Coach and Minibus Hire in the United Kingdom

Coaches from London to the Dover Cruise Terminals

Dover is London's cruise port, but it lies 75 to 80 road miles from the middle of the capital. Most groups make the whole run by coach, from a hotel or straight from an airport.

Leaving London

With a clear road the drive from central London takes about 1 h 45 min. Treat that as the best case, not the plan.

A coach is inside the London Low Emission Zone until it leaves Greater London. A Euro VI coach meets the standard; anything older is charged daily.

The Congestion Charge does not apply to a coach in practice: anything seating 9 or more is discounted in full. The discount is automatic if DVLA lists the vehicle as a bus; otherwise TfL registration comes first. If the route takes the Dartford Crossing, there are no booths, and the crossing is paid online by midnight the next day.

MAN 57-seat coach, exterior
MAN 57-seat coach, exterior

Collecting from Gatwick or Heathrow

Of the two, Gatwick is nearer: about 80 miles, typically 80 to 90 minutes of driving. Any charter vehicle over eight seats collects via the ring-road coach park by South Terminal, and a permit there lasts up to three hours. Heathrow is about 105 miles away, 1 h 35 min to 2 h, and its coaches are called to the terminal from the West Ramp Coach Park.

Getting from the ship to the coach

  • Dover handles more than 200,000 cruise passengers a year from over 20 cruise lines, with two cruise berths and one port-of-call berth.
  • The terminals are about 75-80 miles by road from central London (about 1 h 45 min without delays).
  • Dover Priory is the nearest station, about 1.2 miles away, with high-speed trains to London St Pancras in about 66 minutes.
  • Taxi ranks operate outside Cruise Terminals 1 and 2 and at Dover Priory station.
  • A hop-on/hop-off shuttle bus links the cruise terminals, the stations, Market Square and Dover Castle through the day.
  • Valet parking is offered on site for cruise passengers who drive themselves.
  • The postcode for CT1 and CT2 is CT17 9DQ; the WD4 berth is CT17 9FQ.

Nearest airports

At the Western Docks

Cruise Terminals 1 and 2 share a postcode, which gets the driver to the right place. Check which of the two your ship uses so the group walks into the correct building. Both have lifts and baggage handlers, which helps an older group with heavy cases.

Why not the train

The high-speed train from St Pancras takes about 66 minutes. It stops at Dover Priory, roughly 1.2 miles short of the ships. With cruise luggage, a group would still need a vehicle for that last stretch.

Questions

What time should the coach leave London?

Work back from the cruise line's check-in time: the 1 h 45 min drive, then extra for city traffic and a comfort stop. Send us the check-in window and the pick-up time is set from it.

Can the same coach take us to the airport after the cruise?

Yes. Give the ship's name and expected time in. Gatwick is roughly an hour and a half away and Heathrow up to two hours; then add the airline check-in. An early flight on disembarkation day is a risk.

Our ship only calls at Dover for the day. Is a coach worth it?

For the town and the castle, the hop-on, hop-off shuttle does the job. For a tour further into Kent, book a coach.

Cities

Vehicles