Ok. Last time we went to Paris we didn't go to Normandy and I've never heard the end of it. So. This time it's Liverpool Beatles (which I think we've worked in) but NOW he wants to see the "white cliffs of Dover". I found a tour group (Evan Evans) that does a day trip Canterbury, Leeds Castle, and Dover. I like the idea of Canterbury. (Becket was one of my favorite movies) Has anyone done this trip and is it worthwhile? It's a bit pricey. Should we just do a train on our own? Of course, Rick Steve's TV special didn't help any when he traipsed around on those special looking white edges..
Any input would be appreciated. Hubby agrees to go with the yeas or nays from the crowd. This WILL take another day trip AWAY from London... We have 8 days in London, and 2 day trips already planned.

Been there - not even humming the famous song helped. No Rick Steves I - could be a guy thing. The web site www.visitlondon.com gives other tour companies available and how can hook you up with the train etc. Much cheaper than the bus but no one to guide you through what you are seeing. Some tours bring you only to the cliffs.

On a clear day, you can see the cliffs from the Belgian coast. Better food too ;-

The packages that you find on www.visitlondon.com are easy to take: the organisers set up each part of the visit. But they often include Leeds Castle, which makes them rushed for time, they involve long runs in busses that are slower and less spacious than trains, they are expensive, and it is the organisers who apportion your time: your husbnd and you cannot dawdle when something takes your attention.

I should opt for train. I suggest a cheap day return from Victoria to Dover, on Monday to Friday the 0934, on Saturdays the 0804 or the 0834, and on Sundays the 0904. You should buy your tickets at any mainline station a day or two before you go. The line from Victoria has better views than that from Charing Cross. You should leave the train at Canterbury 1? hours after Victoria, walk over the footbridge to the old walls, turn right, and following signs turn left to go down to the tourist information office. Staff there will tell you have to make a quick tour. You can join a guided group in the cathedral: the tourist office know start times. They can advise you on where to find lunch: pubs are good for this.
You walk back to the same platform and at 03 and 28 minutes past each hour (Sundays at 32 minutes past) carry on in 27 minutes to Dover. The castle is about two miles uphill from the station. I suggest you take a taxi, ask the driver to drive you to a good view of the cliffs, keep him while you take pictures, and drive up to the castle gate. A short walk in from there you find as road train up ton the top of the hill, and the Norman church and Roman lighthouse. It is from there that you see France. Then up to you. I suggest you drop to the gate where groups go off fairly often for one hour guided walks in the twentieth century wards, with remarkable display of the German threat, the command and signals centres, the hospital, and the barracks for telephonists, nurses, and others. You emerge into fresh air, and can walk downhill a mile to the town centre, the Market Place, and on to the station.

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Sounds like an absolutely fabulous day out of London to me and with someone like Mr. Haines to lay it all out for you I doubt you can go wrong.

You can do a boat trip from Dover to see the cliffs - see www.whitecliffsboattours.co.uk.

Since the problem seems to be that your husband wants to see Dover and you do not, why not go your separate ways for this day? My wife and I have diverse interests that we frequently indulge with inflicting them on the other. Traveling together can be a lot more enjoyable that way -- each person has their own adventure, and there is plenty to talk about at the end of the day.

I'd say you already have enough with 8 days in London and already two days trips planned.

If you're real reason for going is just to see the White Cliffs of Dover then this is more reason to have a rethink of this day trip. They are really not all that impressive, far from it. If you are genuinely interested in seeing Leeds Castle and Canterbury too then it would make for a worthwhile outing but not just for the Cliffs.

We've got Dover on out itinerary for our upcoming trip (12 days until we leave!!) We will be driving, as we will be staying in Kent for that portion of our trip, so we won't be getting there from London. But you could easily take the train from London to Dover.

