Step by step
How boarding works
Six steps, from checking the grid to driving off the other side. One rule governs the rest: this crossing cannot be booked by anyone, at any price.
You arrive 30 minutes before departure, join the queue, board in order of arrival and pay on board. There is no desk to clear, no booking to show and no priority lane. Everything else on this page follows from that.
Check the grid for your date
The timetable changes six times a year and weekends run a shorter grid than weekdays. Look up the sailing you want before you set off.
Arrive 30 minutes early
Thirty minutes with a vehicle, fifteen on foot or by bike. This is not padding: it is how long the queue takes to form and load.
Join the queue
Allées Marines at Blaye, Le Port at Lamarque. Order of arrival is order of boarding, and there is no priority lane.
Board and switch off
Crew direct vehicles onto the deck. The ferry takes 40 cars; beyond that you wait for the next sailing.
Pay on board
A crew member comes round during the crossing. Bank cards, cash and chèques-vacances are accepted, and an online ticket is simply shown.
Cross
20 minutes on average. You can leave the car and go up to the top deck, which is where the view over the estuary is.
The two ramps
Blaye, Allées Marines, 33390 Blaye. At the foot of the ramparts, below the citadel. The town centre is a few minutes' walk, which makes crossing on foot realistic for half a day.
Lamarque, Le Port, 33460 Lamarque. On the estuary side of the village. Leaving the ramp puts you straight onto the D2, the Route des Châteaux.
What decides whether you get on
The Sébastien Vauban carries 40 cars and 300 passengers. It is a double-ended ferry, which means it docks in both directions without turning round, and that is what keeps the sailings tight despite the current.
The times when the queue exceeds capacity are predictable: July and August weekends, Sunday evenings, and public holidays. The rest of the year, arriving 30 minutes early is comfortably enough.
Paying
Payment is taken on board during the crossing, by bank card, cash or chèques-vacances. A car with one person on board is €31 in high season. Full fare table.
Check your weight before you join the queue
Weight is checked at boarding, not on arrival at the car park. A vehicle over 3.5 t is turned away after waiting. Weight and size limits.
Questions about boarding
Do I need to book?
No, and you cannot. There is no reservation system on this line. You turn up at the ramp and board in order of arrival.
How early should I arrive?
Thirty minutes before the posted departure with a vehicle, fifteen on foot or by bike. In summer and on Sunday evenings, earlier is wise: that is when sailings fill.
Can I stay in my car during the crossing?
You can, but there is no reason to. It lasts twenty minutes and the top deck looks out over the whole estuary, with the citadel of Blaye on one side and the Médoc on the other.
Where exactly are the ramps?
At Blaye, Allées Marines, 33390 Blaye, below the citadel and a few minutes' walk from the centre. At Lamarque, Le Port, 33460 Lamarque, on the estuary side of the village.
Sources
Updated : September 2026