Ferry Luggage Allowance: What You Can and Can’t Take
How much luggage you can take on a ferry, what foot passengers can’t bring, and fuel, gas and gun rules for cars, from Stena, Irish Ferries, DFDS and Wightlink.
📋 Essential Pre-Departure Checklist
- ✓Travelling by car? Luggage stays in the vehicle on the car deck
- ✓Foot passenger? Check the route: some cap you at two suitcases
- ✓Large bags may go into the hold, so keep medicines and valuables with you
- ✓No knives, weapons or hazardous substances in foot-passenger luggage
- ✓Spare fuel: up to 5 litres in an approved container (Stena Line, Wightlink)
- ✓Declare anything over the limits at least 24 hours before sailing
Is there a luggage allowance on a ferry?
With a car, there is usually no luggage limit: Stena Line says there is no limit to what you carry in your vehicle, because it stays on the car deck. Foot passengers are different. Rules vary by operator and even by route, from “as much as you can carry” to a cap of two suitcases, and on some routes large bags go into a luggage system and you cannot reach them during the crossing.
Foot passenger luggage by operator
On Stena Line’s Irish Sea routes there is no limit on luggage, but hand luggage must be no larger than 60 × 50 × 40 cm and anything bigger is checked in before boarding; day-trip passengers on the Irish Sea can carry one small piece of hand luggage. On Stena’s Harwich–Hook of Holland, foot and Rail & Sail passengers can take as much as they can carry on board. Irish Ferries lets foot passengers take only small personal items on board at Dublin and Holyhead: larger bags go on a carousel at check-in, are stowed on the car deck, and are limited to 2 suitcases per person of up to 22 kg each. On DFDS’s Newhaven–Dieppe, bags larger than 56 × 45 × 25 cm go in the dedicated baggage storage. Red Funnel accepts up to two suitcases per person plus one piece of hand luggage, and no sails or sailboards.
What you can’t take on a ferry as a foot passenger
Weapons and hazardous items are the main exclusions. Stena Line prohibits foot passengers from carrying firearms, sporting weapons, ammunition, swords, knives, edged weapons and hazardous substances, and prohibited items may be confiscated at the port. Of the restricted items, foot passengers can carry only personal grooming products and prescription medicine. Wightlink carries no dangerous goods on its FastCats or with foot passengers on its car ferries, and foot passengers cannot carry guns or ammunition at its ports or on board.
Fuel, gas and guns in your car
Cars can carry small amounts of restricted goods without declaring them. Stena Line allows up to 5 litres of fuel in an authorised plastic or metal container, and up to 3 gas cylinders with a combined weight of 47 kg for campervans, caravans or ballooning; larger amounts must be declared at least 24 hours before departure, and acetylene is never carried. Wightlink allows private cars and motorhomes up to 47 kg of flammable gas for recreational use and up to 5 litres of spare fuel in approved containers without declaration. Sporting guns and ammunition kept in a vehicle must be declared on arrival and handed to Wightlink staff, who store them on the ship’s bridge.
Bikes and e-scooters
Red Funnel carries bicycles free on its Southampton–East Cowes vehicle ferry, and Red Jet 6 and 7 each have 11 bike racks on the Southampton–West Cowes service; folded bikes in a cycle bag are also allowed. Electric scooters are not permitted on Red Funnel’s boats or in its terminals.
Foot passenger luggage rules compared
What each operator allows foot passengers to bring (checked 3 October 2026).
| Operator & route | Foot-passenger luggage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stena Line: Irish Sea | No limit; hand luggage up to 60 × 50 × 40 cm | Larger bags checked in; day trips one small piece |
| Stena Line: Harwich–Hook of Holland | As much as you can carry on board | Also applies to Rail & Sail |
| Irish Ferries: Dublin–Holyhead | Small personal items on board; 2 suitcases of up to 22 kg each | Bags stowed on the car deck, no access during the crossing |
| DFDS: Newhaven–Dieppe | Bags over 56 × 45 × 25 cm in baggage storage | |
| Red Funnel: Southampton–Isle of Wight | Up to 2 suitcases and 1 piece of hand luggage | No sails or sailboards; no e-scooters |
Checked 2026-10-03 against: Stena Line: how much luggage can I bring? · Stena Line: restricted items · Irish Ferries: luggage for foot passengers · DFDS: Dieppe–Newhaven · Red Funnel: luggage, pets and bicycles · Wightlink: dangerous goods. Policies change; confirm with the operator before booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much luggage can you take on a ferry?
In a car, as much as fits in the vehicle. Foot passengers depend on the operator: Stena Line has no limit on its Irish Sea and Harwich routes if you can carry it yourself, while Irish Ferries (Dublin–Holyhead) and Red Funnel allow two suitcases per person.
Is there a baggage allowance on a ferry?
Not usually for cars. For foot passengers some operators set one: Irish Ferries allows 2 suitcases of up to 22 kg each on Dublin–Holyhead, and Red Funnel two suitcases plus one piece of hand luggage.
What can you not take on a ferry?
As a foot passenger: firearms, ammunition, knives, swords, other weapons and hazardous substances (Stena Line), and no dangerous goods at all on Wightlink’s FastCats. In a car you can carry limited amounts of fuel and gas, but larger amounts must be declared in advance.
Can I take spare fuel on a ferry?
In your car, yes, in small amounts: up to 5 litres in an approved container with Stena Line and Wightlink. More must be declared at least 24 hours before sailing.