robizzo

We are flying in to Gatwick the end of March, going directly to Paris for a week and then back to London for a few days. Wife wants to take the ferry from Dover to Calais to see the cliffs. Seems like a lot of hassle to take the train from Gatwick to London to Dover, get a ferry to Calais, and pick up another train from Calais to Paris. I am for taking the train in both directions. Time is not really an issue, logistics are my concern.
Thoughts and advise please.

PalenqueBob

Logistics are fairly easy - take a train from Gatwick to a London Station like Victoria then a train to Dover Priory, about a mile from the dock, with buses available - crossing to Calais port, not far from Calais-Ville train station with TGVs to Paris. But it will take you all day. At Victoria see if you can buy a thru ticket for the train and boat or just buy the boat ticket upon arrival at Dover Eastern Docks - think rarely any problem getting on as a foot passenger. You could go by train from Gatwick to Tonbridge or some station on the London-Dover train line but this may actually take longer than going into London. If going Eurostar be sure to buy your tickets far in advance as cheapest fares are often impossible to get at the station - in fact the cheapest return ticket sold by Raileurope is $140 round trip but it can be very hard to book unless booked months before. In the US i always recommend BETS (800-441-2387) for Eurostar bookings for their expertise and lower mailing fees than Raileurope - you should also compare prices at www.eurostar.com and click on prices in British pounds - could be cheaper than RailEurope or may be more expensive as Eurostar is one of the few tickets RailEurope can be surprisingly competitive on. Can book here up to nine months in advance. Chances for the cheaper fares are much better on Mon-Thu than weekends. I too enjoy taking the boat at times for the experience and can understand your wife's desire. But also lugging baggage onto all the components and an all-day marathon usually in the ends puts folks on Eurostar..or inexpensive Gatwick-Paris flights.

GeoffHamer

From Gatwick to Dover, there are quicker connections via Tonbridge (www.bahn.de or www.nationalrail.co.uk).
However, it is a lot of hassle, especially if you have much luggage. You need to get a bus from Dover Priory station to the port, buy a ferry ticket, go through passport control, then be taken on another bus to the ship. Ferries run every hour or so. At Calais, a bus takes you from the ship to the ferry terminal where you go through passport controls before getting a bus to Calais Ville station (it is much too far to walk). Trains from Calais to Paris are much less frequent than those to Dover, and the journey often involves a change of train at Lille or Hazebrouck. It's a lot of bother if your only motive is a glimpse of the white cliffs.

Sue_xx_yy

Why not just take the Eurostar to Paris and as for the white cliffs, if your wife is determined to see them, you can always make a day trip from London to see them after you return to London from Paris. At least this way you won't have luggage with you, and you won't be struggling with ferry schedules and train connections on the other side of the channel. You might also want to combine said day trip with another excursion in the Dover area. Just a thought....

robizzo

Thank you for the information. We are going to skip the ferry and take the train. Eurostar has a round trip at a reasonable price. Our flight gets into Gatwick at 7:30AM. Do you think a 12:00 or 1:00 train from London to Paris would be ok. Enough time to get off the plane, go through customs, get to London via train from Gatwick. Or should we reserve a later train? Thank you again.

PalenqueBob

should be fine unless plane very late but i'd build in even more wiggle time. It will take you about an hour to get to Waterloo by train - changing once from Gatwick...you have to check in about 30 mins early - i've read that's been increased to 45 mins but can't confirm that. So it you left London at 1 you'd be in Paris about 4:30 their time, losing an hour crossing time zone going east. And i think if you look carefully enough when exiting the Chunnel in France you may be able to glimpse the Dover White Cliffs in the far distance - not sure about this.

audere_est_facere

No you can't see Dover from Sangatte.

The White cliffs are one of those things that it's nice to see but aren't worth actually going to see.

beaupeep

I saw them from my plane once heading back from the US to Europe, they were quite impressive even from that height, but I wouldn't take special time out to see them.

ira

Hi R,

>We are flying in to Gatwick ...going directly to Paris for a week ...

Check flights on www.whichbudget.com and keep going from Gatwick.

Take the Eurostar back from Paris.

Tell your wife that the cliffs are highly overrated and will be hidden by fog, anyway.

Enjoy your visit.



"There'll be blue birds over....."

janisj

ira: Unfortunately - there are no flights from LGW to Paris . . .

chartley

I would not recommend the sea crossing from Dover to Calais instead of the Eurostar or Eurotunnel (if travelling by car). There are other ferry routes from the England to France, and I have sailed more often from Portsmouth. On that voyage, you pass the Isle of Wight which also has white cliffs, and these have always seemed evocative of England, both outward and on return. The Isle of Wight was also the last sight of England for many emigrants, and for the troops sailing for Normandy in 1944, many of whom never returned.
In contrast, the White Cliffs of Dover must have been a very welcome sight for the troops evacuated from Dunkirk.

ira

Hi J,

>ira: Unfortunately - there are no flights from LGW to Paris . . . <

Egad!!!

There are flights on BA via Manchester. Takes about 4-5 hr, though.

Perhpas rob would want to consider flying into Paris and out of London.
See www.kayak.com

PalenqueBob

Flights would be quicker but i still believe the average tourist will enjoy the 2.5 hour train ride going first thru the signature bucolic countryside of Kent and then thru northern France, seeing the lay of the land in between and not just crowded airports.

After all what do we go to Europe for. Of course if you've done the route before that's different. But to me this train ride is not only unique - up to 186 mph in France but rather scenic as well. And you arrive in the center of Paris.

janisj

&quot;<i>Flights would be quicker</i>&quot; -- not for robizzo since they land at LGW. They would have to transfer to LHR or STN -- making the train faster even having to go into London.

robizzo: IF you want to see more than the cliffs - like Dover Castle, Canterbury cathedral, etc. What you might consider -- go to Paris on the Eurostar. Then for you return trip - take the Eurostar to Ashford instead of all the way into London. You could pick up a car at Ashford and spend a day/night touring around Kent - see the cliffs, walk on teh cliffs, visit Dover Castle, whatever. The next afternoon turn in the car and take a regular train (not Eurostar) in to London. This will lose a day+ in London but if you and your wife really want to see Kent this is a way it would work.

And there usually isn't a drop off charge so you could drop the car at Ashford, LGW, Dover, Canterbury, or even in central London (not that I'm recommending you drive in London)

I wouldn't recommend thsi excursion for JUST the cliffs - but combined w/ some of the other great sites in the SE -- just another option to think about . . . . .