All ferries from Dover to Calais leave from the Eastern Docks of Dover ferry port. Set your satnav to CT16 1JA, follow the A20 or the A2 to the end, and allow time: the port is compact and the queue at check-in and the French border control can grow quickly at busy moments.
Address and postcode
| Satnav postcode | CT16 1JA |
| Ferry terminal | Dover Ferry Terminal, Eastern Docks, Dover, Kent |
| GPS | 51.1251 N, 1.3338 E |
| Port head office | Harbour House, Marine Parade, Dover CT17 9BU (not the check-in) |
By car: from London and the M25, take the M20 and then the A20, or the M2 and then the A2. Both end at the port, where signs send you into the lanes for vehicles with a reservation. By train: Dover Priory station is 0.7 miles from the port, about a 15-minute walk, and taxis can drop you at the Passenger Terminal.
Looking for the Port of Dover phone number? The port publishes its contact details on the official Port of Dover website ↗. The port does not handle bookings or sailing times, so for anything about your ticket, call the operator you sail with: P&O Ferries, DFDS or Irish Ferries.
Departing from Dover: check-in step by step
1. Check-in with your operator
The A20 ends at a small roundabout where you enter the port. Signs show the check-in booths per operator. Have your booking reference and the passports of everyone in the car ready. Check-in closes 60 minutes before departure for cars, and 90 minutes before for foot passengers (with P&O also for travellers with pets). Arrive early and staff may offer you an earlier sailing, if there is room; you are free to say no.
2. French border control and security
You get a boarding card to hang on your rear-view mirror. The French border police check your passports in Dover itself, so you enter France before you board. Since the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) started, they also create a digital record of every UK traveller. For cars this is still done by hand at the booths, without fingerprints, and the self-service kiosks are not in use yet, so the queue can build at peak times. Security staff pick out some vehicles for a random search.
3. Wait in your lane and board
Drive to the lane number on your boarding card and park there. From the lanes you can walk to the Passenger Services Building for coffee, food or the toilets. Boarding can start up to an hour before departure and is announced, but the walk back can be longer than you think, so do not wander off too late.
Please note: the check-in times on this page are an indication to help you estimate how much time to allow for your journey. Always follow the official information from the operator you travel with or the company you booked with.
Facilities at the terminal
Passenger Services Building
The building between berths 7 and 8, within walking distance of the car lanes, is where most drivers end up while they wait:
- 🍔 Burger King
- ☕ Costa Coffee
- 🛒 WHSmith
- 💶 Cash point and currency
- 🚻 Toilets
- 📶 Free WiFi
- 🐕 Dog area outside
Passenger Terminal
The main building at the front of the port, for foot passengers and for anyone dropping off or collecting travellers. You find the Port Reception, the P&O Ferries foot passenger desk, a Border Force counter, Costa Coffee and toilets.
Travelling with a dog? The port has two pet exercise areas, one between berths 2 and 3 and one by the Passenger Services Building. Wheelchair users find ramps, accessible toilets and induction loops; let your operator know at least 48 hours before you travel if you need assistance.
Foot passengers and parking
On foot, you can only sail with P&O Ferries. You check in at the P&O desk in the Passenger Terminal at least 90 minutes before departure, and a shuttle bus takes you to the ship. Fares and sailings are on our foot passenger page.
There is no car park in Dover ferry port for travellers who leave the car behind; only a drop-off area in front of the Passenger Terminal. Independent car parks outside the port, such as Relyon about 3 miles away, run a free shuttle to the terminal. Prices, cruise parking and a calculator that shows whether parking and walking on beats taking the car are on our Dover ferry port parking page.
Arriving in Calais, and coming back to Dover
The crossing from Dover to Calais takes about an hour and a half. Because the French control already happened in Dover, you simply drive off the ship in the port of Calais and onto the A16 or A26. From that moment you drive on the right, speed signs are in km/h and your headlights need beam deflectors or the car’s own setting for right-hand traffic. Our guide to driving in France covers the kit you must carry and the speed limits.
On the way back it works the other way round: the British border check takes place in Calais before you board, so in Dover you leave the ship and drive straight out of the port onto the A20 or the A2. Travellers without a British or Irish passport need a UK ETA for this check.
Questions about Dover ferry port
What postcode do I use for Dover ferry port?
Use CT16 1JA for the ferry terminal at the Eastern Docks. CT17 9BU is the head office of the port at Harbour House, not the check-in for ferries to Calais.
How early should I arrive at Dover ferry port?
Check-in closes 60 minutes before departure for cars and 90 minutes for foot passengers. In the school holidays, at Easter and around Christmas, operators sometimes ask you to arrive two hours early, because the queues for the French border control get long. Check the sailing updates before you set off.
Do I go through French passport control in Dover or in Calais?
In Dover. The French border police check your passport after check-in, so in Calais you drive straight off the ship. The British check for the return journey takes place in Calais.
Can I take an earlier ferry if I arrive early?
Often yes, if there is space on an earlier sailing of your own operator. Staff at the check-in booth will offer it; it depends on your ticket type and how busy it is. Today’s departures are on our timetable.
Not booked your crossing yet?
Compare the sailings of P&O Ferries, DFDS and Irish Ferries from Dover to Calais in one overview.