Having experienced a pretty uncomfortable night travelling on a seat only overnight crossing between Portsmouth and Caen, I vowed never to make the same mistake again, stop being so cheap, and to always book myself a cabin! The problem though, is that cabins sell out quickly, and can be really expensive for single travellers.
That’s why I was super excited to learn that Brittany Ferries have introduced an accommodation option called Couchettes Plus on their newest ship to operate this route – the Guillaume de Normandie (William of Normandy) ferry.
As a budget traveller, an overnight bed for just £12 sounded almost too good to be true, so naturally, I was keen to put it to the test. I sailed from Caen to Portsmouth to cast my critical eye on what Couchette Plus is really like in terms of sleep quality, privacy, facilities, and whether it’s actually worth it.
So grab your lifejacket and hop aboard, ’cause this is my Couchette Plus ferry review…
The Quick Verdict & Couchette Plus Scorecard
| Category | Scorecard Review |
|---|---|
|
Light 4 / 5 | Thick privacy curtains on each bunk block out most of the light triggered by other passengers moving around the couchette during the night. |
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Temperature 5 / 5 | Couchettes are air-conditioned and well ventilated. Overnight temperature was just right for cosy duvet use, without getting too hot. |
|
Privacy 5 / 5 | My berth was cosy and dark, the privacy curtains were thick, and the placement of the ladders to reach top bunks mean little to no disturbance for those sleeping in the lower berths. |
|
Bag Security 3 / 5 | Somewhat lacking - each berth had its own dedicated space for luggage, but with no actual lockers in the couchette, bring valuable items with you in your bunk. |
|
Showers & Toilets 4 / 5 | Showers and toilets were easy to find, cleaned regularly, fully equipped, and not at all crowded when I visited. |
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Lounge 5 / 5 | Spacious, comfortable and with loads of places to spread out, do some work, or just chat in comfort. Free water taps to fill up your bottles. |
|
Value 5 / 5 | £12 on top of your regular fare for a great night's sleep in a comfortable bed - insanely good value! |
What is Couchette Plus (and which ferry has it)?
Couchette Plus is a relatively new hostel style sleeping option, available on just one of Brittany Ferries’ ships – the Guillaume de Normandie (William of Normandy), serving the Portsmouth to Caen crossing. The Couchette Plus berths are located on deck 6 of the Guillaume de Normandie – one deck below reception & the main bar area.
Each air-conditioned Couchette Plus cabin has four individual berths, laid out in the form of two separate bunk beds. Each berth has a fully flat made bed with a pillow, duvet, bed sheets, and topper, a privacy curtain, charging ports for British, European & USB powered devices, and a reading light.
Couchette Plus is only available on the William of Normandy, and not on the Mont Saint-Michel – the other ferry which operates between Portsmouth and Caen. The key difference between the two ships is that booking a lounge reserved seat is only possible on the Mont Saint Michel, whereas Couchette Plus accommodation is only bookable on the Guillaume de Normandie.
My Trip in Couchette Plus
I travelled in Couchette Plus on the night sailing from Caen to Portsmouth on Friday October 23rd, 2026. Advertised departure time was 23:30 from Caen, and arrival time into Portsmouth was 06:15.
Despite the first named storm of the season rolling through and creating very windy and rainy conditions, we departed and arrived on time, and I enjoyed what felt like a smooth journey across the channel. In hindsight, considering the rough weather, this was a great night to test the accommodation and ship’s handling!
I paid a total of £66 for my one-way journey. This comprised a £54 foot passenger fare & £12 for my bed in one of the Couchette Plus cabins.
How to get to Caen Ferry Port (Ouistreham) Without a Car
Before I get into my detailed Couchette Plus review, it’s worth pointing about a few useful things to other foot passengers travelling between Portsmouth and Caen:
Primarily, Caen’s ferry terminal is not actually in Caen itself – it is located in a small coastal village about 20 kilometers north, called Ouistrehem. However, it’s pretty easy travelling as foot passenger to get from one to the other…
From Caen city center, I simply took the number 12 Twisto bus from the stop ‘Tour Leroy’ to a stop in Ouistrehem – General Leclerc – which dropped me off about a 10 minute walk from the ferry terminal. My bus ticket cost me 1.20 EUR and the journey took half an hour.
I’ve included a map below detailing the number 12 bus route from Caen station and the main city center stop at Tour Leroy to General Leclerc bus stop in Ouistehem, and then the walking directions from there to the ferry terminal. Here’s a link to the Caen Ouistrehem bus schedule if you plan to travel as foot passenger too. Of course, if you don’t want to take the bus for any reason, you could just take a local taxi, Bolt or Uber.
It’s important to mention here that there are no rental car options on arrival in Ouistrehem itself! So if you do plan to rent a car in France when you get off the ferry, you’ll need to first make your way to Caen to do that. Once there, you’ll find plenty of car hire options from the city center close to Caen railway station.
