Dover Port - car rental

[Ukap]

We are arriving at Dover on May 5th - this is also a Bank Holiday for the UK and it seems many things will be closed.

I am trying to book a rental car. I have tried 4 companies but the websites show they are not open on this day.

 

Will buses and trains not run on a holiday? Will they be on a Sunday schedule?

 

Any suggestions on how we can get from Dover to Cambridge directly. We would prefer not to go through London but it seems we might have to just to get a rental car. Airport car rental is always open.

[sea-explorer]

We are arriving at Dover on May 5th - this is also a Bank Holiday for the UK and it seems many things will be closed.

I am trying to book a rental car. I have tried 4 companies but the websites show they are not open on this day.

 

Will buses and trains not run on a holiday? Will they be on a Sunday schedule?

 

Any suggestions on how we can get from Dover to Cambridge directly. We would prefer not to go through London but it seems we might have to just to get a rental car. Airport car rental is always open.

 

There will be public transport, but probably on reduced or Sunday services. To get to Cambridge you will need to go into London & out again.

 

Coach service here. http://www.nationalexpress.com/bp/b2.cfm?id=118034587&CFID=20239727&CFTOKEN=92813598

 

 

but they do take a long time.:(

 

 

Oh heck, I can't seem to find anything via train on that date from Dover to London...I must say I'm surprized.

 

I suggest you try the car hire firms here. (There's no airport in Dover)

 

http://www.yell.com/ucs/UcsSearchAction.do?scrambleSeed=88524369&keywords=car+hire&companyName=&location=dover&searchType=advance&broaderLocation=&clarifyIndex=1&ooa=&M=0&ssm=0&rad=&lCOption32=Car+Hire+-+Self+Drive

 

If you manage to get a car, it's a fairly easy run, mainly dual carriageway & motorway from Dover to Cambridge.. (A2, M2, M25, M11) perhaps 2-3 hours drive.

[Globaliser]

Oh heck, I can't seem to find anything via train on that date from Dover to London...I must say I'm surprized.

That day, there's currently scheduled to be one train an hour, at 18 minutes past the hour: Dover Priory to London Charing Cross. Journey time 1:49.

[sea-explorer]

Thanks Globaliser.

 

I live on that line & must have put in London Victoria automatically. Ooops! I've never known them to go to Charing Cross..you live & learn.

[Globaliser]

It is complicated, and I think that there was a time when this wasn't the case. But now there are four direct London-Dover trains an hour during the day on weekdays; two each from Victoria and Charing Cross.

 

I suspect that there are engineering works on that particular day, to take advantage of the holiday: hence the low frequency, the single London station, and the long journey time.

[Ukap]

I have called all Dover car hire companies. They all tell me they are closed on May 5 Bank holiday Monday - infact they say the whole town is a ghost town on this day.

Looks like we will have to get train to Heathrow where car rental will be open. This will be 25 pounds ($50) per person one way plus it will take 2-1/2 hours to get there.

Does anyone else have any suggestions?

I see that NCL have a short tour available to central London. We do not want to go on a tour at the end of our trip. We just want to get home to Cambridge.

Will NCL provide other transport on a bank holiday? Who would I call to find out? # please