Coach and Minibus Hire in the United Kingdom

Joining Your Cruise at Dover

Dover's two cruise terminals sit in the Western Docks, and for many groups the journey starts in London or at one of its airports. With a minibus and a driver, your whole party is collected together and the cases go in once.

The journey down from London

Central London to the cruise berths is some 75 to 80 miles, around an hour and three-quarters when the roads are clear. They often aren't, so keep a comfortable buffer before your check-in time.

Starting in central London? Minibuses with nine or more seats qualify for a full Congestion Charge discount, though some need registering with TfL first; ask the operator to confirm that, and that the vehicle meets London's emission standards.

Ford Transit minibus cabin with blue and grey seats
Ford Transit minibus cabin with blue and grey seats

Straight from the airport

Gatwick is the closer of the big airports, about 80 miles and an hour and 20 minutes to an hour and a half by road. Heathrow is about 105 miles, or roughly 1 h 35 min to 2 hours. At Gatwick, anything seating more than eight picks up at the airport's coach park, out on the South Terminal ring road, not at the kerb, so ask for exact meeting directions before you fly.

Cruise lines you might be sailing with

  • Phoenix Reisen
  • Costa Cruises
  • AIDA
  • Viking
  • Holland America Line

The terminals

  • Both terminals have lifts to all floors, wheelchair-accessible facilities and baggage handlers
  • WD4 berth on Marina Curve Road for port-of-call visits
  • Cruise Terminal 2 (CT2), Western Docks: purpose-built in 2000, with a first-floor departure lounge
  • Cruise Terminal 1 (CT1), Western Docks: the former Dover Marine railway station of 1914, converted into a cruise terminal

Two terminals with a bit of history

Cruise Terminal 1 was Dover Marine railway station, opened in 1914 and later converted; Cruise Terminal 2 was purpose-built in 2000. Both have lifts to every floor, accessible facilities and baggage handlers, which helps when grandparents are in the party.

Calling at Dover for the day? A shuttle bus links the terminals with the town and Dover Castle. To go further, say to Canterbury, a minibus with a driver can take your group, as long as the plan leaves a generous margin before all-aboard.

Your questions

How much time should we allow from London?

The drive is about an hour and three-quarters without delays. Build in extra on top of that, especially on a weekday morning or a summer Saturday.

Couldn't we just take the train?

You could. Dover Priory station, roughly 1.2 miles from the ships, has high-speed trains from St Pancras taking about 66 minutes. With cruise cases, though, the station change and taxi queue soon add up.

Some of us are driving. Is there parking?

Yes, the port offers valet parking on site for cruise passengers who drive themselves, so part of your group can drive while the rest travel by minibus.

We have a wheelchair user in our party. Is that a problem?

The terminals have lifts and accessible facilities. Mention it when you ask for a quote so the operator can offer a suitable vehicle; an accessible minibus is arranged for each booking rather than assumed.

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