Conveniently, the number 12 bus which I mentioned above, ends at Caen railway station, so the process of hiring a car in Caen from Ouistrehem is actually pretty seamless.
Pre-boarding Check-in, Passport Control and EES at Ouistreham
Checking-in as a foot passenger is so easy – all I had to do was present my passport. The check-in staff then gave me my boarding pass and I was left to enjoy a bottle of Norman cider and some crisps while I waited to board.
As for security, passport control and EES in Caen, the entire process didn’t take long (approx 15 minutes) – mostly because the number of foot passengers is dwarfed by those travelling in their own cars, who check-in directly from their vehicles outside.
As a foot passenger in Oiustrehem, it really isn’t worth arriving to the terminal super early, as there’s not a huge amount to do other than visit the small bar. I think an hour before departure is more than enough. A stone’s throw from the terminal, however, I did spot a lively looking pub and Brasserie called ‘Normans’ – which could be an option for keenos intent on arriving way too early!
Step-by-step Boarding Procedure in Caen
- Once the go ahead to board was given over the loud speaker, we all wandered the few metres over to ’embarquement’ (the boarding gate) to show our boarding passes to an attendant there.
- Next step was walking though that door into a line for security checks and bag scanning. Here we had to put our bags onto the scanner along with any items we were carrying in our pockets, just as you do at airport security.
- Next, we continued to passport control, where the dreaded EES checks took place. Despite hearing horror stories about long delays caused by the EES system bedding in, I found the process to be pretty fast, with only about half of all foot passengers needing to even do the whole fingerprint thing.
- Straight after passport control we then walked onto a waiting bus, which took us to the base of the passenger footbridge.
- Taking either stairs or a lift at the base of the footbridge up to ship level, we then walked along the footbridge to board the ferry.
My Couchette Plus Review
Arrival & Locating my Berth
On arrival to the ship we were greeted by some very cheery Brittany Ferries staff in the reception area, who offered a drink (apple or orange juice) and some Halloween sweeties, which, of course – as a greedy big kid – I mullered.
All Couchette Plus berths on the Guillaume de Normandie ferry are located on deck 6. Because the footbridge inserted us foot passengers directly into the main reception area on deck 7, this meant a short walk downstairs to find my individual berth.
Lifts are available to and from all floors, but I took the stairs down to deck 6. However, if you’ve got quite a bit of luggage, you might want to take the lift as I found the stairways on this ship pretty narrow to navigate with bags, especially when someone is coming up or going down in the opposite direction.
Upon arrival to deck 6, my first impression was one of a thoughtfully laid out and classy looking area. There are two main Couchettes Plus sleeping areas, located on either side of lounge.
The signposting to my particular berth was very clear – mine was located on the other side of the lounge, which I needed my boarding pass to enter (so look after yours and keep it on you at all times!). This gave me not only a reassuring feeling of additional security, but also a somewhat optimistic sense of exclusivity, as any non-CP riff raff were kept out!
The Couchette Plus Lounge
I was really impressed by the Couchette Plus communal lounge, which had plenty of tables for working on with a laptop, comfortable sofas, a tap to fill up water bottles, a sink, vending machines for snacks, and a coffee machine. Additionally, there were a couple of informational screens detailing our progress across the English channel. It really felt like an exclusive private space for us Couchetters!
My Couchette & Bed
I was the first person into my little cabin – which is separated from the passageway by a heavy curtain rather than a door. This initially concerned me, as I figured that loud noise from people walking back and forth from their own berths would spread easily to everyone in the entire passageway, but as it turned out, this was not an issue – probably thanks to both the consideration of my fellow passengers, and the quality and thickness of the noise cancelling curtains.
Anyway, each of the adjoining 4-berth alcoves, has two bunk beds, and I had chosen a top bunk.
My first impression was one of genuine privacy, and I wasn’t at all worried about this being akin to an impersonal train couchette experience, where you’re often forced into a personal snoring concerto from your fellow passengers.
The space between each of the bunks was relatively wide, and I loved how cozy and intimate each of the individual beds were, each with its own noise cancelling curtain to help block out light and sound from the rest of the cabin.
My over-riding feeling at this point, was that I couldn’t believe that I was going to be sleeping in this cool, futuristic looking cubby hole for just £12! Although, a quiet cynical voice was starting to wonder what the catch was here?
I needn’t have worried though. I got an easy and comfortable 6.5 hours sleep overnight, and it would have been more had I not wanted to explore the rest of ferry so much.
I heard nothing from the other passengers – who were both already tucked away with curtains drawn by the time I had retired for the night. Thanks to the blackout curtains I wasn’t woken once by either one of them going to the toilet and activating the automatic light in our couchette – even in the morning.
