Hull

Hull, a cosmopolitan seaside city in East Yorkshire with a rich industrial past, has been a cultural hotspot for years. Today, it serves as a significant ferry port for travel between the UK and Europe.

On Ferryhopper, you can find the best travel tips for Hull, including what to do and see in the city, and learn how to plan your ferry trip to/from the port of Hull.
Continue reading and learn more about:

• Hull ferry port
• Holidays in Hull

The amazing Hull Minster at the heart of the historic Old Town

Hull ferry port

The Port of Hull offers a major gateway between Yorkshire and Europe. Around 1 million passengers use the port to get to the Netherlands.

It offers some essential amenities such as a café, a small store and accessible restrooms. Plenty of paid parking spaces are also available in front of the terminal.

Ferries from Hull port: schedules and tickets

The port of Hull connects England with Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The ferry route to Rotterdam is operated by P&O Ferries. Specifically:

• Ferry from Hull to Rotterdam: the ferry crossing between Hull and Rotterdam, is operated with up to 7 weekly crossings all year round. The crossing lasts from 11 to 11.5 hours.

Where is the ferry port in Hull?

The Port of Hull is situated on the north bank of the Humber Estuary just 32 km from the North Sea. The ferries operate from terminal 1 at King George Dock, off Hedon Road, about 5 km east of the center.

How to get to Hull port?

Getting to Hull port is very easy. If you are traveling by car, the port is located on the A63. Alternatively, a bus service from bus stand D near the St Stephen's shopping center and Hull Paragon Interchange rail station in the city center runs to the ferry terminal. It takes about 15 minutes.

Tip: if you’re traveling on foot you must check-in via terminal 2.

Hull Marina in the city of Hull, UK

Holidays in Hull

Kingston upon Hull, often abbreviated to Hull, is an English seaport with a proud seafaring tradition. The city sits on the River Hull where it joins the estuary of the River Humber.

A handful of museums in Hull highlight the city's long and rich history. Even though it was the most bombed English city in World War II, apart from London, Hull has since rebuilt itself to become a thriving center of culture in East Yorkshire. A weekend of exploring the city’s quaint Old Town, impressive marina and architectural treasures will make it perfectly clear why it was voted the UK City of Culture in 2017. 

Outside the city center, Hull is only a short distance from some of Britain's most picturesque countryside and expansive coastlines ideal for nature lovers. The best of all worlds.

How to get to Hull

It's easy to get to Hull by car, train, plane, or ferry. To travel by car, take the M62 from the west, the A1 from the south and the A1 and M62 from Scotland. In addition, there’s a direct train service from London that takes less than 3 hours. Hull Trains also operate from major cities in the west including Manchester, York and Sheffield.

To get there by plane, you can catch a flight to either Humberside airport (30 minutes from Hull), Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport (1 hour) or Leeds Bradford Airport (1.5 hours) for intercontinental flights.

Lastly, to travel to Hull by ferry, Rotterdam in the Netherlands is your go-to port!

What to do in Hull

When visiting Hull, prepare yourself for a full day of exploring quirky museums, charming pubs and picturesque buildings on the banks of the Humber River. Start your holidays by heading to the Old Town of Hull, the city’s central district which retains a sense of the prosperous Victorian era. 

Stroll through its well preserved cobbled streets and visit 2 of the city’s main attractions, the huge aquarium called The Deep and Hull Minster. Other hidden attractions to find in the picturesque Old Town include the Fish Trail and the George Hotel, which has England’s smallest window. Then head to Hull Marina and step aboard the Spurn Lightship. If you’re interested in maritime history, the Hull Maritime Museum is another great place to visit. 

Fancy a trip to the beach? Head to the breathtaking Yorkshire Coast for some of Britain's most picturesque beaches, walks and sunsets. Alternatively, follow the footpath across the Humber Bridge and enjoy the panoramic views of the river.

Finally, we recommend attending some of the festivals Hull has to offer, such as the Hull Trinity Beer Festival in April, the Hull Jazz Festival in July and the Hull Fair in October. Catching a show at Hull New Theatre, one of the leading touring theaters in the UK, is another brilliant way to spend an evening.

