We will be on a one day stop in Dover (cruise in May) and would like to take the train to Canterbury. Here are my questions:
Is the train or bus the best transportation? Is there a big difference in cost?
Is the walk to the train difficult from either city? How much time should be spend on this walk?
Besides the town of Canterbury and the Cathedral, how much time should we spend in Canterbury and are there other must see sites?
Are there any tips to lessen the lines?
Any other pieces of wisdom?
Donna, there are two train station stops in Dover. I'm not sure which one is closer to the docks. From the Dover Priory train station, it's less than 30 minutes for the train ride to the Canterbury East train station. Fare is 8GBP. The walking distance appears to be over a mile from the train station. You might want to take a taxi. Shouldn't be expensive. Are you staying the night in Canterbury? If yes, I recommend the Canterbury Lodge that is actually inside the walls of the Cathedral grounds (which are quite large). We've stayed there. The stay and breakfast in the morning was just great. There are shops along the streets just outside the Cathedral. Nice window shopping. Here's a link to a picture I took. The entrance to the cathedral is behind me on the left by about 50 feet. http://gyazo.com/44203674a6df3de99f4ac5b2150e3f74
We took a bus several years ago and it was very easy, took about half an hour. Here's the timetable. The bus station in Dover is a few blocks inland from the cruise ship dock, and the station in Canterbury is along the ring road where the city wall used to be, a few blocks from the cathedral. Of course the cathedral is the prime sight in Canterbury, but the medieval town around it is interesting too. I think you can walk along the walls at least part of the way. Depends on how much time you have, and you want to be conservative and make sure you get back to the ship in time.
If Canterbury turns out to be a bridge too far, Dover Castle is also fascinating and historic, and much closer. The town of Dover itself doesn't offer much. Sadly, it was heavily bombed in WWII.
