Ferry to Calais

Calais

The Strait of Dover has always made Calais a place people cross from. Captain Matthew Webb became the first person to swim the Channel unaided in August 1875, setting off from Dover and wading ashore here after almost 22 hours. In July 1909 Louis Blériot took off from the dunes just west of town and landed beside Dover Castle, making the first flight across the Channel in a powered aeroplane. Calais is also where Charles de Gaulle married Yvonne Vendroux in 1921, at the church of Notre-Dame. Today the ferry port sits a few minutes from a town centre that is easy to explore on foot, and the Opal Coast begins just beyond the harbour: the chalk headlands of Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez, from where, on a clear day, you can see across to the English coast.

The ferry port at Calais

Where the ferries leave from: The ferry terminal is part of the port complex at Calais, directly accessible from the A16 and A26 motorways. Follow the signs for the passenger terminal, not the freight terminal.

Border controls: Passengers travelling from Calais to Dover go through French exit checks and UK passport or identity checks in Calais before boarding, with UK customs checks on arrival. In the other direction, the French checks are carried out in Dover.

Check-in: Border control comes after check-in, so allow enough time for both. DFDS closes check-in 60 minutes before departure.

By train: The nearest station, Calais-Ville, is about 2 kilometres from the port.