Overnight, I was able to charge my phone and laptop to 100% battery as I slept, and I found the reading light to be just the right amount of brightness without causing any nuisance to the other passengers in my couchette.
Showers & Toilets in Couchette Plus
As Couchettes Plus is a communal accommodation service, many people will justifiably be concerned about the quality of the toilets and showers on-board.
On my trip at least, I can report that everything was fine, with clean, well-stocked men’s, women’s and disabled toilets and showers located at both ends of the communal lounge area. Usually I dread needing to use a public loo, but the ones on the Guillaume de Normandie confounded that stereotype.
Food and Drink on the Guillaume de Normandie
No review of Couchette Plus and the Guillaume de Normandie ferry would be complete without a look at its food & beverage options. As is customary for all Brits within 20 minutes of boarding a cross-channel ferry, I headed to the ship’s bar on deck 8 for a drink.
Upon entering the bar area, I thought I’d mistakenly wandered into some sort of a SpaceX launch event, with its futuristic mood lighting and ultra modern and funky interior. Despite that, the usual bar staples are on-tap (Madri, Strongbow etc.), as well as several French wines – as you’d expect from Brittany Ferries.
The space is perfect for whiling away the journey over drinks, especially as there’s also a small stage where lounge singers entertain you en-route. As I travelled close to Halloween, our singer doubled as a sweet-distributing, balloon-animal-making jack-of-all-trades. I found it all very entertaining and I appreciated the effort Brittany Ferries makes on behalf of all visitors to the bar area – not just the adults.
With a huge glass roof, this area would be bathed in light during a daytime summer sailing too, which would make it a very cool place to hangout on those crossings, I can imagine.
As I’d already mullered a three-course dinner in Caen city centre just before making my way to Ouistrehem, I didn’t eat in either of the ferry’s main restaurants (Riva Bella – the table service French-themed Brasserie on deck 7, or Le Jardin – the more casual counter-service option on deck 8).
However, in the morning I did grab a quick breakfast from Cafe du Port on deck 7, consisting of a pain au chocolat, a juice and a coffee for £6.95 – which I thought was pretty good value.
Incidentally, the other food option available on the Portsmouth to Caen crossing – the pre-booked exclusive CClub Lounge – is always closed on overnight crossings.
Arriving into Portsmouth as a Foot Passenger
Leaving the Ship
Because Portsmouth Port Authority are upgrading their footbridge facilities, us foot passengers were given plenty of advance notice that we’d be leaving the ship via the car deck, about 30 minutes after arrival, once all the cars had already left.
This was fine with me, as it allowed for more time in bed (I didn’t leave my cabin until 15 minutes before arrival!), as well as time to get and eat breakfast while waiting for the go-ahead to leave.
From the reception area on deck 7, we were taken down to the car deck to then board a passenger bus, which took us directly to the ferry terminal and UK passport control.
UK Passport Control
This was a total breeze as the queue for us foot passengers, just as in Ouistrehem, was not long at all. I deliberately put myself at the back of the queue, and the wait in line took only 10 minutes. Once I showed my passport and was given clearance to enter the UK, I walked out into the ferry terminal and my journey was officially over!
Who Should Book Couchette Plus & who Shouldn't
Those who should:
- Budget ferry travellers.
- Single ferry travellers who don’t want to have to pay the entire cost of a cabin all by themselves.
- Anyone (like me) who is still mentally scarred from trying ‘sleep’ in a reclining seat on another ferry.
Those who shouldn’t:
Anyone who values absolute privacy above all else.
Anyone who doesn’t want to share toilet & shower facilities with other passengers.
Sensitive sleepers who may be disturbed by passageway lighting and/or noises from other passengers sharing your couchette.
What to Pack for a Night in Couchette Plus
While I had a lovely, undisturbed night’s sleep in Couchettes Plus, I am, of course, not everyone, and others may not be so lucky. So, to help the most cautious of travellers, as well as the most sensitive of sleepers, to maximise their chances of waking up calm and refreshed for their first day in either France or England, here are a few additional items that might help…
- Eye mask for sleeping – this will block out any remaining light that the Couchette Plus curtains don’t. My recommendation is a chemical free all natural 100% silk mask.
- Re-useable earplugs – in case you can hear someone in your Couchette snoring over the gentle hum of the ship’s engines. Go for a pair made from medical grade silicon for a good fit in all sleeping positions – even side sleepers like me.
- Luggage tracker from a reputable company! – for those worried about the lack of lockable storage in the Couchette Plus cabins – grab an IOS and Android compatible tracker, which will alert you in case your bag goes walkies in the middle of the night!
Couchette Plus FAQ
Is Couchette Plus mixed-gender?
Yes, Couchettes Plus on the Guillaume de Normandie is mixed gender. In my cabin there was myself (a dude), a dudette, and another unknown individual in my couchette (I just saw that another bed in our group of four had been slept in after waking up).
