channel crossing London to Paris

Hopefully Lee or Tim can provide a detailed and precise explanation of the rail options, but I cannot find any way to take Eurostar to Dover, get off and sightsee, and then take another Eurostar from Dover to Paris. DB routes me when I run trials from Dover back to London and then on to Paris. Having taken the ferry in years past, I can only say that for me personally the White Cliffs are no big deal, far less impressive than the rocky shores of California. Others may well feel strongly that Dover is worthwhile, and I hope they give you a good explanation...tastes in scenery are personal, of course. But when it is a question as to Dover versus a day in Paris....well, for me that isn't a close call.

As I read your post your husband wants to view the cliffs from the sea, right? It looks like it would be a little over an hour from London St. Pancras to Dover Priory; 2.5 hours for the ferry crossing, and another 2.5 to 3.5 hours from Calais into London. So yes, it will take most of a day, but you'll have lots of cliff-viewing time on the boat. I did that channel crossing many years ago, but both over and back we went at night, so did not see much. I do vaguely recall seeing the line of white cliffs as we approached Dover in the dim light of early morning. Taking the eurostar train the whole way will still take you half a day, by the time you arrive early for check-in and security, board the train, etc. So the channel crossing by boat only costs you half a day. It's up to you if it's worth it or not (maybe to keep the peace in your marriage?) This past summer, flying from Zürich to London, we saw the white cliffs from the air for the first time---not sure why we haven't seen them before, maybe it was the approach. Anyway, they were quite beautiful.

I take the ferry a couple or four times a year lately. You can't really see the cliffs from Dover Priory or the ferry terminal ...... you have to get out in the channel a bit to get a good view from that area.......then the light has to be just right so they look white and not gray.......then you have to hope it's not foggy or raining so you can actually see something. Odds are that he will be underwhelmed. Take the eurostar and be done with it. (Truth: I've never ridden the darn thing since I always seem to be driving, but in the old days I did take the train-ferry-train route a couple of times and the fun was watching what was going on in the channel and not the cliffs.)

Is your husband a serious Anglophile or really into English history? If so, he shouldn't miss his chance to see those white cliffs. We went out of our way just to see them in 2008 and I thought it was one of the highlights of the trip. We took the Eurostar to Paris, did a two-week driving trip of NW France, then headed up past Etratat to Calais. The crossing itself is a very interesting experience-the ferry is huge, the arrival hall at Dover dwarfs the few foot passengers who are waiting for their luggage. From there you take a taxi about a mile to Dover Priory train station for a two hour ride to Charing Cross Station. (I believe there is now Eurostar service from Dover to central London, but there wasn't any when we went two years ago.) During the crossing, many parents brought their young children up to the front of the ferry so they could see the approaching cliffs. It was obviously a point of pride to them, rather like Americans watching for the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. I realize you are asking about London to Paris-if possible, take the ferry from Calais to Dover for a better effect. Lots of rental car booths at Calais ferry port; only P and O still takes foot passengers.

There is now high-speed train service from London to Dover Priory. These trains use the same tracks as do Eurostar trains. The ride takes 1hr11min. The channel crossing on P&O Ferries takes 90 minutes. Travel time from Calais to Paris ranges from 2 to 3 hours. Direct TGVs depart at 12:35 and 16:17. All other departure times require a connection in Lille.

Over the years I have done the SeaFrance ferry, the P&O Ferry, the hovercraft, the jet ferry to Zeebrugge, the Eurostar to Lille, Brussels and Paris, and the Eurotunnel which people on this board seem to like to call chunnel but which no Brit or Frenchman will ever call it. I only ever go two ways now, Eurostar or Eurotunnel. We found the ferries slow, noisy, smoky (cigarettes) when standing on the small bits of deck, and seriously painful when queuing to get on or off. Passport control was at the destination and added just that extra bit of delay. Add to the fact that they are difficult to get to and after the tunnel opened we never went back. You have never lived until you have been on a ship in bad weather in either the English Channel or the Irish Sea. I've done both. Yes, it was fun to see the cliffs at Dover, but you only have it for a short while and as others have said, the weather needs to cooperate. In very clear weather you can see them from France, but sometimes you can't see them very far at all. For me they were quite a letdown the first time, and a non issue after. Now for a really zippy cliff get thee to the 7 Sisters and Beachy Head just down the coast near Brighton. Just don't get too close to the edge or, like hundreds before you, it will be thought you went for the "Lovers' Leap".

I am not sure whether or not you intend to take the Eurostar (passengers only) or the Eurotunnel (vehicles and passengers). If you mean the Eurotunnel then it means you will have a car with you and this makes a difference because if you take the ferry with your car, then driving from Calais to Paris is not difficult and, if this is the case, I would recommend the ferry. It is a relaxing way to cross the Channel and a nice way to approach France, although Calais docks are not so great. If you would be going as footpassengers then I agree with some of the other posts and would take the train especially as disembarkation can take a long time. I think the white cliffs have a special place in the hearts of the British but are perhaps not as spectacular as you might think. I always get goose bumps when I see them as it means I am home again. I think they are best appreciated on a crossing from Calais to Dover, if it's not foggy!

Adding to what Shoni said (and I'm not sure you'd be picking up the car in England and dropping it in France -- or even if you could -- I always take one back to the side of the channel on which I picked it up), the car ferry is much more frequent to Dunkerque than to Calais and, every time I've checked, a heck of a lot cheaper. The extra driving time down to Paris with this route is less than half an hour - - but the ferry ride is a half-hour longer also.

Taking a car from England to Europe doesnt make sense. English cars have the driver on the wrong side for Europe (in addition to what are probably usurious drop off charges). If you rent a different car in Europe you will be on the side you are iused to driving from

I am not sure where anyone got the idea that we would have a car?? I am just trying to get opinions on whether or not taking 8-9 hours to go from London to Paris via Dover and Calais on the ferry is a worthwhile experience for those of us who have never done it. I would love to take the quicker trip under the channel and spend the extra time in Paris but my husband seems to have his heart set on the longer route. Thank you to everyone who has chimed in on this subject. I really appreciate all of your input. At this point I think I will give in to my husband's wishes since he so rarely is adamant about travel plans and he really seems to want to experience this crossing as an adventure rather than to do it efficiently.

Lori - I have done the trip MANY times over the years and I must say that THESE DAYS I personally prefer the train through the tunnel option, for the speed and convenience. However, to get a real feel for the journey, and the transition from England to France, the ferry journey needs to be experienced. To those who dismiss the white cliffs, I would point out that they are almost a religious shrine to a lot of British people, and you will see a lot of them on the ferry, making the point of watching the cliffs disappear into the distance. They represented for a long time, the last line of defence against a nasty little Austrian, and the "welcome home" sign for those that had spent a lot of time away, harrying him. To understand the fascination, think of the cliffs in the same affectionate way that many Americans regard the Statue of Liberty.

On a different note - the white cliffs are nice, but what I REALLY REALLY enjoyed about Dover was Dover Castle and the underground bunker and tunnels. It was truly amazing to down into the bunkers and see what life was like during the war. It was fascinating. Yes, I would take a whole day from my itinerary to train to Dover and see the area, the castle, the bunker...then take the night ferry over to Calais.