--- title: "Ferry companies in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most?" description: "Compare the ferry companies people sail with from the UK to Europe, Ireland and the islands. Share of Search among Brittany Ferries, CalMac, P&O Ferries, Stena Line, DFDS, Wightlink, Irish Ferries, Red Funnel and Condor Ferries, the ferry companies Brandwave compares in the United Kingdom, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/categories/uk-ferry-companies" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Ferry companies in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most? Compare the ferry companies people sail with from the UK to Europe, Ireland and the islands. Share of Search among Brittany Ferries, CalMac, P&O Ferries, Stena Line, DFDS, Wightlink, Irish Ferries, Red Funnel and Condor Ferries, the ferry companies Brandwave compares in the United Kingdom, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Competitive set**: Ferry companies - **Market**: United Kingdom - **Brands compared**: 9 - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **Highest Share of Search**: Brittany Ferries, 18.8% ## Which brand is most popular in search among ferry companies in the United Kingdom? - Brittany Ferries and CalMac tie for the highest share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom, at 18.8% each in September 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Brittany Ferries’ share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom increased from 17.5% to 18.8%. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CalMac’s share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom increased from 17.5% to 18.8%. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, P&O Ferries’ share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom increased from 14.4% to 15.4%. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Stena Line’s share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom decreased from 17.5% to 15.4%. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DFDS’s share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom decreased from 9.6% to 8.4%. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wightlink’s share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom increased from 7.9% to 8.4%. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Irish Ferries’ share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom decreased from 7.9% to 6.9%. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Brittany Ferries’ share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom peaked at 22.5% in June 2026 and was lowest at 16.5% in December 2025. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CalMac’s share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom peaked at 19.1% in March 2026 and was lowest at 13.2% in August 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, P&O Ferries’ share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom peaked at 16.2% in August 2026 and was lowest at 12.8% in March 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Stena Line’s share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom peaked at 17.5% in October 2025 and was lowest at 14.4% in May 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DFDS’s share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom peaked at 11.5% in November 2025 and was lowest at 8.2% in June 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wightlink’s share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom peaked at 9.7% in May 2026 and was lowest at 7.3% in July 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Irish Ferries’ share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom peaked at 9.4% in November 2025 and was lowest at 6.9% in September 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Red Funnel’s share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom peaked at 7.7% in November 2025 and was lowest at 6% in July 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, P&O Ferries rose from 4th to 3rd among ferry companies in the United Kingdom. