Dover Ferry

Dover Guide

Dover ferry port is the busiest in Europe and the main gateway to France from the UK, lying just 21 miles (34 kilometres) across the English Channel from Calais. Opening in 1606, it is now operated by the Dover Harbour Board, handling approximately 16 million passengers and £119 billion of trade each year.

Why taking the ferry to and from Dover?

Ferries from Dover arrive in Calais and Dunkirk and are operated by some of the world’s leading ferry companies, including DFDS and P&O Ferries. The closest port to the English coast, Calais, is just 90 minutes from Dover by ferry, while Dunkirk is usually a two hour ferry crossing.

Dover’s sheltered position and proximity to continental Europe has long been attractive to sailors, dating all the way back to the Bronze Age (this was proved by the discovery of a 3,500 year old boat in 1992). The Romans then took advantage of its strategic location, building a harbour and a lighthouse known as the ‘Pharos’.

What do to in Dover port?

The town has some decent attractions to keep you entertained while you wait for your ferry to France. Dover Castle, with its Great Tower, was built to strengthen the most vulnerable area of England over 2,000 years ago, sprawling magnificently upon a hill offering stunning cross-channel views.

Synonymous with Dover, the white cliffs are symbolic of Britain, evoking powerful stories of the Battle of Britain and the nation’s resilience to countless invasions. Striking in appearance, the chalky cliffs do, however, offer some relaxing coastal walks.

Where is the Dover port?

The Port of Dover sits in the English county of Kent, situated on the southeast coast about 70 miles from London. If you are travelling from the capital, or the west of England, the M20 represents the quickest and most direct route, merging into the A20 at Folkestone. For satellite navigation, use the Dover ferry port address CT16 1JA.

The closest train station to the Dover ferry terminals is Dover Priory, situated approximately one mile away, and so usually takes 25 minutes by foot. The journey by train takes around an hour, departing from a couple of London stations including St Pancras and London Bridge.

A brief history of port of Dover

The period following the Second World War witnessed a huge increase in car and coach traffic through the town of Dover which spurred on extensive development plans through the 1960s and 70s; the summer of 1978 saw a £12m Hoverport opening at the Western Docks. Further plans were introduced for the development of these docks in 2014, resulting in the Port of Dover we see today.