Do not use this ferry company! They are disgusting and have awful business practices. In March…read more2020, we had ferry tickets to go to Ireland. The global pandemic broke as we were in the UK and we were required to return to the US as flights were shutting down. Every hotel and reservation we had refunded us without penalty - even nonrefundable things - EXCEPT P&O Ferries. They gave us a credit and refused to refund. Now we're at the credit expiration date, still in a pandemic, and they are refusing to refund the money. This company is STEALING from people who were put in peril to make a profit from the global pandemic. I will never use this company nor recommend them to others. Avoid traveling with them - you have other options that actually care about good business practices and their customers!

I've been using these ferries for motorcycle trips abroad for over a decade, and still find them…read morebest overall for value, service and convenience. The secret to good value is to book ahead: if you have a group booking, (often the case with motorcycles) this is best done over the phone as the website doesn't allow multiple bookings. Booked in January, a return crossing in July cost me just £46 per bike + passengers. (This is only £10 more than the price as a foot passenger!) Booking ahead applies to cars, too. The staff are helpful and usually quick at loading bikes: they go on first, and deck-hands help secure them down. Newer ships (of both Seafrance and P&O) sometimes have special cradles for holding bikes, but when it's busy there aren't enough to go around, and so a traditional webbing brace is used, secured to floor anchors. I've never had a problem with this, even in very rough weather (but remember to put your alarm onto 'ferry' or 'service' modes, unless you want to irritate other passengers and flatten your battery). The only problem I've encountered is that the decks do get slippery in wet weather, but that affects all ferries, and I've not dropped the bike yet... The timetable varies, but in high summer sailings leave roughly hourly, or better. The crossing takes about 90 minutes overall, but with the shops, bars and cafes, there's plenty to keep you occupied. For teenagers there's also a video-games room. But I prefer to be on deck: the Channel is the world's busiest shipping lane, so there's always something to see, if only the odd passing seagull! Note: the UK smoking ban means that smoking is now only allowed in designated outdoor deck areas. Note also that passport control is undertaken at the port of departure - so UK passport control is at Calais. Allow at least 30 extra minutes for this when leaving France for the UK, as the UK checks are stringent, and therefore can be very slow in high season. Checks leaving the UK for France are rather quicker. Overall, I'd advise arriving 45 minutes ahead, just in case. Also worth knowing is that, if you arrive earlier than your booked ferry, and there's room, they will let you travel on an earlier crossing at no extra cost. We returned recently over an hour earlier, and were waved straight onto the boat. You could, of course, take a deep breath and pay to go via the Chunnel, which takes about 40 minutes (plus queuing time). But apart from losing the view, and the adventure, you'll pay at least double for an equivalent crossing. *************************** NB: address and map are for the HQ office. The ferry port is clearly signposted at both Calais and Dover.

I went through this ferries service on my way to France and it was what it was. Our shuttle bus did…read morestop at a small office to go through security and get our passports checked. It was fine since we were just there for about 20 minutes. I was on a shuttle bus so we waited to load the boat and then we were able to get off he boat and explore. There were lots of announcements made when we boarded so we knew what was going on the whole time. I did not buy any of the food from there nor did I buy anything from their duty free shop. The facilites were ok for what it was. I did go to the top deck outside to "take in the view" but it was not much to do up there and it was cold. The trip over the channel did not take long and there were plenty of windows to see out of.

