Why go by train + ferry?
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Above: Returning
from France the ferry approaches Dover Eastern Docks,
with Dover Castle above the White Cliffs... |
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High-speed
Eurostar trains now link London and Paris in just 2¼
hours, centre to centre, with fares from £39 one-way or £69 return
if you book in advance. But you can still travel from
London to Paris by train-ferry-train if you want. On the down side:
-
London to Paris
takes around 9 hours in total by train-ferry-train, much
longer than Eurostar's 2¼
hours. Eurostar is normally cheaper than train+ferry, if
you book in advance;
-
You'll need to buy
separate tickets for the British train, the ferry, and the French
train, because traditional London to Paris through tickets
ceased to exist in 2007;
-
The journey now
involves an awkward bus or taxi transfer between the city centre
station and the ferry terminal in both Dover and Calais.
-
If you are
travelling to Switzerland, Italy the Netherlands, Germany,
Austria, Eastern Europe or Scandinavia, and want an
alternative to Eurostar avoiding the Channel Tunnel, I
strongly recommend the vastly superior integrated
train-ferry-train service from London Liverpool Street via
Harwich and Hoek van Holland, with far easier train/ferry
transfers and through ticketing,
see here for details.
However, on the
plus side:
-
You get to travel
across Kent on a more scenic and historic route at a slower pace;
-
You get to sail
across the Channel from the White Cliffs of Dover;
-
You don't have to
go through the Channel Tunnel if that's an issue for you
- although in reality you'll find the Channel Tunnel is a
complete anti-climax, it's just 20 short minutes out of a 2¼ hour Eurostar journey;
-
Because the trains
and ferries are basically a 'walk up, buy a ticket and hop on'
service, with no reservation or advance booking necessary, the
cost can sometimes be less than Eurostar if you can't book in
advance and have to buy your tickets at very short notice or
on the day of travel when all cheap Eurostar fares are sold
out.
How to travel by
train & ferry from London to Calais, Boulogne, Amiens &
Paris...
The days of
travelling on a non-stop 'boat train' run exclusively for
international passengers from London Victoria into
Folkestone Harbour or Dover Western docks right alongside
the ferries are long gone. The stations at Dover Western
Docks and Calais Maritime closed when Eurostar started in
1994. You now need to use ordinary domestic trains on
each side of the English Channel and make your own way by bus
or taxi between town centre stations and the ferry terminals
in both Dover and Calais. But if you still want to travel from London to
Paris by train and ferry, here's how:
-
Step 1:
Take a train from London to Dover.
Regular trains run from London Charing Cross to Dover (Priory
station) every 30 minutes throughout the day, journey
time 1 hour 50 minutes. There's also a train from London Victoria
every half hour if that's a more convenient
terminal for you. And now there's a
high-speed train from London St Pancras to Dover too, which is
significantly faster, but a little more expensive and of
course less 'traditional' as it uses the modern high-speed
line not the classic rail route to Dover. You can check UK train
times & fares at
www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Allow at least 65 minutes in Dover between your train arrival and planned ferry departure,
preferably a bit more, as
there is a 45-minute check-in for the ferry. Just buy your London-Dover train ticket at Charing Cross station on the
day of travel, no advance reservation is necessary or even
possible, you buy a ticket and hop on.
-
Transfer from
station to ferry terminal in Dover: On arrival at
Dover Priory station, take a bus, taxi
or walk to Dover
Eastern Docks where the P&O ships leave. Walking
takes 30-40 minutes. The shuttle bus is run by P&O
Ferries, it runs every 20 minutes from 07:20 to 20:40, and
costs £2 adult per trip. A taxi from Dover Priory to
Dover Eastern Docks will cost around £5.
-
Step 2:
Sail from Dover to Calais by P&O ferries (www.poferries.com).
Ferries sail from Dover Eastern Docks to Calais
every hour or two, crossing time 1 hour 30 minutes. You
can book online in advance or just buy a ticket at the port,
there are always places available. It is no longer
possible to cross the Channel by hovercraft, as
Hoverspeed stopped all their Dover-Calais SeaCat sailings in
November 2005, and hovercraft were withdrawn several years
before that.
SeaFrance ceased taking foot passengers in September
2009, leaving P&O with a monopoly.
-
Transfer from
ferry terminal to station in Calais: The ferries arrive
at Calais Maritime ferry terminal. If you have a
backpack or other light luggage you can walk across the
now-reopened footbridge into town, it's a 10 minute walk
to the market place in the town centre, or a 15 minute walk to
Calais Ville station. If you have heavy luggage or
cannot walk far, take a shuttle
bus from the ferry terminal to Calais Ville station, the bus
fare is 2 euros (pounds not accepted) but the buses are
somewhat irregular.
Make sure you allow at least 60 minutes in Calais between the
ferry arrival and the departure of the train to Paris.
