The Fowey to Bodinnick ferry service costs from £6.20 for cars, with services usually starting at 7am.
How I ended up on the Fowey to Bodinnick ferry
First, a confession: I encountered the Fowey to Bodinnick ferry by accident. I was driving from the Eden Project to my family’s accommodation in Polperro, and the SatNav offered three routes.
I decided on the route I’d not driven along yet. Once in Fowey, and about 100 metres from the River Fowey, I realised this meant taking a ferry.
Five great things to do while you’re in Cornwall
- 👻 Feel the chills in the abandoned cells on a hugely atmospheric tour of Bodmin Jail.
- 🌱 Explore the world’s largest indoor rainforest at the Eden Project.
- 🎬 Discover the Beyond Paradise filming locations around Looe on a specialised tour.
- 🐬 Spot dolphins, seals and porpoises on a RIB sealife safari from Padstow.
- 🏄 Hit the surf in Newquay with a two hour surfing lesson.
Cornwall’s ferry services
The Bodinnick Ferry is one of a few ferry services providing connections along the Cornwall coast where bridges haven’t been built across the rivers. It connects the small town of Fowey to the hamlet of Bodinnick. This Cornish ferry service also provides a link between central Cornwall and east Cornwall.
How long is the Fowey to Bodinnick ferry crossing?
The Fowey to Bodinnick ferry crossing takes around five minutes, and the ferry shuttles back and forth between the two banks of the river all day long. You’ll rarely have to wait more than 15 minutes to board.
Bodinnick Ferry timetable
The Bodinnick Ferry timetable varies somewhat by season, but in summer the first service is at 7am Monday to Saturday, and 8am on Sundays. The last ferry of the day leaves Fowey at 8.50pm in the height of summer. The last ferry time gets gradually later between April and June, then gradually earlier in September and October.
In winter (end of October to end of March), the Bodinnick Ferry runs between 7am and 7pm, Monday to Friday. That becomes 8am to 7pm on Saturdays, and 9am to 7pm on Sundays.
You can check the exact times for your date of travel on the website of the ferry operator, C Toms and Son.
Bodinnick Ferry ticket prices
At the time of writing in August 2025, a one way ticket on the Bodinnick Ferry costs £6.20 for cars with two passengers or fewer. It’s £10.50 for a return.
For cars with three or more passengers, these fares go up to £7 single and £12 return.
For larger vehicles – lorries, caravans, cars with trailers etc – the prices go up to £10.50 single and £18 return.
Adult foot passengers pay £2.70 for a one way ticket on the Fowey to Bodinnick ferry, and children pay £1.40.
For cyclists, it’s £3.20 one way and motorcyclists pay £4 one way.
Again, double check these prices on the C Toms and Son website.
Is it worth taking the Bodinnick Ferry? And alternative routes
Without taking the Bodinnick Ferry, it’s a 14-and-a-half mile drive from Fowey to Bodinnick via Lostwithiel. That takes about 34 minutes. Take the ferry and it takes ten to 25 minutes, depending on your waiting time.
However, most people taking the Fowey to Bodinnick ferry are travelling further. If going from St Austell to Looe, taking the slightly longer route by road will usually work out quicker.
Basically, the Bodinnick Ferry is only worth taking if you’re travelling between places pretty close to the River Fowey. Unless, of course, you fancy going the fun (but more expensive) way. Or you’ve gone with the SatNav’s more quixotic option.
More Cornwall travel
Other Cornwall travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
