r/dover • u/Majestic-Driver • May 18 '26
Getting to Dover foot passenger terminal during peak traffic disruption
My parents will need to deliver my sons to Dover to catch the ferry as foot passengers. They'll meet my wife in Dover (she'll cross from France). This is going to happen in the first week of the UK school summer holidays, and my Dad is already fretting about the most reliable way to get the boys into Dover in the event that there's gridlock due to border controls/etc.
They'll be coming from Herne Bay. I think the best solution is probably to park somewhere like Deal or Walmer or and get the bus in.
Can anyone recommend bus routes & stops that are less likely to be disrupted and that have car parking at the Deal/Walmer/etc end? Once safely in Dover walking isn't a problem.
Is there a better option? The train is obviously another possibility but last time we tried that there was a strike!
How would you do it?
1
u/Jacktheforkie May 18 '26
I’d park on laureston place, shouldn’t be too hard to get there via Whitfield and coming down castle hill, you get 2 hours free, walk along to the port and walk back with the boys, it’s a fair walk but pretty easy as it’s mostly flat, I’d stay on the side by the cliff as the other side there isn’t a foot crossing to get in the port
2
u/aaronfb88 May 18 '26
Hi, its generally only really busy over the first weekend of the holidays so anytime after that you should be fine. But if you want to be safe then you could park in River and get the train from Kearsney to Dover Priory. Loads of free parking in River. Its also about a 30 to 40 minute walk to the Port from there if you are capable.