It's time for P&O to be honest that they simply don't want foot passengers…read more I'm sure the experience was fine if you're bringing a car, but this was a nightmare for me and about 20 other purely foot passengers. I normally take Eurostar between the UK and Paris but I was staying with a friend in Kent. Eurostar no longer stops in Kent so the ferry seemed like a viable option. It was not. They have you show up some two hours before departure at the Port of Dover, so they could shunt me and 20 other people onto a little bus that proceeded to snake it's way back and forth in the cue with all the lorries and private cars. The bus would pull into a customs depot and we'd then line up again. A distance from the entry shack to the ferry was maybe a six minute walk. Instead, I was on this idiotic bus idling in traffic for at least an hour (mind you that's for a 90 minute crossing). The crossing itself was fine and I paid for cabin class. But when we got into Calais the nonsense started again. First we were kicked out of cabin class and all 20+ of us sat in some area of the ship and forced to wait in port while every truck and car drove out. Then finally we were lead down several flights of stairs (with our luggage) back onto the bus. This time we were done with customs. Instead, the bus zoomed across the exit ramps and stopped at some steel and glass building surrounded by nothing by miles of tarmac. We got out and the bus drove off. So where were we? The P&O site says you can walk to Calais Ville in 20 minutes from where they leave you. It also promised a connecting bus to the train station. Not so. We were at least 50 minutes away from the station by foot, with no apparent pavements/walking paths. No Sunday bus service. There was a P&O Employee there who said it wasn't their problem, the city of Calais decided not to provide buses on Sundays. And I responded "What about the damn bus that just dropped us here--the one driving away!? Couldn't it take us some place with connections?" Apparently not. The staff tried to phone us cabs but there were none to be had. No Ubers either (must be geo-fenced). No exaggeration: I was left trying to flag down random cars begging someone to give me a lift to the station so I could continue my journey. It was utterly insane. One family, left without options, started booking ferry passage BACK to England, since there didn't seem any other way out of this Black Mirror/Twilight Zone madness. Finally, an outbound passenger was dropped off by a cab and I ran up to the driver and pleaded with him to take us to Calais. He drove off, but came back 15 minutes later and picked up me and two other people. 15BPS later I finally got to the train station, having wasted some 90 minutes more in that ridiculous P&O trap. Frankly, it was kind of scary standing there with no obvious way out of that building in the middle of nowhere (sorry I don't have a photo, I was just too flustered to think to take one). I don't how a company get's so messed up that they think this is all okay, and not their responsibility because the city stopped running some connecting bus. Of course it's their responsibility to bring people someplace where they can continue their journeys. Or they have to refuse to take foot traffic. I will NEVER step onto another P&O Ferry. Never.

Simple, fast and a good option for travellers with pets…read more We went to the UK this year and took the Tunnel both ways. We had our dog with, so this was way faster than taking the ferry and we didn't have to be seperated from our doggy. Prices are similar to the ferries. Taking the dog from the UK into mainland EU is simple. No special preparations are needed. The boarding areas both in Folkestone is pretty big with plenty of shops and fast food chains. Pet areas as well. The arriving area is quite a bit smaller. Just a shop or two and some fast food chain. Small pet area and a gas station. That's it. But it's all you need I guess. The Check-In is pretty fast (even faster if you prepare everything in advance online) and the lines are moving quickly. We got chosen randomly for a security check, which took a few minutes. Enough to miss our booked train. But that's wasn't a big deal, the next train left in 25 minutes, and we didn't have to do anything extra to get on that one. Time enough to eat a Burger in the car in the waiting line. Once inside it's a fast ride and pretty smooth and quiet. Most people stayed inside their cars....but you can wander around a bit, if you fancy a talk with some travellers. Exiting the trains is a fast affair. In a matter of minutes after arriving you'll find yourself on the motorway. Be sure to drive on the correct side :) We really liked the Tunnel. Of course, a ferry might be more enjoyable when it comes to travel. But if you have a pet, I'd go for the Tunnel. It's all very well organised. Travelling from Folkestone to Calais is a bit easier. Everything is thought trough very well with good signs. From Calais to Folkestone it's a bit more difficult.

The train service between U.K. and France is awesome. It's quick and you stay in your vehicle as…read moreyou cross the English Channel and it takes about 35 mins. We chose the train as you are allowed to stay with your pet in the car, something the ferry does not allow. We had initially booked the ferry and ended up canceling it for the simple reason that you had to leave the dog in cargo in car. The train was easy and quick without stress for all. Prices are not too dissimilar to the ferry and the process is fairly quick and easy. Would definitely use this service again. It was my first time and I really liked it.

It's below SeaFrance but it's better then P&O, and they have a good restaurant which closes at 7p…read moreand than they have a buffet style with horrifying food, but they have beer and wine available much later than all ferries.

I usually cross the channel by Eurotunnel, but because of the fire in September had to look at…read morealternative routes, and as oyu can imagine, every ferry operator was very busy. Norfolk Line were great. Booked them because they were the only company that did not sail into Calais - we knew it would be really busy and wanted to go to Dieppe which gave us a 50 mile head start on our long drive. The crossing was smooth, the ship clean and much more light and airey than the other ferries. Checking in at Dieppe was so much more stress free as it is no where near as busy as Calais, and the best bit it was for the crossing times we had chosen some £10 cheaper than the competition.

Trains come about every half hour during peak travel and on the hour at other times. It is about a…read more+2 hour journey to Charing Cross. Be mindful that the trains departing Charing Cross actually split at Dover International Station and only one half of the train actually goes to Sandwich. It is a quaint small town station. You won't find a taxi stand here. If you are coming to the area and need a taxi, get off at Ramsgate. Though it is about a 15 minute car ride it is the closest main station.

So, as I have mentioned, there are two railway stations in Canterbury, and you can't actually catch…read morea train from one to the other. This no doubt has something to do with there being two private railways coming here in the past. I also suspect that the high speed rail comes through here, I suspect - I didn't catch the train from here, I just wandered around to have a look at it.

