Dover to Calais

We did this trip in 2008 in the opposite direction, just so we could see those "White Cliffs of Dover." At that time, only P & O ferries allowed foot passengers; I don't know if that has changed or not....... Don't try to walk from Dover Priory train station to the ferry port - it isn't that far but it is a very heavy traffic area and would be an extremely unpleasant walk....The Dover ferry port is an interesting relic of a bygone pre-Eurostar day. I don't know if you will see the arrivals area if you are going in the opposite direction from ours, but it is a huge area and there were about twenty people there retrieving luggage in a space that could hold a few thousand passengers.....Anyway, check out the link below, you should find all the information you need. http://www.poferries.com/tourist/content/pages/template/routes_dover_-_calais_dover_dover_port.htm

The fastest train will be a Southeastern Javelin bullet train from London St Pancras International to Dover Priory - no changes. Leaves at 11:12, arrives 12:20. Foot passengers on P&O can only travel between the hours of 08:45-19:05 Dover-Calais and 07:05-20:55 Calais-Dover. You don't say what time of year you are going so I have to throw a dart and guess. I guess it will before winter. Its unlikely you would be able to get to the dock and check in for the 12:55 so I expect you would be on the 13:55 British Time. That arrives in Calais Port at 16:25 Central European Time. There is a train at 16:10 which would even have been a tight fit for the earlier ferry and the next one on Sunday isn't until 18:07. There is one change, for 17 minutes at Boulogne Ville, and the arrival at Amiens at 20:36.

Thanks you for the info. We are going to be taking the trip on October 20th. Nigel, thanks so much for the great info. I love the idea of a non stop train from London. Gratefully, Jan

Jan, I appreciate your providing the date. I know that you said you wanted to do the boat, but my experience in October is that the Channel can be just a mite lumpy. Days are shorter then, too. Sunset in Amiens that day will be at 18:20, long before you get there. And it could be rainy. Another possibility would be the Eurostar train, direct from London St Pancras International at Su, 20.10.13 dep 12:58 on Eurostar 9132, arrives (french time) at Lille Europe Eurostar arr 15:30, a short walk on foot to Lille Flandres and catch the direct train dep 16:02 RE 43912 Regional-Express, 2nd class only which arrives way earlier at Amiens arr 17:21. You could have lunch in London and dinner in Amiens. You would be dry the whole way (maybe an umbrella for the short walk in Lille), only the one easy change. No white cliffs, but no seasickness either. Just to think about...

You probably have your own reasons for doing this route this way, but it is under 3.5 hours if you do it entirely by train, with one change. EDIT ... snap! (There are other trains where you change at Paris Nord)