Taking a motorbike on the Isle of Man ferry — fares, tie-downs and loading

This page is for anyone taking a motorbike to the Isle of Man outside race fortnight. It covers the fare, how the bike gets strapped down, what boarding is like and what’s worth bringing. If you’re going for the races, TT sailings work differently and sell out much earlier. Read getting a TT ferry instead. For the routes and ships in general, see our Isle of Man ferry guide.

The short version: outside TT, taking a bike across is easy. There’s one operator, the Steam Packet (opens in a new tab), and every sailing takes motorbikes. A bike costs much less than a car, and the crew tie it down for you.

What it costs

The Steam Packet publishes “from” prices for its motorcycle offers on its sailing offers page (opens in a new tab). They cover a bike plus rider, or bike plus two on Starlight and day trips, each way (September 2026):

Offer	Summer 2026 (11 June – 31 Aug)	Autumn (1 Sept 2026 – 9 Jan 2027)
5-day short break, bike + 1	£83	£65.75
Any length of stay, bike + 1	£86	£72.75
Starlight (evening/night sailings), bike + 2	£101.75	£82.25
Day trip, bike + 2	£72.25	£62.75

What these fares don’t tell you:

• They’re floors, not prices. Fares go up as sailings fill, so an August Saturday booked a month out won’t be anywhere near £83.
• Weekend supplement. Between 1 April and 30 September, sailing on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday costs extra.
• Book online. Booking by phone or at a terminal adds £7.50 per passenger and £15 per vehicle.
• Offer fares are strict. You pay an amendment fee plus any fare increase to change them, and there are no refunds. If your dates might move, price up a Flexi fare as well, which has no amendment fees.

A pillion rides on the same booking, and under-16s go free on scheduled sailings. For more ways to cut the cost, see cheap Steam Packet fares.

How the bike is secured

According to the Steam Packet’s vehicle guidance (opens in a new tab), you don’t need to bring your own straps. The crew secure bikes in purpose-built racks, with lashings set out in the company’s approved cargo securing manual.

Not every rider is happy about that. In May 2024 a Facebook post complained that bikes were tied down with “string” and that riders had to untie their own bikes on arrival. The Steam Packet defended its method to Manx Radio (opens in a new tab), saying the racks are made and tested to withstand “expected worse case loads”.

What that means in practice:

• Watch it being done. Follow the crew’s instructions, but a quick look at your bike before you head upstairs costs nothing.
• Protect your paint. If you’re precious about your seat or tank, a folded rag or a pair of strap sleeves in your pocket is cheap insurance.
• Don’t count on getting back to the deck. Passengers aren’t normally allowed back on the vehicle decks once the ship has sailed, so take anything you’ll need up with you.

Which ship, and does it matter?

Every route lands in Douglas. In autumn 2026 the ship you get depends on the route:

• Heysham: normally Manxman. She’s been out of service since the summer with propeller-shaft wear, and the Steam Packet’s latest update (opens in a new tab) (22 September 2026) says she’ll be back in November. Until then Ben-my-Chree covers her sailings. For a bike, there’s no practical difference.
• Liverpool: the fast craft Manannan in season (2 hr 45 min), and the conventional ship at winter weekends. Manannan copes less well with rough weather, which matters more on a bike than in a car.
• Larne and Dublin: see the ferry from Ireland for which ship and when. Dublin is seasonal, and its 2026 sailings were cancelled from 23 July to 1 October.

During TT, Manannan gets an extra mezzanine vehicle deck, so give the correct vehicle details when you book. That’s a TT problem, though, not an autumn one.

Booking and boarding

• Book online as “Motorcycle”. One online booking can take up to eight bikes, depending on how many adults are on it. A sidecar or a bike towing a trailer is its own category, up to 10 metres long in total.
• Check in from about 90 minutes before departure. The last check-in for vehicles is 45 minutes before sailing at Douglas (Steam Packet (opens in a new tab)), and the same rule applies to bikes.
• On the deck: follow the crew’s directions to the bike area, and take your helmet, tank bag and waterproofs up with you.
• Arriving in Douglas: you ride off at the Sea Terminal, at the south end of the promenade. Fill up in town before heading for the hills, because there’s no fuel on the Mountain Road itself.

What to bring

• Your licence. L plates aren’t valid unless your provisional licence was issued on the Isle of Man, so learners can’t ride here.
• ID. British and Irish riders don’t need a passport, but you’ll need photo ID (see passports and ID). Most other nationalities have needed an ETA since April 2026.
• Waterproofs you can reach. The Mountain Road is often in cloud when Douglas is in sunshine. More on the weather.
• A rag or strap sleeves, as above.
• Insurance that covers the island. Check your policy covers the Isle of Man, and the crossing itself.

Once you’re across, read driving on the Isle of Man before you go looking for the derestricted sections. For routes and bike-friendly places to stay, see motorbike holidays on the Isle of Man.

The honest bit