AFerry
AFerry is a UK-based online ferry ticket aggregator and OTA connecting 80+ ferry operators and 1,200+ routes to 3 million+ leisure travelers, monetizing through per-booking transaction fees while localizing across 28 languages.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersSutton Courtenay, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What AFerry does
AFerry is the world's largest online ferry ticket distribution network, operating as an aggregator and intermediary between ferry operators and travelers. The platform, AFerry.com, connects more than 80 major European ferry operators and over 1,200 routes worldwide, handling roughly 1.5 million ferry crossings per year for more than 3 million customers. It is localized into 28 languages across 30+ country sites and operates alongside acquired brands Ferrysavers (UK ferry comparison, acquired 2005), Transcamion (Ro/Ro freight, acquired 2013), and legacy technology WebRes (early online booking engine, 1997). The company is family-owned, led by the Howe-Davies family across multiple generations, with James Howe-Davies as CEO and Michael Howe-Davies as COO.
Under the hood, AFerry runs a digital-first, self-serve booking engine with SEO-optimized landing pages for thousands of routes, ports, and operators, supported by iOS and Android apps and a My Account portal for booking management. Customer service is delivered through the Fin AI chatbot (knowledge retrieval over the help center with human-agent escalation) and through dedicated freight and accessibility support lines. Security is anchored on SSL/Thawte encryption for transactional data.
AFerry monetizes via transaction/booking fees acting as a payment agent for ferry and train operators, with dynamic per-route pricing displayed as "from" prices and no hidden costs. Go-to-market is product-led growth on the demand side (SEO, Trustpilot/Google reviews, email newsletter, organic social) and channel-partner/reseller relationships on the supply side (DFDS, P&O, Stena Line, Brittany Ferries, Irish Ferries, Balearia, GNV, Grimaldi Lines, Corsica Linea, CTN, Tallink Silja, Viking Line, and 15+ others). Customer segments are primarily individual leisure travelers and families, with a secondary freight and commercial vehicle segment served via Transcamion. Recent product extensions include Koala Cancel For Any Reason insurance, pet travel, disability assistance, export vehicle bookings, and travel insurance add-ons.
AFerry firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AFerry
- Legal name
- AFerry Ltd
- Website
- https://aferry.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- AFerry is a UK-based online ferry ticket aggregator and OTA connecting 80+ ferry operators and 1,200+ routes to 3 million+ leisure travelers, monetizing through per-booking transaction fees while localizing across 28 languages.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AFerry industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Ferry Ticket Distribution
- NAICS
- Water Transportation (483), Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ferry Ticketing, Booking Platforms & Distribution (THAEAGAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cruise Aggregators & Online Cruise Agencies (THAKAAAK), Cross-Border & International Passenger Ferries (THAIAJAI)
Keywords
Where AFerry is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sutton Courtenay
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
AFerry business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Booking Commission/Transaction Fees: AFerry acts as an intermediary between customers and ferry operators, charging transaction fees on bookings. The company is described as a 'payment agent for the Operator' and earns revenue by facilitating bookings for third-party ferry and train services. A booking fee is charged for the booking service provided.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Dynamic pricing based on route, operator, and travel date |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
AFerry product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AFerry operates an online ferry ticket distribution and comparison platform that aggregates over 80 major European ferry operators and 1,200+ ferry routes worldwide, enabling individual travelers and freight operators to search, compare, and book ferry crossings directly. The platform handles approximately 1.5 million ferry crossings per year for over 3 million customers, available in 28 languages across localized websites. Revenue is generated through transaction fees and booking commissions charged on each ferry ticket sold.
