How we source our ferry data

Ferry Schedule Hub is an independent reference for ferry routes, crossing times, operators and fares worldwide. We are not a ferry operator or a ticket agent. This page explains, plainly, where our data comes from, how we keep it current, and what our editorial team reviews by hand — so you can judge how much to trust it (and know when to double-check with the operator).

Where the schedule data comes from

Our route and timetable database is built from a mix of primary sources, prioritised roughly in this order:

• Open transit and ferry data. Where operators or transport authorities publish machine-readable schedules — for example national and regional feeds in standard formats — we import those directly. This covers a large share of scheduled services in North America, Scandinavia, Australia and parts of Asia and Europe.
• Operators’ own published timetables. For routes without an open data feed, we work from the schedules, fares and service notices ferry companies publish on their own websites.
• Open geographic data. For route topology — which ports connect to which, and roughly how long a crossing takes — in regions without published timetables, we use open mapping data (OpenStreetMap) to map the network, then flag those routes as having no confirmed sailing times.

How we keep it current

Schedules change constantly with the season, demand and the weather, so no static snapshot stays accurate for long. We re-ingest our open-data sources on a rolling basis and refresh individual pages continuously rather than in one big yearly update. Even so, a database this broad will always trail the operator’s own live system by some margin — which is why every route page tells you to confirm the exact departure before you travel.

What we check by hand

Automated data gets you a map; it does not get you judgement. Our editorial team writes and reviews the material that a database can’t generate on its own:

• The travel guides — how to take a car or an electric vehicle aboard, passenger rights when a sailing is cancelled, island-hopping logistics — are individually researched against operator policies and official regulations, not spun from a template.
• The destination guidesare written around each place’s real ferry gateways: which port to use, which operators run it, and the practical catches.
• Operator profiles are enriched from each company’s own website and corrected when we spot errors in the underlying data.

Why we say “always confirm with the operator”

All schedule information on Ferry Schedule Hub is indicative. Timetables get cancelled for weather, swapped for holidays, and adjusted mid-season. Treat our pages as a fast way to understand a route — how long it takes, who runs it, what it roughly costs, how to plan a connection — and confirm the specific sailing and price on the operator’s own site before you commit.

Corrections

If you spot something wrong — a route that no longer runs, an operator that has changed, a crossing time that’s off — please tell us on the contact page. We fix reported errors quickly, and reader corrections are one of the ways this reference stays honest.

Ferry Schedule Hub is edited by Serhat Özçelik, founder and editor. Read more about the project.