For
independent transfers between Dover and Central London there is a
choice of three modes of transport, rail, bus and private transfer
by taxi or bus/van. Its about 75 miles from Dover to the centre of
London.
Most cruise passengers normally disembark between 08:00 and 09:00.
In summary: |
- National
Express Coach
- National Express are the dominant national long distance scheduled
bus operator in the UK. Its broadly an hourly service between
Dover and London's Victoria coach station taking around 3 hours.
This option is normally the cheapest option. The coaches start
from the ferry terminal, not the cruise terminal - a taxi
transfer is required between the two.
- Railway
services operated by South Eastern Trains run several times
an hour from Dover's Priory Station. There are two routes, one
into London's Victoria Station, the other into Charing Cross.
Journey time should be well under two hours. There is a shuttle
bus from the ferry terminal run by the port authority (chargeable)
to Priory Station, but from the cruise terminal a Dover
taxi is required.
- A
taxi or charter van/bus will typically take
around 2 hours, depending on exact location of accommodation in
Central London and the level of road congestion on London's crowded
roads.
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National
Express Bus - Dover & London
National Express Coaches are comfortable long distance coaches with
onboard washroom and toilets.
In Dover, National Express buses terminate at the ferry terminal,
(Eastern Docks). A taxi is required for passengers
going to or from the cruise terminal in the Western Docks. |
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Luggage
allowance is two suitcases, neither of which should weigh more than
20kg. It is up to the discretion of the driver if more luggage is
carried. There is no luggage excess charge system, if everybody in
the bus turns up with their full luggage allowance there is no room
for more luggage. |
Fares
: There
are a range of fare options, including bargain advance purchase fares
and heavily discounted tickets for those over 60. Unlike the railways,
full e-tickets can be purchased from the National Express web site.
National
Express London-Dover Ticketing & Timetables
Journey
Time : Around 3 hours |
| Rail
- Dover to/from Central London |
The
railway station at Dover is a few hundred metres to the south of Dover
Town centre, a long way from both the cruise terminal in the Western
docks and the ferry terminal in the Eastern Docks.
The port authority runs a shuttle bus between the ferry terminal and
Priory Station.
Passengers for the cruise terminal require a Dover
taxi. As you come out of the front entrance of Dover Priory Station,
turn right for the taxi rank. |
Dover Priory Station |
There
are several trains each hour between London and Dover run by South
East trains. Some trains run to London Victoria, others terminate
at Charing Cross stopping at London Bridge and Waterloo East among
others.
Journey time should be well under two hours.
Luggage is only limited by the amount you can personally carry onto
the train and stow in the passenger cabin. |
Fares
: Fares
are very complex, normally the best fares are advance purchase, if
you pay on the day it can be very expensive.
Use 'the trainline'
- for timetables and available fares.
For overseas visitors the big problem with train tickets is that there
are no true etickets at the moment, so you miss the reasonable advance
purchase fares. Tickets ordered online can only be sent to UK postal
addresses. |
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However,
there is an option where you can order online and pickup the tickets
on arrival at a special ticket machine. This scheme is called Fastticket.
The big but is that Fastticket machines are only on selected stations.
There no Fastticket machines at Dover, Charing Cross or Heathrow.
The good news is that there is a machine at London Victoria and Gatwick.
Use 'the trainline'
- for timetables and ticketing with the Fastticket option. |
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