Taxi to Dover Port & Cruise Terminal

Dover is the UK’s busiest ferry port and a major cruise port in its own right, sitting beneath the White Cliffs at the end of the M20 and A2. Whether you’re joining a cruise at the Western Docks or catching a ferry to France from the Eastern Docks, a pre-booked taxi to Dover takes you and your luggage straight to the right terminal at a fixed price.

Dover’s cruise and ferry terminals

Dover has two quite separate areas, and it matters which one you need:

• Western Docks – Cruise Terminal 1 and Cruise Terminal 2. Cruise Terminal 1 is housed in the historic former Dover Marine railway station; Cruise Terminal 2 sits alongside on the pier. Your cruise line will tell you which one your ship uses.
• Eastern Docks – the ferry terminal. Ferries to Calais and Dunkirk leave from here. Foot passengers check in at the terminal building and are taken to the ship.

When you book, tell us whether you’re sailing on a cruise or a ferry, and the terminal if you know it. Your driver will take the right approach road and drop you at the door.

Dover taxi prices

All fares are per vehicle and fixed at booking. Some of our fixed Dover prices:

For any other pickup, the quote form above gives you an instant fixed price.

How much is a taxi to Dover?

From central London, a saloon to Dover’s cruise terminals is typically around £130, and an estate around £145. From Gatwick it’s around £125; from Heathrow, which is further round the M25, around £160. Fares for four or more passengers in an MPV, split between you, often come to less than rail tickets to Dover Priory plus a local taxi down to the docks.

Getting there: routes and timings

Traffic into Dover can build quickly during holiday peaks, when freight and car traffic queues for the ferries. During these times Kent Police sometimes use traffic management on the M20 and A20. We watch for this and plan around it – on busy weekends we’ll suggest an earlier pickup, and our drivers know the alternative approaches via the A2.

Cruise embarkation at Dover

Your cruise line will give you a boarding window. Check-in usually closes two to three hours before sailing. We time your pickup to arrive within that window, with a buffer for Kent traffic. Your driver will unload your luggage at the terminal entrance, where porters take your cases to the ship.

Many Dover cruises are with lines that attract a lot of UK passengers. If you’re travelling with friends or family, an 8-seat MPV means everyone arrives together with all their luggage – and one fare split between you.

Flying in to join a Dover cruise

We collect cruise passengers from Gatwick and Heathrow and take them straight to Dover. Give us your flight number and ship’s name, and we’ll track your flight and time the transfer around your boarding window. See also our Gatwick airport taxi page.

Foot passengers on the ferry

Travelling to France as a foot passenger? Not every ferry operator carries foot passengers on every sailing, so check with your ferry company first. Where they do, we’ll drop you at the Eastern Docks passenger terminal. On your return we can collect you from the terminal and take you home or to an airport.

Coming home from Dover

Cruise ships usually dock early in the morning and passengers disembark in groups. Taxis at the port can be in short supply when a big ship empties. Book your return in advance, give us your ship and date, and your driver will be waiting when you walk out with your cases. If the ship arrives late, we’ll adjust.

Choosing a vehicle

For two people with cruise luggage, an estate is usually the best fit. For three or four, a 6-seat MPV gives everyone room; for larger groups, choose the 8-seater. Mention any mobility aids – folding wheelchairs and scooters – when you book. See our fleet.

Dover by taxi vs train

Trains run from London St Pancras and Victoria to Dover Priory, but the station is a taxi ride from both the cruise terminals and the ferry port, and you’d be carrying luggage through London and on and off the train. From anywhere that isn’t close to a direct line, a door-to-port taxi is simpler, quicker and – for two or more people – often better value.

Pickups across London, Kent and Sussex

We collect for Dover from all over London and the South East. Popular pickup areas include central London hotels, Canary Wharf, Greenwich, Bromley, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells, Crawley and Brighton. From Kent towns such as Canterbury, Ashford and Folkestone the journey is short, and the fixed fare is correspondingly low. Enter your postcode in the quote form for your price.

Your cruise day at Dover

1. Confirmation – the day before, we confirm your pickup time based on your boarding window and the expected traffic.
2. Pickup – your driver loads your cases and checks your terminal – Cruise Terminal 1 or 2.
3. Arrival – we follow the port’s cruise signage to the Western Docks and your terminal’s drop-off area.
4. Luggage – porters take your checked bags at the entrance; you go inside to check in.

Keep passports, medication and valuables in your hand luggage – your cases are delivered to your cabin later in the day.

Parking vs a taxi to Dover

Long-stay cruise parking at Dover is convenient but adds up over a week or two, and someone still has to drive home after an early disembarkation. A return transfer with us often costs about the same once you add fuel and the parking fee, and it takes the drive – and the Kent traffic – out of your hands entirely.

Travelling with extra needs

Let us know about wheelchairs, mobility scooters, walking aids or anyone who needs extra time. Our MPVs carry folding wheelchairs and many scooters, and your driver will drop you as close to the terminal entrance as possible. Assistance dogs are always welcome.

Other cruise ports

We also run to Southampton, Portsmouth, Tilbury and Harwich. See all cruise port transfers.

Dover taxi FAQs