After a lovely day in Kent with our friends John and Roz, we headed back to Charing Cross by…read morehopping on the Southeastern Railway Train from the Canterbury West Station. We appreciated that this was a lightly occupied and direct (albeit local) train was comfortable and with lots of room for our legs and baggage. The Station itself could be described as safe, a bit dated, and functional. I purchased our tickets from an agent who was friendly, helpful, and engaged. A waiting room was available, but we were happy to pace around the platform a bit, waiting for the train to arrive.

Ashford International is a major rail interchange in south east Kent, and since 1996, has also been…read moreserved by the London-Paris/Brussels Eurostar service. The station is used by 2.8 million passengers a year, with a further 400,000 changing between trains. History The station opened in December 1842 by the South Eastern Railway on its line from London to Dover via Redhill, which was completed through to Dover in 1844. A line through Canterbury to Ramsgate opened in 1846, and to Hastings via Rye in 1851. The current 'main line' via Maidstone was opened in 1884, initially to a separate station, by the London, Chatham and Dover railway; services were diverted into the present station in 1899. The station was connected into the line to the Channel Tunnel in 1996, and to the high-speed line to London St Pancras in 2007. The present station dates from a rebuilding to accommodate the beginning Eurostar services in 1996, and is entirely of modern design in steel and glass, with a large multi-storey car-park in a matching style. The station essentially comprises three island platforms: platforms 1 & 2 and 5 & 6 handle domestic traffic, with 3 & 4 handling Eurostar trains. Platforms 3 & 4 have separate, controlled access to meet immigration and customs requirements. Domestic Services The station has regular services to London Charing Cross and London Victoria, and to Dover Priory, Ramsgate, Canterbury West, Margate, and Brighton via Hastings and Eastbourne. Many services divide or attach carriages here. Since December 2009, the station has also had 140 mph (225kph) high-speed domestic services to London via Ebbsfleet International and Stratford International, taking 37 minutes to St Pancras International. International Services The initial service of 7 trains to Paris and 5 to Brussels was reduced on the opening of Ebbsfleet International in 2007. There are now three return services to Paris, one to Brussels and one to Disneyland Paris via Lille. Services Passenger facilities are surprisingly basic for so busy a station: the station has large car parks (charges apply) and covered storage for 148 cycles, and there are small cafe outlets on each of the domestic island platforms (1/2 and 5/6). There is also a small tourist information office. The station has level access throughout and a disabled toilet.

its a very busy station with poor facilities. We sometimes use this station when we stop off from…read morevisiting family in Folkestone at the Ashford Designer Outlet (http://www.qype.co.uk/place/68597-McArthur-Glen-Ashford--Ashford) - a few minutes walk away. Poor facilities for an International Station nowhere for coffee except the really grim and overpriced Pumpkin station cafes on two of the platforms and a couple of independent cafes on site. Disinterested staff and overpriced dull food and very average coffee. Nothing else around it so they have a captive market. Really not good enough for an International Station.

A delightful and charming time is to be had riding this marrow gauge railway. We took a journey…read morefrom Dymchurch to Dungeness and then back again. A delight from start to end and this from an avowed non trainspotter! The views are stunning and varied, looking inland across green fields and verdant lushness to the views at Dungeness across pebble and shingle stretching away for what feels like miles . . . The staff are helpful and hugely courteous, dedicated to fault, and all the more remarkable for being volunteers. Do take a trip on this railway if you can, the memory of it will stay with you for quite a while.

This is listed in two places, so I thought I'd copy my review across!…read more This is a 1/3 (15 inch guage) railway that runs from Hythe to Dungeness (13 miles). It was conceived by two rich men; Captain Howey and Count Louis Zborowski. It was opened in July 1927, but sadly the Count had died at the Monza Grand Prix before he could see his dream realised. It is really fascinating, with both diesel and steam trains running on the line. The station at New Romney gives a wonderful view of these old, small steam trains from the footbridge that crosses the platforms. It's a lot of fun to take the train from New Romney to Dungeness with kids. The carriages are tiny - there is no standing or moving about in them! There are both covered and open carriages depending on the weather and preference. The gift shop is very train orientated and there are lots of interesting things to buy at all ranges of the budget. I particularly love this train service, as it passes right across the end of my father's garden! It looses a star for being just so expensive though! If you were to take two adults and three children on it for the full 13 miles (Hythe to Dungeness) and back, it would cost over 50 quid! For more information... Webiste: http://www.rhdr.org.uk Tel: 01797 362353