Ports & Routes
Global Port Intelligence
| Path | Records | Actual median | P25–P75 range | TS dwell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | 61 | 38.0d | 33.3–43.0 d | — |
| via Algeciras | 42 | 47.7d | 39.5–52.3 d | 4.54d |
| via Tanger Med | 33 | 42.8d | 36.0–47.1 d | 4.69d |
All values are actuals from tracked container records. Paths flagged low n have fewer than 20 records and should be read as directional.
The median transit time is 38.0 days. This is based on 46 containers tracked end-to-end on this exact direct path.
Most containers arrive within 33.3–43.0 days (P25–P75 of 136 tracked records on this lane). Plan with this range, not a single number.
The shipping distance from Thames to Tema is approximately 4,195 nautical miles (7,769 km).
MSC line operates direct service on this lane in our tracked dataset.
Yes. Tracked transshipment options include: Algeciras (47.7d total, 42 records); Tanger Med (42.8d total, 33 records).
Approximately 53.0 days door-to-door. The median gate-in dwell at Thames is 7.02 days. Vessel sail time from Thames to Tema is 38.0 days. The median gate-out dwell at Tema is 8.0 days.
Container shipping from Thames to Tema spans approximately 4,195 nautical miles, equivalent to 7,769 kilometres of sea route. Our tracked dataset for this lane includes 136 records across qualifying paths. Of those, 46 containers were tracked end-to-end on the direct path (literally booked from Thames to Tema with no transshipment). The median sail time on direct service is 38.0 days. Most shipments arrive within 33.3 to 43.0 days, the P25–P75 range covering the middle half of observed transits.
The typical door-to-door figure is 53.0 days. Median gate-in dwell at Thames is 7.02 days, representing the time a container spends at the origin terminal between arrival at the gate and loading onto the vessel. Vessel sail time from Thames to Tema is 38.0 days. Median gate-out dwell at Tema is 8.0 days, covering discharge and the time before pickup at the destination terminal.
Direct service — meaning no transshipment between origin and destination — is the dominant routing on this corridor. It is supported by 61 leg-level observations on the direct segment. Of those, 46 were containers literally booked direct from Thames to Tema and tracked end-to-end on this exact path. MSC operates the dominant tracked direct service. Containers carried by Maersk also traversed this corridor without an intermediate transshipment, generally as sub-segments of longer journeys. On the direct segment, the median sail time is 38.0 days, and the P25–P75 range runs from 33.3 to 43.0 days.
2 transshipment alternatives appear in the dataset, each routing a container through one or more hub ports between Thames and Tema. The Algeciras-routed path takes a median of 47.7 days based on 42 records, with a P25–P75 range of 39.5 to 52.3 days. Median dwell at the hub terminal on this path is 4.54 days. The Tanger Med-routed path takes a median of 42.8 days based on 33 records, with a P25–P75 range of 36.0 to 47.1 days. Median dwell at the hub terminal on this path is 4.69 days.
For planning purposes, treat the 33.3 to 43.0 day P25–P75 range as the realistic arrival window for direct service. About half of all observed direct shipments fell within that 9.7-day spread. When committing door-to-door dates to consignees, account for an additional 7.02 days of gate-in dwell at Thames and 8.0 days of gate-out dwell at Tema on top of the chosen sail time.