Product overview
AFerry is the world's largest online ferry ticket distribution network providing a unified booking platform for ferry travel. The core product is AFerry.com, a comparison and booking website that enables customers to book over 80 major European ferry operators across more than 1,200 ferry routes throughout the UK, France, Spain, Ireland, Holland, the Mediterranean, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and America. The platform handles approximately 1.5 million ferry crossings per year for over 3 million customers. The product portfolio includes the legacy acquired brands Transcamion (freight ferry specialists founded 1977, acquired 2013), Ferrysavers (UK's original ferry comparison brand acquired 2005), and WebRes (early online booking engine from 1997). Customer service is delivered through the Fin AI chatbot integrated into the My Account platform, supplemented by human agents. Add-on services include Koala Cancel For Any Reason insurance, pet travel services, disability assistance, export vehicle travel, and travel insurance. Mobile apps for iOS and Android extend the booking platform to mobile users.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- AFerry.com Ferry Booking Platform
- AFerry Mobile App
- Koala Cancel For Any Reason Insurance
- AFerry Travel Insurance
- Fin AI Chatbot
- Pet Travel Services
- Disability Assistance Services
- Export Vehicle Travel
- Freight Booking Services
- Transcamion Freight Ferry Booking
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 3 million customers trust AFerry
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use AFerry
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
AFerry technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability1 record
Feature3 records
AFerry partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
27 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- DFDScoreDFDS is one of the major ferry operators available through AFerry's platform, offering routes across UK-France (Dover-Calais, Newhaven-Dieppe), Newcastle-Amsterdam, Baltic Sea routes, and Copenhagen-Frederikshavn-Oslo routes.
- Irish FerriescoreIrish Ferries is a key ferry partner offering routes between Ireland and UK including Dublin-Holyhead, and Dublin-Cherbourg.
- P&O FerriescoreP&O Ferries is a major ferry partner offering UK-France routes including Dover-Calais with 3-day and 5-day short break special offers.
- Stena LinecoreStena Line is a key ferry partner operating Irish Sea routes between UK and Ireland including Holyhead-Dublin with various special offers.
- Brittany FerriescoreBrittany Ferries operates France and Spain routes including Cork-Roscoff, Portsmouth-Caen, and Portsmouth-Santander with special short break offers.
- Grimaldi LinescoreGrimaldi Lines offers ferry services to Sardinia, Sicily, Spain and Greece with special promotions including 50% off pet travel.
- Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV)coreGNV offers ferry crossings to Sicily, Sardinia, and North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia) with various promotional offers up to 40% off.
- Corsica LineacoreCorsica Linea operates routes to Corsica and Tunisia from mainland France with special offers including 60% off Tunisia foot passengers.
- BaleariacoreBalearia offers ferry services to Spain and the Balearic Islands including routes from mainland Spain to the islands.
- CTN (Compagnie Tunisienne de Navigation)coreCTN operates Tunisia ferry routes between Tunisia, France and Italy with availability updates for summer 2026.
- SNAVcoreSNAV offers ferry services to Croatia, Aeolian Islands and Pontine Islands with up to 15% off special offers.
- Superfast FerriescoreSuperfast Ferries operates Italy-Greece routes including new Bari-Sami (Kefalonia) service for Summer 2026 with up to 50% off promotions.
- Tallink Silja LinecoreTallink Silja Line offers Baltic Sea ferry crossings including Helsinki, Tallinn and Stockholm routes with up to 40% off promotions.
- La MéridionalecoreLa Méridionale operates Corsica ferry services from Marseille with fares from 55€ and Morocco routes with up to 40% off.
- Viking LinecoreViking Line offers Baltic cruise ferry services with up to 50% off mini cruises to Helsinki, Tallinn and Stockholm.
- TrasmediterraneacoreTrasmed GLE offers ferry services between Spain and the Balearic Islands with 30% discount special offers.
- ScandlinescoreScandlines operates ferry routes across the Baltic Sea region.
- WightlinkcoreWightlink offers ferry services to Isle of Wight including short breaks from £14.
- Isle of Man Steam PacketcoreIsle of Man Steam Packet operates routes to Dublin including Douglas-Dublin service.
- Manche Îles ExpresscoreManche Îles Express operates Channel Islands ferries from 40€.
- Moby LinescoreMoby Lines offers Italy ferry routes including Genoa-Bastia, Genoa-Olbia, Livorno-Olbia with pet-friendly services.
- WasalinecoreWasaline operates Umea (Sweden) to Vaasa (Finland) ferry route.
