Ferry to Dover

Dover

Few harbours have a better claim to be the front door of Britain. Dover Museum holds the Bronze Age Boat, found in the mud beneath the town in 1992 and dated to around 1550 BC, thought to be the oldest known seagoing boat in the world, which tells you how long people have been crossing here. Above the docks, the Napoleonic-era fortifications of the Western Heights and the cliffs themselves, cared for by the National Trust along this stretch, make for some of the best short walks in Kent. A little way along the coast, Samphire Hoe is a nature reserve built from chalk excavated during the Channel Tunnel works and now home to wildflowers and seabirds. The town is a short train ride from London St Pancras, so a sailing from the Eastern Docks combines easily with a day in the capital.

The ferry port at Dover

Address: Eastern Docks, Dover CT16 1JA (sat-nav postcode). GPS: 51.1251, 1.3338.

By road: From London take the M20, which joins the A20 at Folkestone, and follow the A20 to the Eastern Docks roundabout. The ferry terminal is signposted from there.

By train: Dover Priory is the nearest station, just under a mile from the terminal, about a 15 to 25 minute walk. There is a taxi rank outside both the station and the passenger terminal.

Parking: There is no long-term parking at the port itself.