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Stena Line fell from 3rd to 4th among ferry companies in the United Kingdom. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wightlink rose from 7th to 6th among ferry companies in the United Kingdom. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Irish Ferries fell from 6th to 7th among ferry companies in the United Kingdom. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Red Funnel and Condor Ferries held steady: their share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom each moved less than 0.5 percentage points. ## Top ferry companies in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, P&O Ferries appeared every time. DFDS was recommended most often, coming first in one out of four answers. P&O Ferries was second, and Brittany Ferries was third. Red Funnel, which ranked eighth in searches, was not mentioned at all. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | DFDS | 1st | 2 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | P&O Ferries | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | Brittany Ferries | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | Stena Line | 4th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 | | Irish Ferries | 5th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | CalMac | 6th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 1 of 4 | | Wightlink | 7th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 1 of 4 | | Red Funnel | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | | Condor Ferries | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | ## Every AI answer about ferry companies - Asked ChatGPT "Which ferry company should I use to get to France from the UK?": 1. DFDS, 2. P&O Ferries, 3. Brittany Ferries, 4. Irish Ferries - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best ferry companies in the UK?": 1. Brittany Ferries, 2. DFDS, 3. Stena Line, 4. P&O Ferries, 5. CalMac, 6. Wightlink - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best ferry company for taking a car to Ireland from the UK?": 1. Stena Line, 2. Irish Ferries, 3. P&O Ferries - Searched Google, AI Overview "ferry to france": 1. P&O Ferries, 2. DFDS, 3. Irish Ferries, 4. Brittany Ferries Not named in any answer: Red Funnel and Condor Ferries. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026. ## Compare search popularity between leading brands - [Brittany Ferries vs CalMac: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/brittany-ferries-vs-calmac): 18.8% Share of Search each. - [Brittany Ferries vs P&O Ferries: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/brittany-ferries-vs-p-and-o-ferries): 18.8% against 15.4% Share of Search. - [Brittany Ferries vs Stena Line: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/brittany-ferries-vs-stena-line): 18.8% against 15.4% Share of Search. - [Brittany Ferries vs DFDS: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/brittany-ferries-vs-dfds): 18.8% against 8.4% Share of Search. - [CalMac vs P&O Ferries: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/calmac-vs-p-and-o-ferries): 18.8% against 15.4% Share of Search. - [CalMac vs Stena Line: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/calmac-vs-stena-line): 18.8% against 15.4% Share of Search. - [CalMac vs DFDS: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/calmac-vs-dfds): 18.8% against 8.4% Share of Search. - [P&O Ferries vs Stena Line: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/p-and-o-ferries-vs-stena-line): 15.4% Share of Search each. - [P&O Ferries vs DFDS: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/dfds-vs-p-and-o-ferries): 15.4% against 8.4% Share of Search. - [Stena Line vs DFDS: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/dfds-vs-stena-line): 15.4% against 8.4% Share of Search. ## How did search popularity change for United Kingdom ferry companies in September 2026? - In September 2026, CalMac overtook P&O Ferries and