- Pentland FerriescorePentland Ferries operates Gills Bay to St Margarets Hope (Orkney) routes in Scotland.
- Ventouris FerriescoreVentouris Ferries operates Bari-Igoumenitsa, Corfu and Durres routes.
- Algérie FerriescoreAlgérie Ferries operates routes to Algeria from Spain, France and Italy including Algiers, Annaba, Béjaia, Oran and Skikda ports.
- Tsugaru Kaikyo FerrycoreTsugaru Kaikyo Ferry operates Japan routes including Hakodate-Aomori, Hakodate-Oma with pet-friendly services.
- Brittany Ferries GuernseycoreBrittany Ferries Guernsey (formerly Condor Ferries) operates Channel Islands routes including Guernsey, Jersey, Poole, Portsmouth and St Malo.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
AFerry competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Airtel (Australian ferry booking): Australian ferry ticketing and booking service; relevant regional comparison for AFerry's ferry-specific aggregation model in the Asia-Pacific market.
- Logitravel: Spanish-headquartered OTA offering cruises, ferries, and packaged holidays. Comparable ferry distribution capability through its Ferrylines brand and significant Iberian overlap.
Broad incumbents
- Expedia Group: Major global OTA with broad travel inventory including some ferry routes. A credible potential entrant that could compress AFerry's SEO traffic and operator commissions.
- Booking.com: Largest OTA globally; has been expanding into ground and ferry transport, representing the principal large-platform threat to specialist ferry aggregators like AFerry.
Direct peers
- Ferrylines.com: European ferry search engine and booking site operated by Logitravel Group, directly comparable to AFerry's search-and-compare functionality across multiple operators.
- Ferryhopper: Online ferry booking platform strong in Greek and Mediterranean routes, competing head-on with AFerry in Southern Europe and island-hopping segments.
- DirectFerries: Direct competitor and one of the largest online ferry comparison/booking platforms in Europe, aggregating a comparable set of operators and routes. Closest 1:1 functional competitor to AFerry.
Emerging players
- Trainline: European train and bus ticket aggregator that has expanded into adjacent surface transport; relevant comparable in multi-modal aggregation UX and SEO-led acquisition.
- Omio: Multimodal travel booking platform covering trains, buses, flights, and ferries across Europe. Overlaps with AFerry in ferry and cross-border ground/water transport aggregation.
Others
- Visit a City / travel metasearch platforms: Travel metasearch and content platforms that surface ferry and transport options; thematically adjacent competitors for AFerry's SEO-driven, top-of-funnel customer acquisition.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AFerry social profiles
Digital presenceAFerry financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AFerry leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
AFerry subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
AFerry funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AFerry M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AFerry
What does AFerry do?
AFerry operates an online ferry ticket distribution and comparison platform that aggregates over 80 major European ferry operators and 1,200+ ferry routes worldwide, enabling individual travelers and freight operators to search, compare, and book ferry crossings directly. The platform handles approximately 1.5 million ferry crossings per year for over 3 million customers, available in 28 languages across localized websites. Revenue is generated through transaction fees and booking commissions charged on each ferry ticket sold.
Is AFerry a public or private company?
AFerry is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was AFerry founded?
AFerry was founded in 1977. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is AFerry based?
AFerry is headquartered in Sutton Courtenay, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does AFerry make money?
One revenue line is on record: booking Commission/Transaction Fees.
Who are AFerry's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Airtel (Australian ferry booking) and Logitravel. Broad incumbents are Expedia Group and Booking.com. Direct peers are Ferrylines.com, Ferryhopper and DirectFerries. Emerging players are Trainline and Omio. Visit a City / travel metasearch platforms is listed as an others.
Does AFerry have an API?
No public API is recorded for AFerry.
What industry is AFerry in?
AFerry's product category is Online Ferry Ticket Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAEAGAI, Ferry Ticketing, Booking Platforms & Distribution, with a secondary code of THAKAAAK, Cruise Aggregators & Online Cruise Agencies. Its NAICS code is 483 and its SIC code is 4400.