practical
Where to Stay for the Pembroke Dock Ferry to Rosslare
The Irish Ferries sailings from Pembroke Dock leave at 02:45 and 14:45, and the evening boat from Rosslare gets in at 00:46. Where to sleep either side of the awkward ones.
By Pembrokeshire Guide editors · Updated 28 September 2026 · Facts last checked 28 September 2026
The ferry from Pembroke Dock to Rosslare is run by Irish Ferries, and two of its four daily times are the kind you plan a night around. One leaves at quarter to three in the morning. One arrives at quarter to one. This page is about where to sleep either side of those two.
The timetable, as published in September 2026
| Direction | Departs | Arrives |
|---|---|---|
| Pembroke Dock to Rosslare | 02:45 | 06:46 |
| Pembroke Dock to Rosslare | 14:45 | 18:46 |
| Rosslare to Pembroke Dock | 08:45 | 12:46 |
| Rosslare to Pembroke Dock | 20:45 | 00:46 |
The crossing takes just over four hours, on the Isle of Innisfree. Irish Ferries give a 30-minute check-in. Timetables change with the season and refits, so check the sailing on the Irish Ferries website before you book a bed around it. Your booking confirmation is the time that counts.
The 02:45 sailing: the night before
With a 30-minute check-in, you need to be at the port by about 02:15. Driving through the evening from England to make that is a long, tiring way to start a trip, and it is why people stay locally.
Watch the date. The 02:45 on a Saturday leaves in the early hours of Saturday, so the bed you need is Friday night. It is the easiest mistake to make with this sailing, and hotels are booked by the night you arrive.
Be honest with yourself about what you are buying: a full night's room for four or five hours of sleep and an alarm at about 1:30. It still beats the drive. Ask the hotel how leaving in the middle of the night works before you book.
The 00:46 arrival: the night of the sailing
The evening boat from Rosslare is due in at 00:46, and then you have to get off it, which with a car can take a while. We can't tell you how long.
The same date trap, the other way round. The 20:45 from Rosslare on a Monday arrives at 00:46 on Tuesday, but the room you want is Monday night. Book Tuesday night and you arrive at a hotel that isn't expecting you for another day. Whichever hotel you book, check how late you can check in and tell them you are coming off the ferry.
Travelodge Pembroke Dock: the bed nearest the boat
The obvious answer to both is the Travelodge on Pier Road (SA72 6TR). Travelodge's own description is "Heading to Ireland? The ferry port is within walking distance." By our map it is about 0.6 miles from the terminal in a straight line, so the walk itself is a bit further. For foot passengers, the railway station is about 0.2 miles away.
What Travelodge says about the hotel:
- Parking: limited free parking, first come, first served. It can be full when you arrive late. Travelodge points to paid parking at the nearby Tesco, at £3 per 24 hours.
- Dogs: welcome.
- Rooms: family rooms and standard doubles.
Prices and availability are Travelodge's, and they change by date. The booking link is at the foot of this page.
The Dolphin Hotel on Pembroke Street is the other place to stay close to the terminal. For everything else in the town, see our Pembroke and Pembroke Dock guide.
Food at one and two in the morning
We don't know. We don't know what, if anything, is open in Pembroke Dock at those hours, or what food the Travelodge offers at this hotel. We also don't know what is served on board on the night sailings. Eat properly in the evening and carry something with you. If you are counting on the Tesco, check its opening hours on the store's own page for your date rather than assuming.
Parking, the station and the port
- Train stations and ferry terminals in Pembroke Dock
- Car parks in Pembroke Dock
- Pembroke Dock itself: the dockyard town, and what there is to do if you have an afternoon before the 14:45.
Travelling with a dog, or on foot
The Travelodge welcomes dogs, but that tells you nothing about the ship. Check Irish Ferries' own pet rules for your crossing. Foot passengers can reach Pembroke Dock by train on the branch line from Whitland via Tenby. It is the last stop. No train will get you to a 02:45 check-in without a night here first, so check the last arrival for your date.
For the Fishguard route, and how the two ports compare, see Pembrokeshire ferries to Ireland.
Booking the practical bits
Paid links
Where a partner covers a place badly we leave it out rather than pad the list.
- Check rooms at Travelodge Pembroke Dockvia Travelodge
Pier Road, Pembroke Dock, within walking distance of the Irish Ferries terminal. Family rooms and doubles; dogs welcome. Prices and availability are Travelodge's, and they change by date.
- Check train times to Pembroke Dock at Transport for Walesvia Transport for Wales
For foot passengers: Pembroke Dock station is the end of the branch line from Whitland via Tenby.
We earn a commission if you book through these links, at no extra cost to you. We have not been paid to place them and no partner can buy a position here — they are on this page because the page is where the question comes up. Prices, availability and terms are the provider’s, not ours; check them before you book.
