Ferry timetable

The ferry leaves Blaye at the times below and departs Lamarque 30 minutes later, which is how long it takes to cross, unload and load again. The grid changes six times a year: it tightens in July and August and thins out noticeably from November to March.

There is no reservation. The timetable tells you when the ferry leaves, not whether you will be on it. That depends on how many vehicles are ahead of you, up to 40 cars per sailing.

How to read the grid

These are departure times, not arrival-at-the-port times. With a vehicle you are asked to be there 30 minutes beforehand, on foot or by bike 15 minutes. An 11:00 sailing therefore means arriving at 10:30.

The crossing itself averages 20 minutes. Allow roughly 50 minutes from joining the queue at Blaye to driving away in the Médoc.

If the sailing is full

The ferry carries 40 cars and 300 passengers. On summer weekends, and Sunday evenings in particular, the queue can exceed that. You wait for the next one, at no extra cost but with no guarantee either.

Season is what decides how much that hurts. In July the next sailing is 90 minutes away. In November, on the winter grid, it can be most of a day. When the timing is tight, driving becomes reasonable: the ferry against the road, with the numbers.

Disruption and maintenance

The line runs all year, but the Sébastien Vauban goes for periodic technical inspection and the crossing is suspended for several days at a time. Sailings can also be cancelled when conditions on the estuary do not allow them. The department's maritime transport service announces these periods in advance.