Taking a hire car on CalMac ferries
Yes, you can take a Car Hire Hebrides vehicle on a ferry, and there is no restriction from us on doing so. What you do need to handle is the crossing itself: the booking, the check-in and the consequences if it does not sail.
The crossing is yours to arrange, not ours
Ferry tickets, vehicle space, availability and the operator's own conditions are not part of your hire. We permit ferry travel; we are not the ferry operator, and we cannot get you onto a sailing that is full or cancelled.
Reserve vehicle space, and do it early
- Vehicle space and foot-passenger space sell out at different rates. A crossing with room for you may have none for the car.
- In summer and around school holidays, vehicle space on the popular crossings goes well in advance.
- Book each leg of a multi-island route rather than assuming you can add one later.
- Give the correct vehicle details when you book. A booking made for the wrong size of vehicle is a problem at the ramp, not at the desk.
Check-in closes before departure
- Arrive in time for check-in, not for departure. They are different times and the gap is not small.
- Have your booking reference and the vehicle registration to hand.
- Follow the marshals' directions in the marshalling area. Reversing onto a ferry deck in a vehicle you have had for two days is not the moment to improvise.
- Apply the handbrake and leave the vehicle in gear once parked, and take what you need with you: you cannot usually return to the car deck during the crossing.
Cancellations rearrange more than one day
Weather cancellations are a normal part of island travel rather than an exception, and a missed crossing can move your return by a day.
Tell us as soon as you know your collection or return time has changed. We will do our best to adapt the handover, though revised arrangements remain subject to vehicle and staff availability.
Sometimes the answer is not to take the car
For a one-way trip down the chain, a one-way hire can remove crossings altogether: return the vehicle at the far end rather than bringing it back.
And if you are travelling as a foot passenger and hiring at the other end, you avoid vehicle space on the crossing entirely, which is exactly why we hold a desk inside Stornoway Ferry Terminal.
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