Families find ferries "less restricting"

Ferries are an appealing option for families as they are "less restricting" than travelling abroad by plane, according to one expert.

Take the Family, which provides information on hand-picked family holidays and breaks within the UK, made the claim, adding that parents and children enjoy being able to walk around and stretch their legs on a boat.

Lucy Ace, managing director of Take the Family, said: "Both air and ferry travel are exciting experiences for kids, the bonus of travelling by ferry is that it is a lot less restricting."

She added: "On some routes you can take cabins or join in with onboard entertainment, all of which help to make the whole experience much less stressful."

Earlier this year, maritime publication the Shipping Times reported that 2007 saw a boom in ferry travel around the four-day Easter break.

During this religious holiday, when most children are off school, more than 235,000 passengers passed through the Port of Dover.

This was a seven per cent increase on 2006, according to the Dover Harbour Board.