Calais to Dover Ferry

[BULLOCK]

My wife and I have a cruise booked at the end of May that leaves from Dover. We would like to fly over from Canada a couple of days early to either Paris or Brussels and spend a few days seeing the sights pre-cruise.

 

The day before the cruise leaves, we would make our way to Calais to spend the night. I am looking for suggestions for a hotel that is close to the Ferry dock. Has anyone done this route before. We have never to been to Paris or Brussels and would be interested in some feedback to assist us in choosing our starting location.

[Globaliser]

Is there a reason that you specifically want to stay overnight in Calais?

 

If not, and if you're in Paris, you'd be better off taking an early Eurostar from Paris to Ashford and changing trains there for the short hop to Dover (plus a taxi to the dock), or just getting a taxi from Ashford directly to the dock in Dover. In May 2010, there will be an 0807 departure from Paris Gare du Nord which arrives at Ashford at 0906 (every day of the week, local times) - see the online timetable.

 

If you do take the ferry, you might want to know that the ferry arrives at Dover Eastern Docks, and you'd have to get a taxi from there to the cruise ship dock anyway. Calais is not a big place - just get a taxi from the hotel to the ferry dock.

[BULLOCK]

Globaliser: Thankyou for your input and the link to the train schedule. We have no real interest in staying overnight in Calais, I was just looking at a map and saw that the ferry runs back and forth numerous times a day and thought this may be an easy route for us to the cruise port. Your timetable includes Brussels and Paris which was our two main places to visit. Will research the Ashford to Dover local train now.

[handfordr]

I am looking for suggestions for a hotel that is close to the Ferry dock. .

 

If you opt to hire a car and leave it at Calais and take the ferry I would recommend going for the Premier Inn Dover Central.

On the link below is a map depicting the relative position of the hotels, ferry and cruise terminals in Dover. The Premier Inn is a brand new hotel and well regarded and is the nearest mainstream accommodation to the ferry terminal and is in a nice position facing the sea.

 

Dover Hotel & Ferry/Cruise Terminal Map