-
Step 3:
Take a train from Calais or Boulogne to Paris.
Coming from Calais, you normally take a local train from
Calais Ville station to
Boulogne and change there onto an express from Boulogne to
Paris Gare du Nord. There are relatively few trains
between Calais or Boulogne and Paris, so it's the timings of these few
French trains that will determine which of the frequent
British trains and ferries you need to catch between London,
Dover & Calais or Boulogne to connect with it. You can check French train times
& fares
at
www.raileurope.co.uk or
www.tgv-europe.com. Booking online might save a
few pounds if you corner a cheap non-refundable,
non-changeable 'prems' fare, but it's not expensive or
difficult to simply buy a ticket at the station when you get
there.
Example
timetable...
Here is an
un-updated example
timetable showing possible London-Paris connections, using the
P&O ferries.
Please use them as a very rough guide, and check
current times carefully
before travelling!
London ► Dover
/ Calais ► Paris (by train+ferry)
|
|
Train: |
Mondays-Fridays |
Saturdays |
Sundays |
|
London Charing Cross |
depart |
07:40 |
10:10 |
06:00 |
10:10 |
09:13 |
10:13 |
|
Dover Priory |
arrive |
09:31 |
12:01 |
08:01 |
12:01 |
11:01 |
12:01 |
|
Ship: (in
Dover, take bus or taxi from station to Dover Eastern
Docks) |
|
Dover Eastern Docks |
depart |
11:10 |
12:55 |
09:25 |
12:55 |
12:55 |
13:55 |
|
Calais port |
arrive |
13:40 |
15:25 |
11:55 |
15:25 |
15:25 |
16:25 |
|
Train: (at Calais, take bus, taxi or 15
minutes walk from ferry terminal
to station)
|
|
Calais Ville
station |
depart |
14:33 |
16:44 |
13:27 |
16:41 |
16:41 |
17:46 |
|
Boulogne |
arrive |
15:09 |
17:21 |
14:02 |
17:15 |
17:15 |
18:18 |
|
Train:
(change trains in Boulogne) |
|
|
Boulogne |
depart |
15:36 |
17:42 |
14:38 |
17:42 |
17:42 |
18:38 |
|
Etaples / Le
Touquet |
arrive |
15:51 |
17:57 |
14:53 |
17:57 |
17:57 |
18:50 |
|
Amiens |
arrive |
17:03 |
18:59 |
16:02 |
18:59 |
18:59 |
20:05 |
|
Paris Gare de
Nord |
arrive |
18:23 |
20:20 |
17:20 |
20:20 |
20:20 |
21:23 |
t
= By direct high-speed TGV train from Paris to Calais, reservation obligatory,
higher fare payable.
How to read
these timetables No UK trains run
on these routes on
25 or 26 December.
Please
double-check times before you travel. Start by
checking French train times as this is the least frequent part
of the journey, using either
www.raileurope.co.uk or
www.tgv-europe.com. To check ferry times, see
www.poferries.com. To check UK train times,
use
www.nationalrail.co.uk. Unlike the
integrated pre-Eurostar train+ferry services, this is not an
organised
service where ferries are held if trains run late, but
completely separate trains and ferry. If you have
important connections in Paris, bear this in mind and perhaps
take an earlier train from London.
About
these times: The times suggested here assume
you want the cheapest route, and/or want to experience the
'traditional' route from London to Paris, using the classic
London to Dover route from London Charing Cross built in the
19th century, and the classic route from Calais to Paris via
Boulogne and Amiens. If cost and history aren't your
prime concern, you can save some time using the hourly
trains from London St Pancras to Dover via the new
high-speed line (but slightly higher fares will apply, use
the journey planner at
www.nationalrail.co.uk), and there are other Calais-Paris
options with changes at Hazebrouck or Lille using the
high-speed line to Paris (again, higher fares will apply
especially if you pay full-price on the day instead of
pre-booking). Use either
www.raileurope.co.uk or
www.tgv-europe.com to find all Calais-Paris options.
