Pre-Cruise out of Dover ideas for June 2023

[let's go cruising]

We are traveling on the Carnival Pride on June 9, 2023. We would like to arrive two or three days early into Heathrow and need ideas on what to do those few days.

 

We have visited London twice before, so somewhere outside London is our first choice.

 

We will be traveling light (carryon only) and are planning on using the train. No rental car for us. We COULD do a bus tour, but it's not really our thing.

 

Our preference would be somewhere easy to get to from Heathrow and easy to get on to Dover. (Not going to Scotland or Paris, for example.) Low key sightseeing rather than check off a bunch of things. 

 

Thanks!!!

[Bob++]

So head to Dover, or better still, Canterbury. Canterbury and its cathedral is worth a day and Dover Castle another. There is also Leeds Castle within reaching distance.

 

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

https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/

https://leeds-castle.com/

 

 

[John Bull]

Anywhere convenient to Heathrow won't be convenient to Dover - especially by public transport, since the only way is into central London and out again.

 

I suggest you lodge in Dover, handy to your ship 

 

(station name is Dover Priory)

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

 

From Dover you can visit Canterbury (as Bob's suggestion) by hourly direct train. 30 minute journey, fare £10 pp return.

 

Or Leeds Castle (Bob again) by train to Maidstone via change of train at Ashford, 60 to 100 minutes, fare about £24 pp return. Then a taxi for the 2.5 miles to Leeds Castle. Get the driver's phone number or ask him/her to return for you at a pre-determined time.

(Leeds Castle is nowhere near the city of Leeds)

 

Dover Castle is well worth a full day (don't be tempted to squeeze it into the morning of your cruise).

It's uphill, so take a  short local taxi hop. On the way, figure whether you'll be happy to go back to your lodging on foot - fix for the taxi driver to return for you. 

................................................

 

The difficult bit.
Since you'll be travelling light, take the tube from Heathrow to London St Pancras station then the hourly direct fast train to Dover, about an hour, £37pp.

There are direct trains from three or four other London stations to Dover, but St Pancras is simplest because its a direct tube line from Heathrow and its by far the fastest service.

Off the top-of-my-head a private transfer LHR to Dover would cost about £140, journey time  about 2 hours.

 

JB 🙂

[JimmyTheSaint]

Another vote for staying in Dover and visiting Canterbury by local train. Canterbury is a very historic town, very walkable, great daytrip. Dover castle and Leeds castle are also great suggestions.

[Gwendy]

Another vote for staying in Dover, ancient Roman ruins,the castle, white cliffs and just outside is the Battle of  Britain memorial.  I visited here as part of a transfer from Heathrow to Dover.  It was very moving,  https://www.battleofbritainmemorial.org/

Have not tried them but have heard great fish and chips on the waterfront.

 

 

 

 

[EllieinNJ]

On 10/9/2022 at 9:17 PM, John Bull said:

Anywhere convenient to Heathrow won't be convenient to Dover - especially by public transport, since the only way is into central London and out again.

 

I suggest you lodge in Dover, handy to your ship 

 

(station name is Dover Priory)

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

 

From Dover you can visit Canterbury (as Bob's suggestion) by hourly direct train. 30 minute journey, fare £10 pp return.

 

Or Leeds Castle (Bob again) by train to Maidstone via change of train at Ashford, 60 to 100 minutes, fare about £24 pp return. Then a taxi for the 2.5 miles to Leeds Castle. Get the driver's phone number or ask him/her to return for you at a pre-determined time.

(Leeds Castle is nowhere near the city of Leeds)

 

Dover Castle is well worth a full day (don't be tempted to squeeze it into the morning of your cruise).

It's uphill, so take a  short local taxi hop. On the way, figure whether you'll be happy to go back to your lodging on foot - fix for the taxi driver to return for you. 

................................................

 

The difficult bit.
Since you'll be travelling light, take the tube from Heathrow to London St Pancras station then the hourly direct fast train to Dover, about an hour, £37pp.

There are direct trains from three or four other London stations to Dover, but St Pancras is simplest because its a direct tube line from Heathrow and its by far the fastest service.

Off the top-of-my-head a private transfer LHR to Dover would cost about £140, journey time  about 2 hours.

 

JB 🙂

We are on this same cruise and the b2b cruise before so need something in Dover for the turnaround day of June 9th.  Which place do you recommend to go...Dover Castle or Canterbury?  Is the Dover Priory station in walking distance from the cruise port or do you need a taxi?

[John Bull]

On 12/3/2022 at 4:06 PM, EllieinNJ said:

We are on this same cruise and the b2b cruise before so need something in Dover for the turnaround day of June 9th.  Which place do you recommend to go...Dover Castle or Canterbury?  Is the Dover Priory station in walking distance from the cruise port or do you need a taxi?

I see those choices as six for the one and half a dozen for the other, but I guess Dover Castle is the simpler one.

 

With luggage DoverPriory station is a short taxi ride from the cruise port, about £10

 

JB 🙂