Dover sits on the Kent coast at the end of the M20 and A2, and handles both cruise ships and cross-Channel ferries. The cruise terminals are in the Western Docks, separate from the ferry terminal in the Eastern Docks, and they are not interchangeable. Tell us which you need when you book.
Cruise terminal or ferry port
Cruise passengers use the cruise terminals; foot and vehicle passengers for the Channel ferries use the Eastern Docks. Getting these mixed up costs real time on the day, because the two are on opposite sides of the harbour and the roads between them are busy during a sailing.
How long the journey takes
- London to Dover — typically around two hours, using the M20 or the A2 depending on conditions
- Gatwick to Dover — a run across the south east, generally quicker than from central London
- Heathrow to Dover — the longest of the three, crossing the M25
The Kent motorways carry a large volume of freight heading for the port, and they are prone to disruption when cross-Channel operations are delayed. We watch that on the day and plan with margin, particularly around holiday weekends.
Luggage and groups
Cruise luggage is bulky and there is usually a lot of it. Give us the number of cases when you book so the vehicle is right first time. For groups sailing together, one minibus is simpler than two cars and means everyone arrives at the terminal at the same moment.
Coming home
As at any cruise port, disembarkation is staggered, so book the return for the time you expect to be off the ship rather than the time it docks. Pre-booking both legs at once is the usual approach and means there is a car waiting rather than a queue to join.
The hours we run
We collect and drop off between 8am and 6pm, and the office takes bookings during those hours. Dover sailings are not confined to that window, so check your embarkation or arrival time against it before booking. If a sailing falls outside our hours, travelling the day before and staying locally is usually the workable answer.
Booking your Dover Cruise Port transfer
Every journey is arranged and accepted in advance. We are a licensed private hire operator, not a street-hail taxi service, so cars cannot be flagged down or picked up from a rank.
When you request a journey, please give us:
- The passenger name and a contact telephone number
- Correct pickup and destination addresses
- The date and required pickup time
- The number of passengers, and the amount and size of luggage
- Flight or sailing details where they apply
- Any accessibility requirements that affect the vehicle we send
The price shown when you book is an estimate based on what you tell us. Our office confirms the final price before you travel, and it does not change afterwards because of traffic or a longer route.