This year the day-trip market to the island from France was boosted by the arrival of Brittany Ferries on the route and a departure time from Saint Malo of 8am Guernsey time, arriving into the island before 10am.
With ongoing major infrastructure development going on at the French port, one of its two ro-ro ramps will be out of service for an extended period. All operators will have to share a single ramp, with potential for congestion at peak times.
And so the DFDS announcement caused has some consternation locally.
Brittany Ferries declined to comment on the situation yesterday, but the Economic Development Committee issued a statement yesterday afternoon.
It said that along with the ferry firm it had been working closely with the Port of Saint Malo and talks were continuing over ramp access.
‘This morning, I have been in communication with Stephane Perrin-Sarzier, vice-president of the Brittany Regional Council, who has responsibility for the Port of St Malo,’ said Economic Development president Sasha Kazantseva-Miller.
‘I welcome his confirmation that decisions regarding future port access for 2026 have not yet been finalised, ensuring that negotiations can continue.
‘Brittany Ferries has a long-established presence at the Port of St Malo and a historic route to Guernsey spanning more than five decades, having taken over the service previously operated by Condor Ferries.
‘I am confident that the St Malo Port Authorities and the Regional Council of Brittany fully recognise their social and economic responsibility to maintain connectivity for Guernsey and the UK, and that these factors will be central to their decision-making process.’
DFDS said that ‘the majority’ of its preferred sailing times had been approved by the French port. This includes leaving St Malo at 7.45am (6.45am Guernsey time), which would allow a 9.30am departure from Jersey and a 6pm return.
The sailing times secured by DFDS for 2025 were heavily criticised in Jersey for restricting day trips to France.
Visit Jersey chief executive Tricia Warwick has welcomed the news, which she told the Jersey Evening Post was ‘an excellent outcome for Jersey’s connectivity with our neighbours in France’. She added that it would also make the island ‘more appealing for day-trip and short-break visitors’.
‘The new timetable also supports our efforts to grow inbound tourism from Brittany and beyond, which is a key priority for 2026,’ she said.
Brittany Ferries grew traffic on the St Malo-Guernsey route by nearly 60% year-on-year.
Brittany Ferries carried 99,325 passengers on the route from April to October 2025. This was 36,472 more passengers than 2024, and many of them were visitors from France.