Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cruise Terminals:
Little Dover has a huge port, and cruises put in at its far western
edge—at the
Western Docks,
along the extremely long Admiralty Pier
(
www.whitecliffscountry.org.uk
). Near the port gate at the base of the pier, Terminal 1 is
a converted old railway station; farther out at the tip, Terminal 2 is a modern facility.
Getting into Town:
From either terminal, the best way into town (or to the train
station) is by shuttle bus or taxi. The bright-blue
shuttle bus
makes a loop connecting
the cruise terminals, Market Square, and Dover Castle (bus costs
£
3 one-way into town;
add
£
1 to continue up to the castle;
www.opentopbus.co.uk
)
. From Market Square, it's
a 15-minute walk to the train station: Head up Cannon Street (directly across the square
from the TI) for three blocks, turn left onto Priory Street, continue straight through the big
roundabout, and head slightly uphill on Folkestone Road; a half-block after the gas sta-
tion, watch for
Dover Priory
signs on the right marking the station.
For more than two people, it's cheaper to take a
taxi,
which will run you about
£
7-8
whether you're going downtown, to the train station, or up to Dover Castle (figure around
£
150 one-way to central London).
I'd avoid the long, dreary, 30-minute
walk
from the cruise terminals into town (you'll
have to go down the entire length of the pier to the mainland, turn right along the busy
road, and trudge the rest of the way into town; to reach the train station, turn left up York
Street, then left again on Folkestone Road).
Trains to London:
From Dover Priory Station, you can choose between the faster
“Javelin” train (hourly, 1.25 hours to London's
St. Pancras International Station;
£
38.10 one-way,
£
40.60 same-day return,
£
71.20 anytime return) and the slower train
(hourly to
Victoria Station
or hourly to
Charing Cross Station,
each 2 hours;
£
31.20
one-way,
£
31.40 same-day return). When choosing a train, consider this: St. Pancras Inter-
national and Victoria Stations are both well-connected to any point in the city by Tube or
bus (and St. Pancras International is right next to the British Library), but Charing Cross
Station is within easy walking distance of the sights many first-timers want to see (Trafal-
gar Square, National Gallery, West End, Whitehall, Houses of Parliament)—so the extra
time spent on that train could save you time commuting to your sightseeing in London.
Returning to Dover, you'll get off at the
Dover Priory
train station.
Sights in Dover:
Most arriving cruisers will want to head straight into London. But
if you're lingering in town,
Dover Castle
is well worth a look. Perched upon chalk cliffs,
peering across the English Channel to France, it has sprawling grounds, a historic keep
with a fine museum, and—its highlight—a chance to tour the WWII-era Secret Wartime
Tunnels, where you'll hear the story of Operation Dynamo, a harrowing rescue operation
across the English Channel (
£
16.50; April-Sept daily 10:00-18:00, from 9:30 in Aug; Oct
daily 10:00-17:00; Nov-March Sat-Sun 10:00-16:00, closed Mon-Fri; tel. 01304/211-067,