Sightseeing in Hull

With a remarkable collection of city-run museums and architecture that allows you to travel back in time, Hull is the city where culture never sleeps. Here are some of the most popular attractions for sightseeing in and around Hull:

• The Deep submarium, standing at the edge of the port, with great views across the Humber
• Ferens Art Gallery
• The Maritime Museum, celebrating Hull’s long maritime traditions
• The Streetlife Museum, showcasing rare cars and a 1940s street reconstruction
• The Wilberforce House, covering the history of slavery and the campaign against it
• The Arctic Corsair, a nationally significant deep-sea trawler built in 1960
• Hull Minster, England's largest parish church
• The King William Statue III, one of Hull's most distinctive landmarks installed in 1734
• The Spurn Lightship, guided ships safely through the notorious Humber estuary

Fun fact: an unusual feature of Hull is that it is the only place in the UK with white telephone boxes rather than red ones. You can spot a few scattered around the Old Town.

The impressive building of the Hull Maritime Museum at Queen Victoria square

Nightlife in Hull

Come nightfall, especially at weekends, Hull gets lively thanks to its young student population and several streets lined with bars, pubs, cafés, and clubs. There is no better place to go bar hopping than Newlands Avenue. 

If you’d rather spend the day in British pubs drinking pints, head to Hull’s Old Town which is known for having a large number of pubs within close proximity. For a rich and historic pub crawl, start at the Lion and Key on the High Street.

Food in Hull

Besides the beautiful old English pubs, Hull’s Old Town is also characterized by a stellar dining scene. The city is kind of a culinary hub catering for foodies of all tastes. Here are a few finger-licking dishes that visitors should try when in Hull:

• savory pattie (deep-fried potato seasoned with sage and served with chips and mushy peas)
• fish and chips
• Yorkshire pudding
• Yorkshire curd tart
• parkin (cake consisting of flour, oatmeal, black treacle, and butter)
• fat rascals (traditional Yorkshire cakes mixed with dried fruit)

Tip: if 2 days of tasty street food, fresh local produce and delicious beverages sounds like heaven to you, make sure to visit the Yum! Food Festival, which takes place at Hull Marina in August.

Useful information about Hull

Hull is guaranteed to satisfy all of your needs, with several visitor amenities throughout the city.

For those looking to stay in Hull overnight, there are a number of accommodation options. You will find hotels, holiday parks and B&Bs to suit a variety of budgets near the Old Town or right on the pretty marina, which is only a 10 minute walk to anything in the city center.

In regards to medical services, there is a large range of pharmacies in the city center and its districts. There is also a University Hospital where you can easily find emergency care.

The fountain in the dock at Princess Quay shopping center, Hull

Important phone numbers for your stay in Hull

Below, we have listed some useful phone numbers for your trip to Hull: 

• Hull Royal Infirmary: +441482875875
• Humberside Police: +441482220393
• Tourist information center: +441482228704
• Hull bus services: +448712002233
• European emergency number: 112

Transportation in Hull

Hull and its surroundings can be navigated in a variety of ways. In fact, the city is said to have one of the best transportation links in the UK. The Hull Paragon Interchange serves as the city's primary transportation hub. It houses Hull’s main railway network as well as a number of the city's bus services.

In addition to the frequent trains that link Hull to the rest of the UK, many local rail services connect the city with the wider East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire regions in case you feel like going on a day trip. Regarding buses, EYMS operates regular bus services that take passengers from East Yorkshire's towns and villages to anywhere in Hull's city center.

For a more sustainable and fun alternative, East Yorkshire and Hull have cycle routes as well. The Hull Bike Hub is located at Paragon Interchange Station and offers bikes for rent and secure bike storage. Finally, if you prefer getting around Hull by car, no worries. There are plenty of places to park it.

The Spurn Lightship at Hull Marina

Book ferry tickets to Hull online

Currently, it’s not possible to book ferry tickets to/from Hull online on Ferryhopper. As we focus on including more routes, check out our interactive Map of ferries, browse all available ferry schedules in England and book ferry tickets for your next trip!