Here are the links I have for what we're doing in Dover that day:


Dover Castle: <u>www.english-heritage.org.uk</u> (do search on Dover Castle)

White Cliffs Boat Tour: <u>www.whitecliffsboattours.co.uk</u>

South Foreland Lighthouse: <u>www.nationaltrust.org.uk</u> (do search)

Opps!... Meant to say &quot;withOUT inflicting....&quot; in my previous post. Maybe it was a Freudian slip with regard to the evening talks.

If the main issue is to see The White Cliffs, then there's no better place than at the gorgeous &quot;Seven Sisters&quot;, just west of Beachy Head. The train goes to nearby Seaford.

Uncrowded, unspoiled, unlike Dover IMO.

It's very difficult to have a satisfactory trip to Dover if it's the White Cliffs you're interested in.

The only ways they work are either from the sea (by ferry from the Continent, or the White Cliffs boat tours), or by a proper walk somewhere like Beachy Head. From the land round Dover, they're unimpressive: from the sea they look like the real frontier betwen civilisation and barbarity they've been for so long. It is of course up to you to decide which is on which side.

Yes, the Castle's impresive, and the WW2 stuff is too. But you're going to struggle to fit a proper sight of the cliffs from the sea into the same journey as Leeds Castle and Canterbury.

Which to give up? Leeds Castle is pretty and not much else. But there are few places in this world where Good stood up to Evil and saw it off. The White Cliffs are among those few places.

We did the train to Dover only, and then took a taxi by the Cliffs then to the Castle. The Castle was MY highlight of our trip and I thought it was fantastic! The Castle involves more history than just doing the Cliffs IMO. We did Canterbury on a previous trip and I think it deserves a full day! You could always do what I do, and promise to go there on your NEXT trip to the UK ;-).

I know many years ago we took a ferry from Dover to Calais. I didn't see any fascination with the white cliffs which I saw from the ferry. So they were white cliffs, that's all they were to me-just my opinion only. And I may have been missing something but I don't think I'd go out of my way to see them.

Also just came across this pub that sounds interesting. Have just added it to our day in Dover: <u>www.thecoastguard.co.uk</u>

Some of the above posts second the opinion of mine; please go to this site:

http://www.sevensisters.org.uk/

The hike across the clifftops will surely be memorable!

The main problem as others have said, is you cannot easily get a good view of the Cliffs from land. The cliffs are impressive from the sea -- but you can't really see them from Dover since you are basically on top of them there.

The cliffs at Beachy Head are also inpressive -- but the aren't the &quot;White Cliffs of Dover&quot;

Dover is VERY worth a day trip for the castle, but unless you take a boat tour or ferry you won't get a good view of the cliffs.

And if a guided tour brochure says you'll visit Leeds, Canterbury, Dover and &quot;see the White Cliffs of Dover&quot; be very skeptical - it will only be a glimpse in the distance and you won't have enough time to see much in Canterbury or Dover.

Went to Dover and took the Hovercraft over to France. All I could say was THAT`S IT??? It was a disappointment. Combining it with a tour to a castle, etc. sounds like a good idea to me. Now if we had time to hike around the 7 sisters, I would have really enjoyed it.

I don't agree regarding seeing the cliffs from land. You take a bit of a walk and you can see them, and they are lovely. I don't think you need to get into anything as elaborate as a hover craft! just go and enjoy. Why not rent a car for the day and drive out there?

I went to the White Cliffs last year (for the same reason your husband wanted to go). But I was &quot;in the area&quot; for The Open golf championship, staying in Canterbury, which IS very cool and worthwhile. If you're worried of expense, I stayed in a real nice hostel in Canterbury and the public bus system is cheap and easy. Took the bus out to the Cliffs...yeah, they're white and cool looking, but the town was a port town...nothing to do...a beach, but too cold and windy to really enjoy it. The posts share the same sentiment. No one really wants to tell you to forget it, but I don't think anyone's jumping up and down with excitement either. There are so many places to see and things to do that would excite the senses. But, you know...whatever you do...have a great time!