Dover-Calais as Foot Passenger
The Dover-Calais ferries are built around motorised traffic, and crossing on foot takes a little planning: only one operator carries foot passengers, on a handful of departures a day. This page shows exactly who you can book, what it costs and how to make a day trip of it.
Foot Passengers
The following ferries and trains take foot passengers between Dover and France.
P&O is the only ferry company that takes foot passengers on Dover-Calais, on a few dedicated departures a day (currently three each way). Check-in for foot passengers closes 90 minutes before departure at the Passenger Handling Building in Dover, where a shuttle bus takes you to the ship. View the options for foot passengers here.
The Eurostar from London to Amsterdam/Rotterdam/Paris is a train that goes through the Eurotunnel and is only accessible to foot passengers.
You cannot book a DFDS crossing from Dover as a foot passenger. This applies to both Calais and Dunkirk routes.
Irish Ferries does not carry foot passengers on Dover-Calais. You may still see a foot passenger option appear in the booking module, but the booking cannot be completed.
Le Shuttle is the Eurotunnel train between Dover and Calais. This cannot be booked as a foot passenger.
Dover-Calais foot passenger prices
The cheapest ferry ticket we could find costs €36 for a single journey. If you want to take advantage of such low rates, book early.
The cheapest train ticket (Amsterdam-London) that we came across is £ 57 for a single journey.
A day trip to France on foot
The foot passenger timetable is made for a day trip: sail out on the morning departure, spend the day in Calais and return on the evening boat. In Calais the free Baladin shuttle links the ferry terminal with the town centre and the station from Monday to Saturday, so the hop into town costs nothing; the compact centre and the beach are easy on foot from there. Give yourself a margin at the end of the day, because check-in closes 90 minutes before the return sailing.
Calais to Dover as a foot passenger
The same rules apply in the other direction: P&O is your operator, with matching departures from Calais. Check-in in Calais also closes 90 minutes before sailing, and the Baladin shuttle runs from the town and station to the terminal. Book the leg the same way, as a single or as a day return.
Can you park in Dover and continue on foot?
In general, it is often cheaper to leave your car at the port and board as a foot passenger when you take a ferry trip.
In the case of Dover-Calais, the question is whether you should do that. There seems to be a policy that discourages parking in Dover. You can read more about this in our Parking guide.
Before you set off, check the current timetable for departure times, see live delays and cancellations on our sailing updates page, or watch your boat come in on the ferry tracker.
About us
The ultimate traveler’s guide from Calais to Dover, the shortest distance you can travel from France to England by ferry or train.
Compare tickets from P&O Ferries, Irish Ferries, DFDS and the Eurotunnel on Calais-Dover.com.
