Paris to Dover

We took the ferry from Calais to Dover because we wanted to see the White Cliffs of Dover. We had a beautifully clear day. As we got closer to Dover, English parents began bringing their children to the bow of the ferry, quietly pointing out the cliffs to their children. It reminded me of Americans watching from the tourist boat as the Statue of Liberty got closer. Very moving if you're an Anglophile!.......I realize you are getting a rental car, but for the benefit of "lurkers," once the ferry docks, it's about a one mile walk through a commercial / trucking area to Dover Priory train station (take a cab!), then a two hour train ride to Charing Cross Station in London. (I believe you can now get a faster train to London, but two hours isn't very long!)......P and O Ferry is the only one that takes foot passengers.

Not all Eurostar trains stop at Ashford, so you may be limited in departure times. There are frequent local trains from Ashford to Dover Priory that take around thirty minutes. Depending on time of year, the other disadvantage of going by ferry would be rough weather.

Both good tips on the pros & cons. We are going in August so hopefully there will be good weather and I really like the idea of seeing the Cliffs as we arrive :) But unfortunately (while that trip seems about $100 cheaper) it is longer so we probably have to get up quite a bit earlier and arrive in Dover later. So its a tough decision. I really appreciate the advice... anyone know how hard it is to get from the train station in Calais to the Ferry Terminal?

I was going to check Eurolines for you, but the site is down for maintenance. You might want to try them and see what their price is. It would include the ferry ride and probably drop you off closer to downtown that the Eurostar.

John,
Great I will look into it. Thank you.