There is no option to select a spot in a single sex couchette at the time of booking, so it seems to be Brittany Ferries’ policy to keep these as mixed gender spaces.
Can you shower on the Couchette Plus?
Yes, it is possible to shower in Couchette Plus. The male, female, and disabled shower facilities are located at one of the entrances to the communal lounge.
Are a pillow, blanket and sheets provided?
Yes – all bed linen is provided in Couchette Plus overnight accommodation. Your bed is completely made up on arrival in fact (and the mattress has a super comfortable topper as well!), so the only thing you need to do is pull the cover over you and drift off to sleep.
Is it safe to sleep there alone, and what about your bags?
Yes, I reckon it’s completely safe sleeping in Couchette Plus cabins alone as a single traveller. The area itself requires a Couchette Plus boarding card to enter, and with no doors separating the passageway from each of the two main sleeping areas – in case anything bad happens – your screams will be heard by about 50 other sleeping passengers nearby!
Your bags are kept with you in dedicated luggage spaces located right next to your berth, but I would recommend taking any highly valuable items with you into your bunk, where they can be stored on the little flat area next to the reading light and plug sockets.
Can you charge your phone at the berth?
Yep, and Brittany Ferries have been very thorough here, providing UK, EU and USB plug sockets to cover pretty much all electronic devices. My phone was down to about 10% as I had been taking so many photos and videos for this review, so I was grateful to have these charging sockets in my own bunk. This also meant that I didn’t have to fight my fellow Couchette passengers for access to them!
What time do you have to leave your berth?
Brittany Ferries broadcast the first wake up call one hour before arrival, then another one half an hour before arrival, at which point you have to leave your berth. However, as I knew that foot passengers’ leaving of the ship was to be delayed by an additional 30 minutes in Portsmouth, I stayed in my bed until just 15 minutes before arrival.
Nobody came and said anything or started harranging or hassling me, so that adult approach was also appreciated from my side.
Which Portsmouth–Caen ship has Couchette Plus?
There is only one ship that offers Couchettes Plus accommodation – the Guillaume de Normandie (William of Normandy) – which current sails the Portsmouth to Caen cross-channel route between the UK and France.
How do I make sure I'm on the Guillaume de Normandie?
This is actually really easy. When you’re making your booking online on the Brittany Ferries website, first of all make sure you select the Portsmouth to Caen, or the Caen to Portsmouth route. Then, when choosing your sailing time, make sure it says ‘Guillaume de Normandie’ underneath – simple!
I’ve included a sample booking page below so you can see just how easy it is to identify the difference between Guillaume de Normandie and Mont Saint Michel sailings between Portsmouth and Caen…
Is a cabin or a berth in Couchette Plus compulsory on the overnight sailing?
Yes, booking a sleeping berth is compulsory on all overnight sailings on the Guillaume de Normandie ferry. This means either a private cabin or a spot in Couchettes Plus. There are no other options available on this particular ship.
Can I book Couchette Plus on a daytime sailing?
Yes, you can book Couchette Plus for a daytime crossings between Portsmouth and Caen. Often, you’ll find slightly reduced prices for it too. However, the question should be ‘Do I need a bed for 6 hours during the day?’ – especially considering that most people are happy enough to be out on deck, enjoying the bar and restaurants, or the other facilities on-board in the waking hours.
What do foot passengers do on arrival at Portsmouth?
Full details of this can be found in my video guide to Portsmouth Ferry Terminal above.
The Final Verdict on Couchette Plus Between Portsmouth & Caen
I loved my experience in Couchettes Plus on the Guillaume de Normandie from Caen to Portsmouth. As far a communal couchette living goes, Brittany Ferries have absolutely nailed it – and aside from a lack of lockers in the actual couchettes themselves – I don’t think you could really improve much upon the privacy layout and comfort available here.
If you want to experience this too on an overnight crossing, be sure to travel on the right nights! The way that Brittany Ferries schedule their ships on this route, means the overnight sailing from Portsmouth to Caen on the Guillaume de Normandie operates every other night, and from Caen to Portsmouth on those nights in between.
If you want to know precisely on which sailings Couchette Plus is available, the links I’ve inserted above actually take you directly to Brittany Ferries routes schedules for each direction of travel, so just look for the ‘G’ which denotes the Guillaume de Normandie!
If you’re a budget traveller there’s simply no competition between a night spent in a bed in Couchettes Plus compared with a ‘reclining seat’ in one of the passenger lounges aboard the Mont Saint Michel.
And if you really want to experience Couchettes Plus, but you’re unable to find availability in one of the highly sought-after berths on an overnight crossing, you can also book it on one of the daytime crossings between Portsmouth and Caen.
As you’re already here, you may as well check out my guides to all UK to France ferry routes, and my guide covering first-time ferry travel, EES and foot passengers.
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