Calais to Dover by train

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.