company describes as larger and more stable, with room for more cars and a coffee machine on board.
Two companies run this crossing. Arranmore Red Ferry keeps its own timetable and its own booking site, and the board on this page shows only the Blue sailings. In the winter grid the Blue ferry makes six sailings each way from Monday to Saturday, plus one extra evening sailing each way on Fridays, and five each way on Sundays, when the morning starts later. The first boat of the day leaves from the island. The same grid runs from November to the end of April 2027; May adds sailings.
Besides foot passengers the ferry takes cars, vans, lorries and bigger machinery, bicycles, and pets kept on a lead. Prices are given as returns: EUR 15 for an adult, EUR 30 for a car with its driver, EUR 45 with one adult passenger, EUR 60 with two and EUR 75 with three, and EUR 30 for a small van such as a Caddy with its driver. A single is half the return. The Irish Free Travel Pass and the Northern Ireland 65+ SmartPass are accepted, and the price list shows pass holders paying EUR 2 return. Lowered cars are allowed on board, but the company takes no responsibility for damage when they drive on or off.
Online booking is advised for June, July and August, and for groups of ten or more all year. Tickets are not refunded, but the office will switch them to another date or sailing if you tell it before you travel. The Blue Ferry office on Burtonport Pier opens 08:00 to 18:00 from Monday to Saturday and 09:00 to 18:00 on Sunday, so the late Friday sailing from Burtonport is best paid for online or in the app in advance. The Arranmore Blu has step-free boarding over a wide ramp, an accessible toilet, wheelchair spaces and plenty of seats, and staff can help on board and at the terminals.
- Be at the pier in good time; on car ferries vehicles may need to arrive earlier than foot passengers.
- Check the operator's notices on the day — Atlantic wind and swell can cancel or reschedule island sailings.
- Some island operators advise booking ahead in June, July and August, and for groups.