Port of Dover

Harbour Information, Terminals and Facilities
(Dover, Kent, England, UK)

Dover seaport dates back to the early 17th century and is one of the busiest and most popular ports in the world. Located on England's southeast coast on the distinctive 'White Cliffs of Dover', Dover Port boasts state-of-the-art facilities to serve over 16 million passengers and 2.5 million cars and coaches every year. Dover also serves approximately two million freight vehicles annually.

Passenger facilities at the Port of Dover include bank and bureaux de change services, as well as cash machines, information and booking desks, public telephones, special needs facilities, and a huge selection of shops and eateries.


There are two docks at the Port of Dover, including the Eastern Docks, which serves the majority of the ferry traffic, and the Western Docks.

Ferry Services

All ferries arrive and depart from the Eastern Docks ferry terminal at the Dover port.
P&O Ferries is the main operator at Dover and runs numerous return crossings per day on the Dover-Calais route; this service runs 364 days per year, with a crossing time of from 1 hour, 15 minutes. P&O currently operates the Pride of Canterbury, a vast ship that can hold 2,000 passengers and 650 vehicles. There are extensive on-board passenger facilities, including shops, restaurants and special needs facilities.

SeaFrance also runs the Dover-Calais route and is the second busiest service at the port. It has a faster crossing time than P&O Ferries, at 1 hour. SeaFrance operates the fast Renoir ships, which have a passenger and vehicle carrying capacity of slightly less than the P&O ships at 1,800 people and 280 cars.

Norfolkline operates to and from Dunkirk in France every day with a crossing time of approximately 2 hours. The company operates the state-of-the-art Northern Merchant and Midnight Merchant ships that offer commendable facilities including a spacious lounge.

SpeedFerries serves Boulogne in France five times a day. The company offers the fastest service from Dover to France, with a crossing time of from 50 minutes. The company operates catamarans.

The Hoverspeed fast ferry service from Dover to Calais was discontinued in late 2005.

All ferries have comprehensive disabled facilities, but you should call your ferry company ahead of time if you require special assistance.

Contact Port of Dover:
Address: Harbour House, Marine Parade, Dover, Kent, CT17 9BU, England, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1304 240 400 Fax: +44 (0)1304 240 465 Email: customercomments@doverport.co.uk Website: http://www.doverport.co.uk