Base for Visiting Dover / Canterbury
 

Hello,
My husband and I, along with our son, his wife, their 3 year old and 9 month old, want to take a short weekend trip in mid-July to visit Dover and Canterbury. At this point, we are fairly sure we will have a mini-van. I have read through quite a few threads and looked on TA for accommodations. Deal looked like it might be a pleasant place--but the first three places I looked at do not allow children. I have read that Dover itself is not the most appealing town to stay in.

So, experts, what can you suggest?

Yes Dover is not the most appealing town - a unique and interesting town but lacking any romance normally associated with a seaside town - Broadstairs, home of Dickens for a while, is a picturesque port as is Sandwich, one of the original Cinque Ports, along with Deal I think, and especially Rye will fulfill any notion of far dreamier towns than dreary Dover, which does however have one of the most imposing castles in Britain looming high above the busy Eastern Docks.

It could be warm enough to swim so you may want to look for a town with a beach, like Deal or even Dover in that regard.

I wouldn't stay IN either place (and while Deal Castle is fascinating and you should visit, I wouldn't stay there either)

But since you will have a car -- you can stay anywhere so I'd pick a village somewhere between Folkestone and Tenterden or Between Dover and Canterbury.

What is your budget? W/ that many people and needing a family room you'll probably need to find a larger B&B.

Or maybe someplace like this http://www.great-field-farm.co.uk/accommodation.html which has a self catering annex they rent out on a B&B basis.

Thank you both--I would say we are willing to spend up to
£300/ night to accommodate the 6 of us. (one family room and a double would be perfect) I would hope that leaves us a lot of possibilities--of course, less £££ than that would be even better!

Can't help you with accommodations but I totally agree with PalenQ (as usual), visit Rye if you can. An amazing little village and not yet found by tourists. You will need to be there before about 1800 as the roll up the streets quite early. Dover is OK and we enjoyed hiking along the cliffs but Rye was a highlight of that area.

I think indy_dad stayed in Bluebells, near Canterbury. Since we will have a car, that could be a possibility.

With a baby and a 3 year old, I doubt we will be hiking--though it does sound nice.

Chilham is a sweet small town with a famous castle that is right close to Canterbury - check it out!

Several years ago we stayed for three days in Canterbury, primarily because I wanted to go to Sunday services at the cathedral (which were beautiful)!. We took a day trip to Dover to see the castle (make sure not to miss the secret wartime tunnels) and cliffs. It was a very enjoyable day. In Canterbury we stayed at a B&B - the Magnolia House - which was wonderful. Don't know if they take children. We also took a side trip to Faversham , a beautiful little town. Have a great trip!

Ah Faversham - like in Old Lady Faversham... I happened to stay in Faversham about 30 times on business - a town off any tourists' map but like bumper says a very sweet ordinary non-touristed regional town.

It used to be famous for its brewery which wafted beer-making smells across town but I hear that that brewery is history - but it has some cozy tea shops, restos, etc in its compact center - for something different check out Faversham!

http://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/tours.../brewery-tours

Well I guess the demise of the brewery was wrong - it is still there and offers tours of what it claims to be Britain's oldest brewery, Shepherd Neame, I believe.

http://www.faversham.org/visit_faversham.aspx

http://www.rhdr.org.uk/

The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway is a famous tourist (vintage - not for regular service) that runs near Rye thru some famous marshes and a scenic landscape - 3 yr old may find it exciting, not sure about 9 mo old!

More about Rye.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ce...st-Sussex.html

Hi Bumper, had my hopes up--but alas, Magnolia House does not accept children under the age of 12...darn--it looked great too!
Thanks to all for your other suggestions--will check into Faversham--Ben Haines was fond of it, right?

I would say most folks would enjoy a town other than Faversham more than staying in Faversham itself - it is a rather gritty town in some ways or was when I went there yearly for days - but if you want a place no other tourists will be staying then it is perfect for that and as all Kentish towns I've been in very pleasant in its town centre.

A cool place to bop into if your have a car is St Margaret's At the Cliff - right where the iconic Cliffs of Dover end and you can walk - often thru water - right up to their base (being careful about not going out to far without knowing undertows, etc.

But there is a cool beach - though rocky and cool is the sense of neat though I suspect it could be cool water as well.

Right between Deal and Dover but off main roads - anyway a place I found very special when hiking through the area.

https://www.google.com/search?q=ST+M...w=1455&bih=978