Dover Cruise Terminal to Ferry Terminal

[Live4cruises]

Hello,

Our upcoming cruise ends in Dover, and we are considering taking the ferry to Calais, then a train to Paris, rather than Eurostar from Ashford to Paris.  Via ferry puts us in Paris a few hours earlier.

 

I've looked at a map of the Dover port, and it looks as if cruise terminal to ferry terminal might be a significant hike.  I'd love to hear from anyone who has gone straight from cruise to ferry, and how they managed it.  There's also the further complication of Calais, if anyone has thoughts about that as well.

 

Thank you!

[John Bull]

Yes, too much of a hike.

 

Taxis will be available at the cruise terminal & the drive to the ferry terminal should cost less than £10.

Those taxis are metered and won't (by law aren't permitted to) decline a short trip.

You'll be dropped at the passenger terminal at the ferryport entrance, and an included port shuttlebus will take you to the ferry.

 

Long time since I used it, but there also was (probably still is) a free shuttlebus from the ferry at Calais to Calais rail station. 

 

Should be simple.

And great views of The White Cliffs of Dover that you wouldn't see on Eurostar.

 

JB 

[Live4cruises]

Thank you!  And thank you for letting me know that we won’t be turned down by a taxi driver for a short fare.

[PhilbeachTraveller]

JB is correct about Dover. It's only about a 5 minute drive and there will be taxis as the cruise terminal who will take you there (then they can turn round and go back to the terminal to pick up other passengers).

 

The shuttle bus is run by P&O ferries in Calais but only runs in the summer:

 

The terminal is less than 20 minutes’ walk from Calais-Ville railway station. 

TAD stands for Transport on Request.  A shuttle bus takes foot passengers from the ferry terminal to Calais town centre.  Calais Opale Bus is once again putting this line in service for the summer period (1st July to 31st August), in partnership with the shipping company P&O Ferries, the only cross-channel operator that takes foot passengers.  The bus runs if it has been booked in advance.  Booking can be made either at the P&O Ferries check-in desk in the Dover terminal building, or at our tourist office reception desk via the application Zenbus, which you can download on to your mobile or use on a tablet installed for public use in the tourist office.

 

It might be better to book a taxi but I've heard you should try to do this in advance, although you never know if the ferry will be on time (depends on weather, traffic, if the French port is on strike etc).