If you're the kind of person who starts mentally planning next summer's holiday while this one hasn't even properly got going yet — same, honestly — then Irish Ferries has just given you a very good reason to act on it. The 2027 France summer schedule is now open for bookings, and there's a 20% early booking discount on the table for anyone who gets sorted before the end of September.
We're talking about the Dublin to Cherbourg route on the W.B. Yeats, which is genuinely one of the loveliest ways to arrive in France. You sail overnight, wake up somewhere beautiful, and the driving holiday begins. No airport queues, no restricted liquids panic, no trying to fold a double buggy while someone behind you sighs loudly. Just the ferry, your car packed exactly how you want it, and France waiting on the other side.
To lock in the deal, you need to put down a €300 deposit and book before the end of September. In return you get 20% off your 2027 trip, plus first pick of sailings and cabin options. If you've ever been stuck with whatever cabin is left because you left it too late, you'll appreciate that last part.
Why France is having a serious moment for family holidays
With this summer's heatwave conditions making the idea of sweltering in 40-degree heat while chasing a toddler less appealing by the day, northern France is looking like a genuinely smart alternative. It's warm, it's beautiful and it's far less chaotic than the more popular southern European hotspots. The beaches are wide and sandy, the campsites are exceptional and the food is, well — it's France.
Just a two-hour drive from Cherbourg port, Domaine des Ormes in Dol-de-Bretagne is the kind of place that makes a family holiday feel properly impressive. Set across 400 acres of woodland with five swimming pools, golf, horse riding and a high-wire adventure course, it's one of those places that keeps everyone busy — from the child who wants to be on a zip wire at all times to the one who's happiest floating in a pool with an ice cream. Saint-Malo is nearby too, with its castle, museums and Le Grand Aquarium, plus the sort of seafood that'll make you feel briefly like a cultured adult.
Further along into South Brittany, Bénodet balances land and sea beautifully, with treetop adventure parks and boat trips on the River Odet. And if your lot are serious about activities, Le Grand Métairie in Carnac comes with a mini farm, waterslides, archery and a zip wire — honestly, you might not see the kids from morning to dinnertime, which may or may not be the holiday you've been quietly dreaming of.
Further south: sun, beaches and the Vendée
If you want to push further, the Vendée delivers more warmth and seriously good beaches. And the Charente-Maritime region — stretching from the old port of La Rochelle down to Royan and beyond — is one of those parts of France that feels like a discovery even when it isn't exactly a secret. It takes in Île de Ré and Île d'Oléron, the largest island on the French Atlantic coast, both of which you can explore by car, by bike or just on foot at whatever pace suits you. There are vineyards, forests and a generous stretch of Atlantic coastline with a wide choice of family campsites along the way.
It's the kind of holiday that feels genuinely like a proper break — not just a change of location while you do the same parenting in a different country.
How to book
The 20% early booking offer is available now through Irish Ferries on the Dublin to Cherbourg route. A €300 deposit secures your reservation, with the discount and your preferred sailing and cabin locked in. The offer runs until the end of September 2026, so there's no need to panic this week — but it's absolutely worth getting on with it before the back-to-school rush swallows the next few months whole.
Visit irishferries.com for full details and to book. Terms and conditions apply to the 20% discount.
