Dover or not?

The White Cliffs at Dover are not that great. They are much better further west (forgot the name of the town). The Dover Castle is a much better attraction.

Better cliffs at Beachy Head, near Brighton. See "Explore Europe" on this site for more info about Dover and Brighton. The problem with cliffs are that they're best viewed from below, in this case the English Channel.

Dover Castle is very scenic and interesting, and there must be some way to get a good view of the cliffs without taking a ferry to France. With only five days in London, I wouldn't take a day trip at all, much less one taking pretty much the whole day.

With only 5 days, I wouldn’t take a whole day out to see Dover or any cliffs, but it’s your holiday, not mine.

Dover Castle is interesting (owned by English Heritage), as is The White Cliffs of Dover (National Trust owned), but the town is a dump. You don’t see much of the cliffs from the NT property, as you are stood on top of them! The best views are returning from France on the ferry. The odd direct HS1 (high speed train) will get you there in just over an hour, but most trains are going to take you 1.5-2 hours each way, hence it’s a full day trip.

The Seven Sisters at Cuckmere aren’t that easy to reach by public transport from London, but you could take the train from London Victoria and change at Lewes for Seaford, where there are chalk cliffs. The beach is pebbles, not sand. The Church Lane Tearoom in Seaford is a great lunch spot, but book as it only has about 6 tables. Lewes itself is a lovely town with a Castle and a museum - Anne of Cleves House and many good cafes and independent shops plus the usual national multiples. Robsons up the hill on High Street is another good lunch option. A day here would give you a very different day to time spent in London and you would see some countryside from the train.

Thanks so much for the suggestions. I'll look at the other areas instead of Dover. I know we will have to cut down on London to make this happen, but I do want to have a different experience.

The White Cliffs are not really very interesting. Dover Castle however is first rate.

If you want a day trip out of London - take the train from London (Paddington) to Bath - would be a good option in my opinion. Best to pre-book specific train(s) around 11 weeks ahead for the lowest prices.https://visitbath.co.uk

See this recent posting:>https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/day-trip-to-bath-from-london-8203d417-77d5-4c4e-b329-a0ec0dd6ac95

We went to Beachy Head/Seven Sisters which can be seen from land. We took a hop on/off open top bus tour from Eastbourne that one of the stops was here (you will still do some walking). Otherwise I don't think there is public transportation to them. Very beautiful and dramatic. My understanding is that the Dover cliffs are best seen from the water/boat. We spent two days in Eastbourne to see sights down there. I wouldn't go for just a day but it is possible with an early start/late return.

For alternative natural sites which are closer and more worthwhile you could consider Kew Gardens and combine with a walk along the River Thames or a foray into the massive Richmond Park. Or take the train to Box Hill and West Humble station from London Waterloo and combine walking in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with a tour of Denbies Vineyard (they do award winning sparkling wine!)

5 days is pretty short to consider cutting down on London for a day trip out. Having said that, I spent 8 days in London back in 1996 when I was 27, and I DID take the daytrip to Dover. Although, what I was originally trying to do was to catch a ferry to Calais to say I'd been to France (I still have not!)

Anyway, when I arrived in Dover, I went to the local tourism office by the train station, but the attendant said that Channel traffic was backed up to a trucker's strike in France and that it could take up to 12 hours to catch a ferry across. That was a bummer and I had to be back in London at night!

So, I asked her what is there to do and see in Dover and she sort of shrugged her shoulders and said "Oh, there's a castle up the hill." It ended up being a FANTASTIC experience. I spent several hours touring grounds, and the ins and outs of the towering, sprawling hulk. And as it was midweek in the middle of November there were few people there. Felt like I almost had the place to myself! (Dare I say I was the king of the castle?)

In any event, I highly recommend it for history and castle buffs...but only if you have ample time (it really is a long day trip out of London).