--- title: "Trains from Calais to Dover | EveryRail" description: "Calais to Dover is a ferry crossing, not a train journey. P&O accepts foot passengers; check in 90 minutes before departure." image: "https://everyrail.com/api/route-image/calais-to-dover/" --- [Home]()[Europe by train]()[France]()Calais to Dover by train [Home]()[Europe by train]()[France]()Calais to Dover by train **Share** - - [Share on WhatsApp]() - [Share on X]() - [Share on Facebook]() - [Share by email]() **On this page** - [About Calais to Dover by train]() - [Find places to stay in Dover]() - [Frequently asked questions]() - [More routes]() [Book now]() Last updated October 2026 # Calais to Dover by train Calais to Dover is a ferry crossing, not a train journey. P&O accepts foot passengers; check in 90 minutes before departure. ![Dover Castle above waterfront buildings with a Union Flag.]() Typical duration About 90 minutes on the P&O foot-passenger ferry. Check-in closes 90 minutes before departure, and you leave the ship about 30 minutes after it docks. Frequency P&O is the only ferry company that takes foot passengers from Calais. Sailing times change by season, so check P&O for your date. DFDS and Irish Ferries carry vehicles only. Changes No direct train. The direct cross-Channel connection is a ferry from the Port of Calais to Dover; any onward bus, taxi or train connection is a separate leg after disembarkation. Origin [Calais]() Destination [Dover]() Countries [France](), [United Kingdom]() [Calais]() to [Dover]() is not a train journey. It is a ferry crossing of the English Channel, with the ferry terminal in Calais and the arrival port in Dover. P&O Ferries is the only foot-passenger operator on this crossing. DFDS and Irish Ferries carry vehicles only. ## Getting to the ferry in Calais The ferry is the whole cross-Channel journey, so allow extra time for check-in, passport and border controls, the transfer to the ship and disembarkation. Calais Ville and the ferry port are separate places; a train ticket to Calais Ville does not take you to the ferry terminal. Confirm your P&O booking and current port instructions before travelling. The Calais foot-passenger terminal is at 285 Avenue du Mérite Maritime. A free Baladin shuttle links it with the city centre and Calais Ville station every day except Sundays and public holidays. At the terminal, a P&O agent checks in foot passengers, then P&O transfers them by shuttle through French and British border controls to boarding. Check in at least 90 minutes before departure, or 120 minutes during busy periods such as summer, Christmas and Easter. Dover Priory station is just over a mile from the ferry terminal, about a 25-minute walk. There is a taxi rank outside the station, and the number 66 bus runs to the Eastern Docks. ## Operators and sailings P&O Ferries runs the foot-passenger sailings from Calais, which take about 90 minutes. Sailing times change by season, so check P&O for your date. Foot-passenger tickets are sold online only, and pets are not allowed on the foot-passenger service. DFDS runs a frequent vehicle ferry service between Dover and Calais, with crossings taking 100 minutes and up to 30 daily sailings. DFDS explicitly says that only vehicle travel is permitted on its Dover to France routes, so you cannot book this crossing as an ordinary foot passenger. Its check-in closes 60 minutes before departure, with extra time needed for the port controls. Irish Ferries operates the Calais and Dover vehicle route with the Oscar Wilde and Isle of Inishmore; its vehicle crossing takes about 90 minutes. You cannot book this crossing with Irish Ferries as a foot passenger. ## Check-in and arrival Keep your passport and booking details ready for the border process. P&O’s port process uses a shuttle between the terminal, border controls and boarding, so allow the full check-in window rather than arriving at sailing time. After the ferry docks in Dover, continue separately from the port. The ferry terminal and railway station are different locations. Choose the onward bus, taxi or train connection only after checking where it leaves and leaving time to disembark. A rail ticket covers a separate rail leg; it does not include the ferry. ## Rail passes and tickets An Interrail Pass covers eligible train travel, not this ferry. Interrail says there is no discount on P&O Ferries, and no pass offers a [Dover to Calais]() foot-passenger benefit. Irish Ferries pass discounts apply only to routes between Ireland and France or Wales, not to this one. Buy the ferry ticket separately and check the operator’s own conditions for your departure. Ferry prices depend on the operator, direction, date, passenger type and availability. Foot-passenger and vehicle tickets have different prices, and a rail pass discount does not apply to this ferry. ## Find places to stay in Dover [![Bright bedroom with white bedding and a breakfast tray on the bed]()**Browse stays in Dover**Hotels and apartments via Booking.com]() ## Frequently asked questions ### Is there a direct train from Calais to Dover? No. There is no railway connection between Calais and Dover. The direct cross-Channel option is a ferry, with any train or bus journey before or after it booked separately. ### Can I travel from Calais to Dover as a foot passenger? P&O is the only foot-passenger operator on this crossing. DFDS and Irish Ferries carry vehicles only. Book with P&O online in advance, as foot-passenger tickets are not sold at the port. Sailing times change by season, so check P&O for your date. ### How long does the Calais to Dover ferry take? About 90 minutes on the P&O foot-passenger ferry. Check-in closes 90 minutes before departure, and you leave the ship about 30 minutes after it docks in Dover. ### How early should I arrive for the ferry from Calais to Dover? Foot passengers travelling with P&O must check in at least 90 minutes before departure, or 120 minutes during busy periods such as summer, Christmas and Easter. P&O then transfers passengers by shuttle through border controls to boarding. ### Can I use an Interrail Pass for Calais to Dover? No. Interrail covers eligible train travel, not this ferry crossing. Buy the ferry ticket separately and use the pass only for eligible rail legs before or after it. ## More routes [![Sand dune path leading to a beach along the English Channel coast]()Dover to Calais by trainNo direct train. P&O's ferry is the only crossing open to foot passengers, about 90 minutes, from £13.50. Eurotunnel carries vehicles only.]() ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://everyrail.com/#organization", "name": "EveryRail", "url": "https://everyrail.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://everyrail.com/_astro/everyrail-logomark-2026.VJ4vNX1T.webp", "@id": "https://everyrail.com/#organization-logo-1" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.instagram.com/everyrailtravel/", "https://www.facebook.com/everyrail", "https://www.threads.com/@everyrailtravel" ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://everyrail.com/#website", "name": "EveryRail", "url": "https://everyrail.com/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://everyrail.com/#organization" }, "inLanguage": "en" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://everyrail.com/trains/calais-to-dover/#webpage", "name": "Trains from Calais to Dover | EveryRail", "description": "Train travel information for Calais to Dover. Typical duration: About 90 minutes on the P&O foot-passenger ferry. 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