Dover to Calais and Dunkirk by ferry: crossing times and what to know

DFDS sails from Dover to both Calais and Dunkirk, and the Port of Dover names DFDS, Irish Ferries and P&O Ferries as the operators that check in and load passengers at the port. DFDS gives 1 hour 40 minutes for Dover to Calais and from 2 hours for Dover to Dunkirk.

This guide stays at the Dover end: the two DFDS routes, check-in, the border checks and the Eurotunnel alternative. The other ports and the other operators' crossings are in our ferry to France from the UK guide, and every route from the UK is listed on our ferry routes from the UK page. Crossings that leave from Portsmouth rather than Dover are covered in our Portsmouth to France guide.

DFDS publishes 1 hour 40 minutes for Dover to Calais and from 2 hours for Dover to Dunkirk. The Dunkirk crossing covers 47 nautical miles against 27 to Calais, and DFDS lists up to 22 sailings a day to Dunkirk and up to 30 to Calais.

Read these as the operator's published times, not a promise for your date. DFDS says sailing times may vary with the weather and that crossings are subject to availability, so check the timetable for the day you want to travel.

Calais

DFDS describes Dover to Calais as its fastest crossing between the UK and France. It is also the shorter of the two DFDS routes, at 27 nautical miles.

Dunkirk

DFDS says Dunkirk port is less than 30 minutes from the Belgian border and that the route gives access to northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The crossing is longer, from 2 hours.

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  Where you are heading: DFDS names Belgium and the Netherlands for Dunkirk, and calls Calais its fastest crossing.
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  Foot or vehicle: DFDS says only vehicle travel is permitted on its Dover to France routes, so it takes no foot passengers.
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  Pets: On both DFDS routes your pet has to stay in your vehicle during the crossing.

If you are taking your own car, our driving in Europe from the UK guide covers the licence, International Driving Permit and UK sticker rules.

The Port of Dover says the M20 is the quickest and most direct route for most passengers, particularly from the West, and that it merges into the A20 at Folkestone. From the A20 you take the first left at the Eastern Docks roundabout into Dover Ferry Terminal (Eastern Docks). If you come along the A2, you stay on it until that roundabout and take a right.

Without a car, Dover Priory is the nearest station, just over 1 mile away, with high-speed trains to London in just over an hour. The port says you can walk from the station to the passenger terminal in about 25 minutes, and that there is a taxi rank outside the terminal.

DFDS does not take foot passengers on these two routes. The port's foot passenger procedure tells walk-on passengers to report to the P&O desk in the passenger terminal building for check-in, and its travel by car page covers the steps for drivers.

DFDS says check-in closes 60 minutes before departure on Dover to Calais and advises allowing 120 minutes before check-in closes, so there is time to pass through all necessary controls. The Port of Dover separately asks tourist traffic to arrive at the Eastern Docks Ferry Terminal no more than 2 hours before departure, for processing at the French border.

At the port, step by step

1. Enter the port and follow the signs for check-in.
2. Stay in your lane and stop at the barriers until the green light.
3. Go to the French border controls with all your travel documents ready. You may also be selected for UK border controls, and you are given a lane number at check-in.
4. Park in your allocated lane behind the vehicle in front and wait to be called to board.

That sequence is the Port of Dover's own, from its travel by car guidance. Read it once before you leave so your documents are to hand at the French border controls.

French border control takes place at the port. The Port of Dover says all non-coach traffic uses the existing French border control kiosk at the Eastern Docks, that there are no separate lanes for EU passengers, and that queues can build in peak periods. GOV.UK adds that if you travel through the Port of Dover, any information will be taken at the border before you leave the UK.

The position can change, so read the port's EES page again shortly before you travel. For the passport rules of other destinations, see our entry requirements for British passport holders page.

Yes. Eurotunnel leaves from Folkestone rather than Dover, and our Eurotunnel or ferry page sets the two side by side. On the border side, GOV.UK puts Eurotunnel at Folkestone alongside the Port of Dover: at both, any information will be taken at the border before you leave the UK.

The Port of Dover warns of fraudulent websites posing as official ticketing providers and offering crossings on routes including Dover to Calais and Dover to Dunkirk. On its travel advice page it advises booking directly with ferry operators, checking the company name, address and registration details on a website, and being cautious of unusually low prices or inconsistent information. If you are unsure about a booking, it says to contact your ferry operator directly before you travel.

• How long is the ferry from Dover to Calais?

  The DFDS route page gives 1 hour 40 minutes for the crossing, read on 7 November 2026. DFDS adds that sailing times may vary with the weather.

• How long does the ferry from Dover to Dunkirk take?

  From 2 hours on the DFDS route page, over 47 nautical miles. The same operator gives 27 nautical miles for Dover to Calais.

• How many ferries a day go from Dover to Dunkirk?

  DFDS lists up to 22 sailings a day to Dunkirk, throughout the day and night, against up to 30 a day to Calais.

• Can I travel from Dover to Dunkirk as a foot passenger?

  Not with DFDS. Its pages say only vehicle travel is permitted on its Dover to France routes and that foot passengers are not permitted.

• How far is Dunkirk port from Belgium?

  DFDS says Dunkirk port is less than 30 minutes from the Belgian border. The Calais crossing is the shorter one at sea, at 27 nautical miles against 47.

• How early do I need to be at the Port of Dover?

  DFDS closes check-in 60 minutes before departure on Dover to Calais and advises allowing 120 minutes before that. The port asks tourist traffic to arrive no more than 2 hours before departure, so go by your booking.

• Where is the French passport check for ferries from Dover?

  At the port. The Port of Dover says non-coach traffic goes through the French border control kiosk at the Eastern Docks, and GOV.UK says any information will be taken at the border before you leave the UK.

• Can my dog travel on the DFDS ferry from Dover?

  Pets are allowed, but on both DFDS Dover routes they must stay in your vehicle during the crossing.

• Can I take the Channel Tunnel instead of the Dover ferry?

  Yes, Eurotunnel is an alternative. It leaves from Folkestone, and our page on Eurotunnel or the ferry compares the two.

• How do I spot a fake ferry booking website?

  The Port of Dover advises checking the company details on a site, being wary of unusually low prices or inconsistent information, and contacting the operator directly if unsure.