Getting here and getting around

At little more than an hour from central London by high-speed train, connected by two motorways (the M20 and M2) and just 75 minutes from Calais on a cross-Channel ferry or 35 minutes via Le Shuttle, White Cliffs Country is easy to travel to and explore. 

Travelling to and travelling around White Cliffs Country - Dover, Deal and Sandwich and surrounding villages - is straightforward with its excellent road, rail and sea connections. Here's what you need to know to help your journey go as smoothly as possible. 

By road

White Cliffs Country is within quick and easy reach of both the M2 and M20, the motorway links to/from London and beyond. The M25 (the motorway encircling Greater London) is approximately 1 hour 10 minutes from Dover via the A20/M20 or A2/M2. Details of speed limits and guidance on driving safely in the UK can be found here.

Parking  There is plenty of parking in White Cliffs Country, all easily accessible from main routes. For information on the main locations and charges for car parks, see: Dover District Council car parks, St James Retail Park in Dover and Reylon parking.

  • Caravans - see Dover District Council's website for details on caravan parking.
  • Motorhomes- see Dover District Council's website for details on motorhome parking.
  • Coaches and minibuses- see Dover District Council's website for details on coach and minibus parking.

Car hire  There are several options - please contact our Visitor Information team (see below) who will be able to advise you.

Coach travel

  • National Express operates frequent coach travel between London, Dover and Deal. Change at London Victoria for coaches to the rest of the UK.
  • Eurolines coach services travel across Europe departing the UK at Dover's Eastern Docks.
  • Trainline is Europe's leading train and coach app, working with rail and coach companies to offer customers travel to thousands of destinations across Europe.

Buses  Stagecoach operates a regular bus service within White Cliffs Country offering a variety of tickets. See their website for timetables and fares or telephone 03456 00 22 99.

Taxis Please visit the Dover District Council website for details of licensed taxi operators.

By rail

With Dover just over an hour by highspeed train from London St Pancras, the area is perfect for a getaway from the city and travelling by rail in White Cliffs Country couldn’t be easier with stations at Dover Priory, Deal, Sandwich, Walmer, Martin Mill, Shepherdswell, Kearsney, Adisham and Aylesham. 

Trains are operated by Southeastern who operate a regular service to several London stations (St Pancras, Waterloo, Charing Cross and Victoria). High Speed One travels between Sandwich, Deal, Walmer, Martin Mill or Dover and London St Pancras.

Eurostar  Dover is just over an hour from the International Station at London St Pancras which connects to destinations on mainland Europe via Eurostar.

Channel Tunnel  Dover is a 15 minute drive from the Channel Tunnel terminal. Operated by Le Shuttle, the journey to/from Calais takes 35 minutes. The terminal is easily reached from Junction 11a on the M20. Please note this service is for vehicles only.

An aerial view of the Port of Dover with three berthed cruise ships.
The Port of Dover provides excellent facilities for international cruise ships and cross-channel ferries.

By sea

The Port of Dover's Eastern Docks is Europe's busiest ferry port offering frequent daily crossings with P&O, DFDS and Irish Ferries. Dover is also home to the second busiest cruise port in the UK and a busy marina.

Ferries  The Port of Dover offers crossings between Dover and France every 20 minutes with crossing times of approximately 90 minutes with DFDS Seaways, Irish Ferries and P&O Ferries. The ferry terminal is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. 

Please note

  • you will need a full passport to travel
  • documentation must be presented on arrival at the port
  • allow plenty of time for your ferry journey as you may experience queues at border controls, particularly at busy holiday periods.

Cruise  The Port of Dover also serves as a major international cruise ship terminal for both turnarounds and port of call visits with two dedicated cruise terminals. Terminal 1 is within a charming converted Victorian railway station and Terminal 2 is a sleek, modern building offering state-of-the-art facilities. YMS Travel operates a 'hop on-hop off' shuttle bus service from the Cruise Terminals on port of call days direct to Dover’s Market Square and Dover Castle, taking around 15 minutes with contactless payment facilities, throughout the day until two hours before the cruise ship leaves. 

Moorings  Please contact Dover Marina for details of yacht and boat moorings in Dover and Dover District Council for details of moorings in Sandwich.

There is a superb range of facilities and services at Dover Marina, plus 24-hour security. Please visit Port of Dover's website for full information about facilities, navigating the port, procedures, the Marina Boatyard, tariffs, shore services and more.

For information about Sandwich Port & Haven, navigating the River Stour, regulations and fees, please see their website. 

Boat plots are also available for hire at various locations along our coastline. Locations include Deal Beach, Walmer Beach, Walmer compound, Kingsdown Beach and St Margaret's Bay. Please contact Dover District Council for details.

 

Travelling from/to airports

You can access White Cliffs Country from airports around the UK, including regular arrivals into London Heathrow and London Gatwick from all over the world.

  • Gatwick Airport - approximately 1 hour 30 minutes by road (84 miles/135km); train connections via London.
  • London Heathrow - approximately 2 hours by road (109 miles/175km); train connections via London.
  • London City Airport - approximately 2 hours by road (87 miles/140km); train connections via London.

Accessible travel 

Trains  For information on the facilities available on train services and at stations in White Cliffs Country, please see the nationalrail.co.uk website.

Taxi  The traintaxi database gives details of accessible taxi operators serving the area around each station.

Parking  Disabled drivers may park up to three hours (not to exceed the maximum period) free of charge in the council’s car parks, providing a disabled persons valid blue badge and clock are displayed. Additional parking should be purchased from the machine. Most pay and display car parks have wide bays dedicated to disabled drivers. Disabled persons on-street parking exemptions apply.

Buses  For information on accessibility and bus routes throughout the area please call Stagecoach on 0345 600 22 99 or email southeast.enquiries@stagecoachbus.com.

Contact our Visitor Information Centres, or use the LiveChat function on this website, for friendly, helpful advice about travel and transport or other aspects of visiting White Cliffs Country.

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