Transportation from Heathrow to Dover

[sunny100]

We just booked a cruise from Dover to Norway for June 2023, and my husband and I were wondering about transportation. Would it be best and easier to find transportation if we stayed overnight in London before heading to Dover the next day, or going straight to Dover from the airport?   We've done some research on transportation, but we haven't found anything concrete either way. 

Thank you so much for any advice you can give us!

[Bob++]

All trains and busses between LHR and Dover require a change in London. If you look at a map you will see why. The only alternative would be a private-hire car which will be expensive.

 

An overnight stay in London would make good sense, especially if you would have time to do some sightseeing.

 

[John Bull]

As per Bob's post, public transport means LHR into central London, then central London to Dover.

By National Express bus that means switching buses at central London's Victoria coach station but by train it means crossing central London from one station to the other. By either it's a long and tedious affair.

If you're planning to spend time in central London, that's fine. But to simply get from LHR (or LGW) to Dover it's best to travel direct by pre-booked private transport or (and it's rare that I advise this) by ship's transfer bus.

For you, ship's transfer bus is out, because they only operate on sailing day.

I'm out of date on private transfer rates, but I'll hazard a guess at £130 to £150.

Try 

 https://www.blackberrycars.com/ (based at the LHR end)

or

https://doverroyaltaxis.com/

or

https://www.centraltaxidover.co.uk/

or

http://www.county-taxis.co.uk/

or

http://www.folkestonetaxi.com/

all based at the Dover end.

 

The only other option I can think of is to overnight at an LHR  hotel and book a tour-transfer wich includes a visit to either Leeds Castle or Dover Castle  https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/dover_from_london_bus.html

or ship's shuttle (I think you have to make your way from your LHR hotel to an airport terminal to catch ship's bus).

 

Personally, I'd book a central Dover hotel (eg Best Western or Premier Inn) and a private transfer. Mebbe drop your luggage at the hotel & get the driver to drop you at Dover Castle - a very well-worthwhile visit

 

JB 🙂  

[Globaliser]

10 hours ago, John Bull said:

... but by train it means crossing central London from one station to the other.

 

I don't think it's actually that bad if you're prepared to take the Tube. There are two obvious routes:

1. Piccadilly Line from Heathrow to Barons Court; cross-platform change; District Line to Victoria; mainline train to Dover Priory.
2. Piccadilly Line from Heathrow to Kings Cross St Pancras; mainline train from St Pancras to Dover Priory.

 

The cross-platform change at Barons Court is a couple of yards. There are step-free interchange routes at both Victoria and St Pancras.

[sunny100]

Thank you for all the great advice, everyone! This is so helpful!

[TrqoisWtrs]

On 7/17/2022 at 3:58 PM, sunny100 said:

We just booked a cruise from Dover to Norway for June 2023

I'm also in the same situation.  But I personally would never fly in the day of a cruise, especially if you are flying overseas.  So I'm spending a few days in London and found this on Viator to possibly use to get to the port.  The one downside I read was that it takes a while, due to having to stop at all the different hotels for pick ups.

https://www.viator.com/tours/London/Dover-Shore-Excursion-Pre-Cruise-Tour-from-London-to-Dover-Port-via-Dover-Castle/d737-5528PRTLONDCDO

[alidor]

I am curious why you would not take the train from London to Dover?

[John Bull]

5 hours ago, cruisin*tigger said:

I'm also in the same situation.  But I personally would never fly in the day of a cruise, especially if you are flying overseas.  So I'm spending a few days in London and found this on Viator to possibly use to get to the port.  The one downside I read was that it takes a while, due to having to stop at all the different hotels for pick ups.

https://www.viator.com/tours/London/Dover-Shore-Excursion-Pre-Cruise-Tour-from-London-to-Dover-Port-via-Dover-Castle/d737-5528PRTLONDCDO

 

3 hours ago, alidor said:

I am curious why you would not take the train from London to Dover?

 

The tour/transfer offered by Viator (a booking agency, not a tour operator) looks to be the one that I linked - operated by International Friends, a long-established & reputable coach tour operator.

https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/transfer-from-london-heathrow-to-dover-with-optional-dover-castle.html

It's almost-always better to book direct with a operator rather than an agency - one less link in the chain. The operator's website is also a little cheaper. Neither headline price includes admission to the castle altho you can buy castle tickets with an International Friends transfer. 

But more importantly, the tour-transfer only operates on sailing day, and there are two downsides

- for Sunny the arrival day would be spent in airport-land.

- for both Sunny and Tigger, the time at Dover Castle is foreshortened by the need to arrive at the cruise terminal in good time to register, which could be as early as 3.00pm depending on the ship and scheduled sailing time

https://www.doverport.co.uk/cruise/find-a-cruise/

 

I agree with alidor.

Sunny is not planning to spend pre-cruise time in London, hence the advice to avoid the grief of travelling thro central London by booking a private transfer from LHR to Dover.

But for those who'll be visiting central London, direct trains to Dover from several stations including Victoria, St Pancras, Charing Cross & Waterloo East, or even the direct Nat Express bus from Victoria, are quick and inexpensive.

 

https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/ (destination station is Dover Priory)

https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/dover-castle/?utm_campaign=aka_dover_castle_21

 

Drop your luggage at the cruise terminal or Dover hotel, and taxi to Dover Castle.

Tigger could even travel to Dover the previous evening after a day in London - a cheaper hotel room than central London, and at the castle at opening time (usually 10am)  on sailing day.

 

Just MHO as always

 

JB 🙂

 

[PhilbeachTraveller]

I live near Dover and have done this trip loads of time. We always take the tube from LHR to London Kings Cross St Pancras and then get the 'fast' train to Dover. That's the quickest way in my opinion. The tube can get quite busy but as you are at the beginning stop, there's lots of room and it'll get filled up as you approach city centre. But at least you'll have a seat! 

 

I agree with John Bull about staying overnight in Dover. There are some nice places to visit around there!