Getting There & Onward Travel
The crossing is the short part. How to reach the terminals in Dover and Calais, what Operation Brock means on the M20, and how the journey continues on the other side.
- London - Dover ca. 70 miles, ca. 2 hours
- Calais directly on the A16, A26 towards Paris
- Rail on both sides, Dover Priory and Calais Ville
To the ports and onward
Table of Contents
The crossing takes around 90 minutes; the drives on either side decide the rest of your day. This page covers the approach roads and stations for both terminals and the onward legs - London and Kent on the English side, Paris, Belgium and the French coast on the other. The terminal details themselves live on the Dover ferry port and Calais ferry port pages.
England: to Dover and away from it
By car the choice is simple: the M20/A20 runs along the coast through Folkestone and is the signed main route; the M2/A2 comes in from the north via Canterbury. Both end at the Eastern Docks Roundabout. From London allow about two hours for the roughly 70 miles, more in the school holidays. When cross-Channel traffic is disrupted, Operation Brock puts a contraflow on the M20 between junctions 8 and 9 - cars follow the signed lanes at reduced speed, and lorries have a mandatory freight route with fines for rat-running. Fuel up by Ashford; the port has no petrol station.
By train, high-speed services link London St Pancras with Dover Priory in about an hour; the station is a mile from the Eastern Docks (25 minutes on foot, bus 66 or a short taxi ride). This is the standard first leg of the foot-passenger route with P&O.
Arriving from Calais, you leave the port straight onto the A20 system. Canterbury is half an hour, London about two hours; for the North, the M2/A2 spares you the London orbital until the M25 becomes unavoidable.
France: to Calais and away from it
By car, Calais could hardly be easier: the terminal sits at 285 Avenue du Merite Maritime, ten minutes from the A16, with the A26 ("Autoroute des Anglais") branching towards Reims and Paris just south of the town. From either motorway, follow the "car ferry" signs. Coming from Belgium, the A16 runs along the coast from Dunkirk in about 45 minutes.
By train, Calais Ville station connects to the French regional network (with TGV links at Calais-Frethun); the free Baladin shuttle covers the last leg between town, station and ferry terminal Monday to Saturday.
Arriving from Dover, you drive off onto the A16/A26 network: Paris in about three hours via the A26/A1, Brussels in about two via the A16, the Cote d'Opale beaches within half an hour. If the first French supermarket stop is part of your ritual, the Calais hypermarkets sit conveniently between port and motorway.
Timing the whole day
Work backwards from your sailing: operator check-in deadlines (see check-in) plus the two-hour maximum early arrival in Dover frame the window on the English side; Calais asks for at least an hour with a car. Border formalities - ETA for visa-free visitors to the UK, EES registration for non-EU travellers leaving it - add minutes per person at peak times rather than hours, but they are minutes you want inside your buffer, not outside it.
FAQ
Frequent questions about the journey to and from the ports
How long is the drive from London to Dover?+
About 70 miles - roughly two hours via the M20/A20 or the M2/A2 outside the peaks. Add buffer in the school holidays and whenever Operation Brock is active on the M20.
What is Operation Brock?+
A traffic-management contraflow on the M20 between junctions 8 and 9, activated when cross-Channel traffic is disrupted. Cars follow the signed contraflow at reduced speed; lorries bound for Dover must use the signed freight route.
How far is Paris from Calais?+
About three hours by car via the A26/A1. Brussels is around two hours via the A16 and the Belgian motorways, and the Belgian border itself is under an hour away.
Can I do the whole trip by train and ferry?+
Yes, in the P&O foot-passenger combination: high-speed train London St Pancras - Dover Priory in about an hour, taxi/bus or walk to the Eastern Docks, ferry to Calais, then the free Baladin shuttle to Calais Ville station for French regional trains. The ferry leg is explained on the foot passengers page.
Where do I refuel around the crossing?+
Neither port has a public petrol station in the terminal area. On the English side, plan the stop by Ashford at the latest; on the French side, the A16/A26 service areas and the Calais hypermarkets just off the port are the practical choice.