Sailing from Dover - pre-cruise trip to Paris?

[ajtaylor29]

We're getting ready to plan our cruise this August which sails out of London (Dover). Considering flying to Paris pre-cruise for a couple of days. I'm looking for recommendations regarding travel from Paris to Dover, seems like the train would work but i'm getting mixed info on how easy this will be. Thoughts?? And, would you go the day before the cruise to avoid any travel problems? Thanks! (i also posted this on the France page, fyi)

 

[John Bull]

Eurostar trains don't stop in Dover, and altho there's a Eurostar station  23 miles from Dover at Ashford, Eurostar trains are not stopping there until the end of 2022 at the earliest, blaming that decision on Covid. 

Covid has of course seriously impacted international travel, but most restrictions have now been lifted and travel between the UK & continental Europe is now bursting at the seams, so I suspect they've mis-judged, or there's more to it than that.

This on their website

https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/stations/ashford-international

 

So Paris to Dover means either

Eurostar to London St Pancras and regular direct trains back to Dover from the same station. Journey time about an hour.

Walk-up fare about £50 before 10am and £37 for the rest of the day. BUT only £14 after 10am for advance-purchase tickets. Advance tickets available from about 8 weeks out, but those tickets are only good for the train time that you selected - miss that train & your tickets are trash so you'll have to buy walk-up tickets. 

Altho Eurostar & the Dover-bound trains are at the same station, Eurostar is international so you'll need to check how long to allow for border formalities (possibly none if those formalities are handled in Paris)

https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en

https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares

(Dover station is Dovercourt on the railway timetable)

 

or

French train Paris to to Calais

 https://www.sncf.com/en

then cross-channel ferry to Dover

https://www.poferries.com/en/routes/dover-to-calais/farefinder#route

(select "one way" and reverse the journey if necessary)

P&O Ferries (no connection with P & O Cruises, they went their own way decades ago) are in a mess at the moment, trying to sack their entire workforce and take on cheap foreign labour. They're getting understandable grief both from the seamen's union and the Government, and several of their ferries have been held in port until the new crews have passed safety checks. But hopefully sorted in the next month or so. 

The alternative ferry operator, DFDS, is currently not booking foot-passengers, they've reduced passenger numbers by 50% due to Covid.

 

or

Fly Paris to Gatwick or Heathrow, then either a tortuous journey by public transport via central London or private transfer direct to Dover, at a guess £120 to £170 for a car+driver.

All of which is nonsensical & IMHO not worth considering. 

 

If your cruise is in the next 6 months, I'd advise Eurostar to London St Pancras then train to Dover.

Buy your Eurostar tickets soonest because pricing is dynamic - check a few dates to see the difference. But buy your Dover train tickets 6 to 8 weeks out to take advantage of the cheap advance tickets.

 

And definitely travel the day before your cruise in case of hiccups..

Dover Castle is worth all the time you can give it.

  https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/dover-castle/

 

JB 🙂

 

 

 

[Globaliser]

1 hour ago, John Bull said:

Altho Eurostar & the Dover-bound trains are at the same station, Eurostar is international so you'll need to check how long to allow for border formalities (possibly none if those formalities are handled in Paris)

...

(Dover station is Dovercourt on the railway timetable)

 

Dover Priory, surely?

 

A Eurostar arrival at St Pancras should be almost indistinguishable from a domestic arrival: AIUI the juxtaposed controls are still in place so inbound UK immigration is done at Paris Gare du Nord.

 

[John Bull]

6 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

 

Dover Priory, surely?

 

Dammit yes.

Why'd I type Dovercourt.

Dover Priory

Dover Priory

Dover Priory

Dover Priory

Dover Priory

I'll do the rest of my 100 lines later 

 

If aj doesn't check back here he'll be heading 80 miles in the wrong direction and I'll be toast 🙄

 

JB 😳

[John Bull]

5 hours ago, ajtaylor29 said:

We're getting ready to plan our cruise this August which sails out of London (Dover). Considering flying to Paris pre-cruise for a couple of days. I'm looking for recommendations regarding travel from Paris to Dover, seems like the train would work but i'm getting mixed info on how easy this will be. Thoughts?? And, would you go the day before the cruise to avoid any travel problems? Thanks! (i also posted this on the France page, fyi)

 

 

As per Globaliser's response -  my grovelling apology, your station in Dover will be Dover Priory

JB🙄