Ferry to Dover from Dunkirk/Calais

Some rental companies don't allow you to take the car on ferries, so check the fine print of your agreement. We often suggest separate cars for each side of the Channel.

The two ferry companies serving Calais-Dover are http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/ferry-routes/ferry-to-france/dover-calais and http://www.poferries.com/en/dover-calais. DFDS also serves Dunkirk if you want to avoid issues around the migrant camp in Calais. See also http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/france/articles/Calais-ferry-disruption-advice-and-alternative-ferry-routes/.

Also, just to remind you. The French drive as we do. The English, on the right side of the car on the right side of the road. By renting two cars in two different countries, each one is set up for that country. Ie. headlights aimed the correct way, etc.

There are three ways.

DFDS, P&O, and the Eurotunnel, where you drive on a train in Coquelles and drive off in Folkestone in just 35 minutes.

Most rental companies do not allow cars on ferries. Only P&O carry foot passengers.

Foot passengers are much cheaper than cars. Foot passenger provisions are not very easy as others have posted here some months ago.

Tip: One thing I found a bit confusing is that not all ferries sail every day, at least at some of the Channel ports. (Dover-Calais may have daily service year round, I'm not sure.) Apparently the ferry companies sometimes rotate which boat will serve which port on which day.

Just so you don't think you are hallucinating when you try to book a certain ferry on a certain date and all of a sudden it doesn't exist.

With all the troubles surrounding Calais at the moment, I would consider not using it as an exit or entry point in France.

Update. I read today 10.24.2016 that France is removing the Calais tent city. It should be clear of people in 10 days or so.

Echoing the sentiment about Calais's problems at the moment. Too much going on there. There are car ferries from Boulogne, how about looking those up? And take Dramamine with you.

Second the Dramamine suggestion for the ferry. Also, as long as the English immigration/passport control process takes place on Continental soil, as it does under the current treaty, look for the encampement in Calais and elsewhere to reappear within weeks. This isn't the first time it's been dismantled.

My one time crossing the Channel landed at Boulogne. I can't remember if it was a car ferry. The car ferry experience I had was a night crossing 9 hours from Malmö to Travemünde to start my first trip in Germany. Both crossings were pretty mild and in the summer.

"...to use this method." There are still a few ferry routes I want to do, two are top priority: Plymouth to St Malo, and Rostock to Helsinki.