Stena Line to rank 2nd among ferry companies in the United Kingdom, with 18.8% of the searches. - In September 2026, Irish Ferries lost share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom, from 8.9% to 6.9%. - In September 2026, Brittany Ferries lost share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom, from 19.7% to 18.8%. - In September 2026, P&O Ferries lost share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom, from 16.2% to 15.4%. - In September 2026, Stena Line lost share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom, from 16.2% to 15.4%. - In September 2026, Wightlink rose from 7th to 6th among ferry companies in the United Kingdom. - Estimated monthly branded searches for Condor Ferries in the United Kingdom fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 6.6K to 5.4K in September 2026. - Estimated monthly branded searches for DFDS in the United Kingdom fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 60.5K to 49.5K in September 2026. ## Share of Search ranking | Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Brittany Ferries | 18.8% | 110K | -33.3% | Brittany Ferries | | 2 | CalMac | 18.8% | 110K | 0.0% | CalMac | | 3 | P&O Ferries | 15.4% | 90.5K | -33.0% | P&O Ferries | | 4 | Stena Line | 15.4% | 90.5K | -33.0% | Stena Line | | 5 | DFDS | 8.4% | 49.5K | -33.1% | DFDS | | 6 | Wightlink | 8.4% | 49.5K | -33.1% | Wightlink | | 7 | Irish Ferries | 6.9% | 40.5K | -45.3% | Irish Ferries | | 8 | Red Funnel | 6.9% | 40.5K | -33.1% | Red Funnel | | 9 | Condor Ferries | 0.92% | 5.4K | -33.3% | Condor Ferries | ## Historical estimated branded-search demand | Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | Brittany Ferries | 110K | 17.5% | 1 | | Oct 2025 | CalMac | 110K | 17.5% | 2 | | Oct 2025 | Stena Line | 110K | 17.5% | 3 | | Oct 2025 | P&O Ferries | 90.5K | 14.4% | 4 | | Oct 2025 | DFDS | 60.5K | 9.6% | 5 | | Oct 2025 | Irish Ferries | 49.5K | 7.9% | 6 | | Oct 2025 | Wightlink | 49.5K | 7.9% | 7 | | Oct 2025 | Red Funnel | 40.5K | 6.5% | 8 | | Oct 2025 | Condor Ferries | 6.6K | 1.1% | 9 | | Nov 2025 | Brittany Ferries | 90.5K | 17.3% | 1 | | Nov 2025 | Stena Line | 90.5K | 17.3% | 2 | | Nov 2025 | CalMac | 74K | 14.1% | 3 | | Nov 2025 | P&O Ferries | 74K | 14.1% | 4 | | Nov 2025 | DFDS | 60.5K | 11.5% | 5 | | Nov 2025 | Irish Ferries | 49.5K | 9.4% | 6 | | Nov 2025 | Red Funnel | 40.5K | 7.7% | 7 | | Nov 2025 | Wightlink | 40.5K | 7.7% | 8 | | Nov 2025 | Condor Ferries | 4.4K | 0.84% | 9 | | Dec 2025 | Brittany Ferries | 90.5K | 16.5% | 1 | | Dec 2025 | CalMac | 90.5K | 16.5% | 2 | | Dec 2025 | Stena Line | 90.5K | 16.5% | 3 | | Dec 2025 | P&O Ferries | 74K | 13.5% | 4 | | Dec 2025 | DFDS | 60.5K | 11% | 5 | | Dec 2025 | Irish Ferries | 49.5K | 9% | 6 | | Dec 2025 | Wightlink | 49.5K | 9% | 7 | | Dec 2025 | Red Funnel | 40.5K | 7.4% | 8 | | Dec 2025 | Condor Ferries | 4.4K | 0.8% | 9 | | Jan 2026 | Brittany Ferries | 135K | 21.3% | 1 | | Jan 2026 | Stena Line | 110K | 17.4% | 2 | | Jan 2026 | CalMac | 90.5K | 14.3% | 3 | | Jan 2026 | P&O Ferries | 90.5K | 14.3% | 4 | | Jan 2026 | DFDS | 60.5K | 9.6% | 5 | | Jan 2026 | Irish Ferries | 49.5K | 7.8% | 6 | | Jan 2026 | Wightlink | 49.5K | 7.8% | 7 | | Jan 2026 | Red Funnel | 40.5K | 6.4% | 8 | | Jan 2026 | Condor Ferries | 6.6K | 1% | 9 | | Feb 2026 | Brittany Ferries | 110K | 18.7% | 1 | | Feb 2026 | CalMac | 90.5K | 15.4% | 2 | | Feb 2026 | P&O Ferries | 90.5K | 15.4% | 3 | | Feb 2026 | Stena Line | 90.5K | 15.4% | 4 | | Feb 2026 | DFDS | 60.5K | 10.3% | 5 | | Feb 2026 | Irish Ferries | 49.5K | 8.4% | 6 | | Feb 2026 | Wightlink | 49.5K | 8.4% | 7 | | Feb 2026 | Red Funnel | 40.5K | 6.9% | 8 | | Feb 2026 | Condor Ferries | 5.4K | 0.92% | 9 | | Mar 2026 | Brittany Ferries | 135K | 19.1% | 1 | | Mar 2026 | CalMac | 135K | 19.1% | 2 | | Mar 2026 | Stena Line | 110K | 15.5% | 3 | | Mar 2026 | P&O Ferries | 90.5K | 12.8% | 4 | | Mar 2026 | DFDS | 60.5K | 8.5% | 5 | | Mar 2026 | Irish Ferries | 60.5K | 8.5% | 6 | | Mar 2026 | Wightlink | 60.5K | 8.5% | 7 | | Mar 2026 | Red Funnel | 49.5K | 7% | 8 | | Mar 2026 | Condor Ferries | 6.6K | 0.93% | 9 | | Apr 2026 | Brittany Ferries | 135K | 19.1% | 1 | | Apr 2026 | CalMac | 135K | 19.1% | 2 | | Apr 2026 | Stena Line | 110K | 15.5% | 3 | | Apr 2026 | P&O Ferries | 90.5K | 12.8% | 4 | | Apr 2026 | DFDS | 60.5K | 8.5% | 5 | | Apr 2026 | Irish Ferries | 60.5K | 8.5% | 6 | | Apr 2026 | Wightlink | 60.5K | 8.5% | 7 | | Apr 2026 | Red Funnel | 49.5K | 7% | 8 | | Apr 2026 | Condor Ferries | 6.6K | 0.93% | 9 | | May 2026 | Brittany Ferries | 165K | 21.6% | 1 | | May 2026 | CalMac | 110K | 14.4% | 2 | | May 2026 | P&O Ferries | 110K | 14.4% | 3 | | May 2026 | Stena Line | 110K | 14.4% | 4 | | May 2026 | DFDS | 74K | 9.7% | 5 | | May 2026 | Wightlink | 74K | 9.7% | 6 | | May 2026 | Irish Ferries | 60.5K | 7.9% | 7 | | May 2026 | Red Funnel | 49.5K | 6.5% | 8 | | May 2026 | Condor Ferries | 9.9K | 1.3% | 9 | | Jun 2026 | Brittany Ferries | 165K | 22.5% | 1 | | Jun 2026 | CalMac | 110K | 15% | 2 | | Jun 2026 | P&O Ferries | 110K | 15% | 3 | | Jun 2026 | Stena Line | 110K | 15% | 4 | | Jun 2026 | DFDS | 60.5K | 8.2% | 5 | | Jun 2026 | Irish Ferries | 60.5K | 8.2% | 6 | | Jun 2026 | Wightlink | 60.5K | 8.2% | 7 | | Jun 2026 | Red Funnel | 49.5K | 6.7% | 8 | | Jun 2026 | Condor Ferries | 8.1K | 1.1% | 9 | | Jul 2026 | Brittany Ferries | 165K | 19.9% | 1 | | Jul 2026 | CalMac | 135K | 16.3% | 2 | | Jul 2026 | Stena Line | 135K | 16.3% | 3 | | Jul 2026 | P&O Ferries | 110K | 13.3% | 4 | | Jul 2026 | DFDS | 90.5K | 10.9% | 5 | | Jul 2026 | Irish Ferries | 74K | 8.9% | 6 | | Jul 2026 | Wightlink | 60.5K | 7.3% | 7 | | Jul 2026 | Red Funnel | 49.5K | 6% | 8 | | Jul 2026 | Condor Ferries | 8.1K | 0.98% | 9 | | Aug 2026 | Brittany Ferries | 165K | 19.7% | 1 | | Aug 2026 | P&O Ferries | 135K | 16.2% | 2 | | Aug 2026 | Stena Line | 135K | 16.2% | 3 | | Aug 2026 | CalMac | 110K | 13.2% | 4 | | Aug 2026 | DFDS | 74K | 8.9% | 5 | | Aug 2026 | Irish Ferries | 74K | 8.9% | 6 | | Aug 2026 | Wightlink | 74K | 8.9% | 7 | | Aug 2026 | Red Funnel | 60.5K | 7.2% | 8 | | Aug 2026 | Condor Ferries | 8.1K | 0.97% | 9 | | Sep 2026 | Brittany Ferries | 110K | 18.8% | 1 | | Sep 2026 | CalMac | 110K | 18.8% | 2 | | Sep 2026 | P&O Ferries | 90.5K | 15.4% | 3 | | Sep 2026 | Stena Line | 90.5K | 15.4% | 4 | | Sep 2026 | DFDS | 49.5K | 8.4% | 5 | | Sep 2026 | Wightlink | 49.5K | 8.4% | 6 | | Sep 2026 | Irish Ferries | 40.5K | 6.9% | 7 | | Sep 2026 | Red Funnel | 40.5K | 6.9% | 8 | | Sep 2026 | Condor Ferries | 5.4K | 0.92% | 9 | ## What is being compared - **Brittany Ferries**: Measured on the search term “brittany ferries”. - **CalMac**: Measured on the search term “calmac”. - **Condor Ferries**: Measured on the search term “condor ferries”. - **DFDS**: Measured on the search term “dfds”. - **Irish Ferries**: Measured on the search term “irish ferries”. - **P&O Ferries**: Measured on the search term “p&o ferries”. - **Red Funnel**: Measured on the search term “red funnel”. - **Stena Line**: Measured on the search term “stena line”. - **Wightlink**: Measured on the search term “wightlink”. - [Brittany Ferries](/demand/uk/brands/brittany-ferries) - [CalMac](/demand/uk/brands/calmac) - [Condor Ferries](/demand/uk/brands/condor-ferries) - [DFDS](/demand/uk/brands/dfds) - [Irish Ferries](/demand/uk/brands/irish-ferries) - [P&O Ferries](/demand/uk/brands/p-and-o-ferries) - [Red Funnel](/demand/uk/brands/red-funnel) - [Stena Line](/demand/uk/brands/stena-line) - [Wightlink](/demand/uk/brands/wightlink) ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Which brand is most popular in search among ferry companies in the United Kingdom? Brittany Ferries and CalMac tie for the highest share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom, at 18.8% each in September 2026. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Ferry companies in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/categories/uk-ferry-companies This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/categories/uk-ferry-companies. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.