Paris ► Calais
/ Dover ► London (by train+ferry)
|
|
Train: |
Monday-Friday |
Saturdays |
Sundays |
|
Paris Nord |
depart |
07:04 |
09:58 t |
10:07 |
14:19 |
07:04 |
09:58 t |
10:07 |
14:19 |
10:07 |
14:19 |
|
Amiens |
depart |
08:23 |
| |
11:23 |
15:35 |
08:23 |
| |
11:23 |
15:35 |
11:23 |
15:35 |
|
Etaples /
Le Touquet |
depart |
09:24 |
| |
12:31 |
16:40 |
09:24 |
| |
12:31 |
16:40 |
12:31 |
16:40 |
|
Boulogne |
arrive |
09:41 |
| |
12:50 |
16:59 |
09:41 |
| |
12:50 |
16:59 |
12:50 |
16:59 |
|
Train: (change
trains in Boulogne): |
|
Boulogne |
depart |
09:57 |
| |
13:05 |
17:07 |
09:57 |
| |
13:03 |
17:29 |
12:59 |
17:29 |
|
Calais Ville
station |
arrive |
10:31 |
11:42 t |
13:44 |
17:41 |
10:31 |
11:42
t |
13:43 |
18:02 |
13:33 |
18:02 |
|
Ship: (in
Calais, take bus, taxi or 15 minute walk from station to port) |
|
Calais port |
depart |
11:35 |
12:35 |
15:20 |
18:50 |
11:35 |
12:35 |
15:20 |
19:55 |
15:20 |
19:55 |
|
Dover Eastern Docks |
arrive |
12:05 |
13:05 |
15:50 |
19:20 |
12:05 |
13:05 |
15:50 |
20:25 |
15:50 |
20:25 |
|
Train: (in Dover, take bus or taxi from Eastern
Docks
to Dover Priory station) |
|
Dover Priory |
depart |
13:24 |
13:56 |
16:56 |
19:55 |
13:24 |
14:24 |
17:24 |
21:24 |
17:24 |
21:24 |
|
London Charing
Cross |
arrive |
15:22 |
15:52 |
18:52 |
21:52 |
15:22 |
16:24 |
19:22 |
23:23 |
19:22 |
23:23 |
You now need to
buy separate tickets for the UK train, the ferry, and the
French train.
|
|
|
Fare: |
One-way: |
Return: |
|
London to Dover by train: |
£30.90 one-way full fare,
£29.40 off-peak. |
£61.80 full fare, off-peak £29.60
travelling after 09:30. |
|
Dover to Calais by ferry: |
£29.50 at
www.poferries.com
in advance, £40 on the day. |
£59 at
www.poferries.com,
£80 on the day |
|
Calais to Paris by train: |
39 euros (£34) full fare or from 22 euros 'prems' |
78 euros (£68) full fare or from 44 euros 'prems' |
Slightly higher fares apply
if you use the high-speed London-Dover service from St
Pancras, or Calais-Paris options involving high-speed
TGVs.
Money-saving suggestion:
Buy a 'day Trip' ticket from London to Calais, even
for a one-way trip... It's very poorly publicised (it's not even mentioned on
their website!) but South Eastern Trains offer a day return
day tripper ticket from
London to Calais for £33.90 adult, £16.95 child,
or £22.35 for Senior or Young person railcard holders (January
2012
prices).
It's valid on any 'classic' (in other words,
non-high-speed) train to Dover even in the morning
peak and on any P&O ferry to Calais, no reservation
necessary. You can buy it at London's Charing Cross or
Victoria stations on the day of travel. It's
intended for day trippers, but even for one-way trips
from London to Calais this £33.90 train+ferry ticket is a lot cheaper than buying a
£34 one-way train ticket to Dover plus a £30 foot
passenger ferry fare to Calais. There is no problem
buying one of these day returns and not using the return leg.
Just throw the return half away! However, it's
doubtful if it could be used for one-way trips in the
'inward' direction. The ticket can
also be bought starting in many other
stations in Kent & South London such as Croydon,
Guildford, Woking, Orpington, Canterbury or Ashford. It
doesn't cover the bus between Dover Priory and Eastern
Docks. You can confirm prices & details by calling
South Eastern's customer services on 0845 000 2222.
How to buy tickets:
-
It's easy to buy
the London-Dover train ticket at Charing Cross station on the
day of travel. No advance reservation is necessary or
even possible, you buy a ticket and hop on. You can
check times &
fares at
www.nationalrail.co.uk,
and can buy online here if you want to save time queuing at
the ticket office on the day.
-
Buy the ferry
ticket in advance at
www.poferries.com to pay the cheaper rate, you can also
buy at the port on the day but it will cost more. You can also check prices and buy
tickets for most ferry operators at the
Seat61 Ferry Shop.
-
Buy the
Calais/Boulogne-Paris train ticket either at the station in
Calais or Boulogne on the day of travel (no advance
reservation necessary, but only the full fare will be
available on the day of travel) or in advance at
www.raileurope.co.uk or
www.tgv-europe.com (which saves time at the ticket
office, and cheap 'prems' fares may be available if you book
at least 14 days in advance, no refunds, no changes to
travel plans).
-
Tips for booking Calais-Paris tickets online:
(1) Select 'Calais Centre' if prompted, and make sure you buy tickets from 'Calais Ville'
or 'Calais Centre' not
'Calais Fréthun' which is several miles from Calais itself. (2)
Using tgv-europe.com, I recommend clicking 'More criteria' and entering
'Boulogne' in the 'via' box, otherwise it routes you via Lille.
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