P&O Ferries will be adding a new 180 million euro ship to the Dover-Calais service in mid-February, making the cross-Channel crossing for tourists on a self-drive holiday more relaxing.

Last year, the number of people and cars travelling by ferry to and from the UK showed a slight increase. This is not just because ferry journeys can - if you choose your ship wisely - be enjoyable. The price is also important.

The Spirit of France will arrive in Dover on January 28 and will undergo berthing trials in both Dover and Calais before entering service on the  cross-Channel route.

At more than 47,000 gross tons and 213 metres in length, Spirit of France, and sister ship Spirit of Britain, which began service last year, are the largest ferries ever built for the Dover Strait.

P&O Ferries operates 22 ships on routes to Northern Ireland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium and France, carrying more than nine million passengers, more than one and a half million cars and two million trucks a year.

Meanwhile, DFDS and LD Lines have announced their intention to run a service between Dover and Calais following the recent demise of SeaFrance, which has gone into liquidation.