Frequently Asked Questions
The Dover - Calais crossing, sorted by question - from booking and check-in to documents, vehicles and pets. Each answer links to the page that owns the topic.
Dover - Calais ferry FAQ
Which operators sail Dover - Calais?+
Three: P&O Ferries, Irish Ferries (both around 90 minutes) and DFDS (around 100 minutes). Together they run more than 30 sailings a day in each direction. The differences that matter are compared on the operators page.
How do I find the cheapest crossing?+
Book early on a fixed date, compare all three operators in one search, and look at the edges of the day - dawn and late-evening sailings price below the convenient middle. The full fare logic is on the prices page.
When must I be at the port?+
Check-in closes 60 minutes before departure with DFDS and Irish Ferries; with P&O plan 90 minutes. Add margin in the school holidays, when the double border checks queue - DFDS itself advises 120 minutes then. Dover asks you not to arrive earlier than two hours before departure. Details on the check-in page.
Which documents do I need?+
A passport per traveller - ID cards are no longer accepted for UK entry. Visa-free visitors to the UK, including EU citizens, also need an ETA (each person, including children); non-EU travellers entering France are registered under the EU Entry/Exit System before departure. The check-in page keeps the current list.
Is the ticket per person or per car?+
Per vehicle with passengers included. The category and total length and height of the vehicle set the fare band, which is why measuring the loaded rig matters - see vehicles.
Can I cross without a vehicle?+
Yes, with P&O on fixed daily foot-passenger sailings, booked online in advance; DFDS carries vehicles only, and Irish Ferries shows a foot option only on selected sailings. The shuttle process at both ports is on the foot passengers page.
Can my dog come along?+
Yes - in the vehicle, in P&O's Pet Lounge or Irish Ferries' Pet Den. The paperwork decides the trip: AHC or EU pet passport outbound, the vet-administered tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before the return to Britain. Everything on the pets page.
What happens if I miss my ferry?+
Your fare decides. P&O Standard and DFDS Economy allow travel up to four hours either side of the booked sailing; DFDS Premium stretches that to 72 hours; Irish Ferries moves you to its next sailing against an amendment fee plus fare difference. The ladders are on the prices page.
How rough does the crossing get?+
The Strait of Dover is short and busy rather than wild, and the ships are large. In strong winds operators occasionally retime or cancel individual sailings - with three operators on the route, the next option is usually close. Reconfirm on the day via the timetable and your operator.
Ferry or Eurotunnel - which should I take?+
The tunnel is faster (35 minutes platform to platform) and less weather-sensitive; the ferry gives you a real break, carries LPG vehicles, bicycles and foot passengers, and offers three operators' timetables. The criteria-by-criteria comparison is on ferry vs Eurotunnel.
Are the times on this site live?+
The timetable loads the current schedule data for your date from our ferry database, which mirrors the operators' published plans. The binding word on the day belongs to your operator - reconfirm before you set off.
Who runs this website?+
calaisdover.com is an independent booking helper by Cruise Media - not the official site of P&O Ferries, DFDS, Irish Ferries or either port. Bookings are completed with the operator via our booking partner; see about us.