London to dover

thinking about booking cruise from dover. Will be flying into heathrow.

What transportation is available.

Thanks

You should check and see if your cruise line is offering land transfers. It might be worth it.

Yes, I agree with Sauer-kraut.

Until they get the Crosslink rail service running, getting from A to B through central London is often a chore, especially with baggage.

By rail, there is no direct route. Take the subway into St Pancras in central London and switch to a surface train there. That's about the best I can suggest. Allow 3 hours for the trip.

By bus it's well over 4 hours, with a change at Victoria Station in London.

Maybe the cruise line's bus is best.

I suppose you could fly a day or two earlier and break up the journey with a short stay in Town.

I flew 2 nights pre cruise to LHR. I took the National Express Coach www.nationalexpress.com from LHR (Heathrow) to Victoria (London) to Dover (Ferry Terminal), on one ticket.

We arrived in LHR terminal 2 and walked to the National Express Coach station. We had purchased in advance our tickets. We were early for our coach and were able to exchange our ticket for an earlier coach. At their Airport stations you are able to exchange your tickets if there are available seats on the coach to another time for FREE, at other stations there is a fee of £5.

At Victoria (London) Coach station, collected our luggage and walked to the Gate for Dover.

There are a couple of stops for Dover. The closest stop for the dock is Ferry Terminal and a short taxi ride to the port.

One time, there were Disney cruisers on their embankment day, the driver asked if they wanted him to drive to the dock as it was his last run for the day. I told him we were staying at the Premium Inn Ferry Terminal and he dropped us off very close to the hotel. If going on embankment day, you might want to ask the driver if he is going to the ship dock, tip extra.

Another time, we got off at Ferry Terminal and took a taxi to the Premium Inn Ferry Terminal and took a taxi on Cruise day to the ship.

If staying in Dover, visits the Dover Castle with the war tunnels.

FYI - at the National Express stations in LHR and Southampton there is a charge to use the bathrooms.

LHR to Dover is a pain in the butt. Either traipsing to the city and then back down to Dover, or car service.

The latter is of course a lot quicker. In the end, for two, not all that much more expensive. Train or tube to town, taxi to possibly a different train station to catch the train to Dover, train tickets, another taxi to the port...all ads up.

I booked a car for the 2 1/4 or so hours ride in two weeks. Large car for 2 adults and lots of luggage for GBP 130.00

Not cheap , yes, but convenient.

As other replies, there no direct public transport between LHR (or LGW) and Dover - you have to go into central London & back out again.

By National Express bus is simplest and cheapest.

Phabric's experience is pretty typical. Including the driver offering to drop cruise passengers at the cruise terminal (opposite end of town from the ferry terminal) - saves you £10 for a taxi so a £5 tip keeps everyone happy.

But coaches from Victoria to Dover run at infrequent times. If you're very lucky your wait at Victoria might be 5 minutes but if you're very unlucky it could be three hours :eek:

https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

By train, you have two choices

- Heathrow Express to London Paddington station, then an expensive cab ride to one of several stations for a train to Dover (station name is Dover Priory.

- or Canuker's suggestion of Heathrow to London's St Pancras station & a train from there to Dover. But LHR to St Pancras is by tube (London's metro), which is not luggage-friendly. It's a direct tube line, and no problem at LHR because that's where the tube line starts. But through the centre of London, especially at the wrong time of day, it can get packed - "like sardines in a can" would be a gross under-statement. It would still be my public transport preference, but its not for everyone.

Then it's a £10 taxi ride from station to ship - I've never heard of train drivers offering to take passengers to the cruise terminal :D

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

By private transfer - at a guess a pre-booked car would cost mebbe £100 from LHR, £80 from LGW.

(a taxi hailed from the rank at the airport would be ridiculously expensive)

By cruise line's bus transfer (embarkation day only) is over-priced, same as other cruise line transfers.

But this is one journey when I think you should give it serious consideration. And it's a no-brainer for a solo passenger

JB :)

 

By private transfer - at a guess a pre-booked car would cost mebbe £100 from LHR, £80 from LGW.

(a taxi hailed from the rank at the airport would be ridiculously expensive)

 

JB :)

Just as a point of reference, we very recently priced transfers and the least expensive pre-booked saloon car we were able to find from LGW to Dover was £103. Many of the quotes we received were in the £120 range for that sized car.

Just as a point of reference, we very recently priced transfers and the least expensive pre-booked saloon car we were able to find from LGW to Dover was £103. Many of the quotes we received were in the £120 range for that sized car.

Hi Pompeii,

Well I did say at a guess, mebbe.... ;)

I've now checked Dover-based operators on the web, & seen prices from £90 to £115.

JB :)

Hi Pompeii,

 

Well I did say at a guess, mebbe.... ;)

 

I've now checked Dover-based operators on the web, & seen prices from £90 to £115.

 

JB :)

£90 huh...? Maybe I need to look some more.....;)

£90 huh...? Maybe I need to look some more.....;)

Look for operators in the Dover/Folkestone area.

Try Premier Taxis in Folkestone (they accept credit cards in the car).

We live in Folkestone and find Heathrow a lot easier to get to than Gatwick. 2 hours door to door - fast train to St Pancras then Piccadilly Line to Heathrow. Dover is only down the road (and on the same train line). You'd have to get a taxi from the Dover Priory Station but cruise terminal is not very far and there are always taxis waiting at the station.

£90 huh...? Maybe I need to look some more.....;)

http://www.folkestonetaxi.com/ quote £90 from Folkestone

http://www.premiertaxisfolkestone.co.uk/fares.php quote £75 from Folkestone

Dover cruise terminal is 9 miles beyond Folkestone, so add mebbe £15 (?) to each.

Don't know either of them though I've seen both recommended on Cruise Critic from time to time.

JB :)

http://www.folkestonetaxi.com/ quote £90 from Folkestone

http://www.premiertaxisfolkestone.co.uk/fares.php quote £75 from Folkestone

Dover cruise terminal is 9 miles beyond Folkestone, so add mebbe £15 (?) to each.

 

Don't know either of them though I've seen both recommended on Cruise Critic from time to time.

 

JB :)

Folkestone quoted £105 plus £7 for a car parking charge. Sent a message but haven't heard back from Premier Taxi Folkestone yet.

We did that a few years ago. We are on a strict budget with our cruises we take and still decided to do a private car. Like others have said, it's around 100. I can't remember who we used, but, they were waiting for us when we got off the plane. It's not a short ride to Dover, maybe 1 1/2hrs depending on traffic. I think the private transfer was Premier, come to think of it. We stayed at The Churchill Inn, which was right at the bottom of Castle Hill. We stayed a night We loved the Inn! Although the port is very close, you still need a taxi to get there. I hope you get to spend a night in Dover! Very walkable and loved walking around the small town and going in the pubs. We love to do it again and wouldn't change a thing!

It's well worth the money for a private transfer instead of fooling around with trains and luggage!

Departing on a cruise from Dover on Oct 1, Will arrive LHR four days early and will rent a car from hertz for four days with drop off close to Dover port total cost 118 GBP. Stay at Leeds Castle on the way!

Departing on a cruise from Dover on Oct 1, Will arrive LHR four days early and will rent a car from hertz for four days with drop off close to Dover port total cost 118 GBP. Stay at Leeds Castle on the way!

Where are you planning to spend your four days?

Where are you planning to spend your four days?

Around Kent, a seaside town called Hythe, Leeds Castle, Canterbury.