Texel is a popular destination for many people, especially in the summer months. The Wadden Island is easily accessible from Den Helder by ferry. AutoWeek gives tips for taking the ferry to Texel easily and quickly.
On tourist busy days it is a well-known message on the radio: the waiting time for the ferry to Texel. You cannot make a reservation and in the port the rule is ‘first come, first left’. There are tips to quickly and easily catch the ferry to Texel.
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Buy tickets in advance with license plate recognition
You can take the ferry to Texel order the tickets online. That’s always easier. The ticket you buy is always a return ticket that is only checked in Den Helder. From Texel you can immediately set up to drive onto the boat and go to ‘shore’. If you arrive by car, choose one of the three right lanes reserved for ticketed travelers. Did you also enter the license plate of the car when ordering your ticket? Then drive directly to the parking lanes: license plate recognition will open the gates even faster. Easy for you and also smoother for the other travelers.
Do you have a camper or a caravan? Then you count as a long vehicle if your car is longer than 6.5 meters and you pay an amount per linear meter (on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday €8.15 per meter, other days of the week €6.10 per meter). Then you can still use self-service by taking gate 4.
Check the departure times of the ferry to Texel
The ferry to Texel sails every hour. From Den Helder to Texel the first departure is at 6.30 am, the last at 9.30 pm (except New Year’s Day). Returning from Texel, the departures are from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., always on the hour.
On Sundays and public holidays, the first boat departs from Den Helder at 7:30 am (between March 1 and November 1) or at 8:30 am (between November 1 and March 1). From Texel half an hour earlier. More boats sail in summer and on public holidays. Then you can often go to Texel and back every half hour. Otherwise check the departure times of the ferry to Texel. Then you also have an idea of whether it will be busy.
Cheaper with multiple return ticket and cheap times
Do you go to Texel often? Then you can save money by traveling on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Then the tickets for the crossing will be 30 percent cheaper, so you will pay €26.00 for a passenger car in 2024 instead of €39.00.
If you go to Texel more often, you can also buy a ticket (and pay in advance) for 5 or 15 returns. They are relatively cheaper in price and you can use them on all days.
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Faster at the ferry to Texel
The address for the ferry port in Den Helder is Havenweg 3, Den Helder. On Texel you must put Pontweg 1, Den Hoorn in your navigation.
Especially in Den Helder, it is good to know on busy days that you can get to the ferry a little faster via the business park and perhaps the navigation does not show this. You then drive from the main road N250 (called Binnenhaven). In Den Helder, turn right at the traffic lights and the Havenweg bridge. After the bridge, take the first road on the left and continue straight ahead via Het Nieuwe Diep. You then turn left by following the road in front of the ferry port and turn right at the traffic lights to the check-in and line-up lanes.
Faster with the priority pass
You can also a priority pass buy one that allows you to quickly take the ferry to Texel. This gives you the right to go on the first boat for a year, if you arrive at a time when loading has yet to start and if the priority line is not yet full. This pass costs €140.00 in 2023 and must be used in combination with a normal return ticket. This can be very useful, especially if you travel to Texel more often.
Without a car? You can also get to the ferry to Texel by public transport or by bike
You can also avoid the summer crowds by traveling to Den Helder by train. At the station you take bus number 33, which will drop you off at the ferry. Are you by bike? Then you drive directly to the ferry. In both cases you have less waiting time for the boat. And the tickets for bicycles or pedestrians are even cheaper. On the other hand, you can get further onto the island by bus. You can also rent a bicycle on Texel if you are on foot, or use a shared car.
If you want to go to another Wadden Island, also read advice articles about parking in Harlingen if you take the boat to Vlieland or Terschelling, tips for the ferry to Ameland and parking for Schiermonnikoog.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl