How much luggage can foot passengers take?

P&O's rule of thumb: no more than you can easily carry yourself – there are no luggage trolleys. Realistically one suitcase plus hand luggage per person.

Travel guide · No car

Dover–Calais ferry as a foot passenger – from ~£25

Q: Can I take the Dover to Calais ferry as a foot passenger?

Yes – but only with P&O Ferries, which carries foot passengers on selected sailings from around £25–30 per person. DFDS does not take foot passengers on this route, and with Irish Ferries the option is effectively not bookable.

Q: How much is the Dover Calais ferry for foot passengers?

One-way fares start at around £25–30 (€30–35) per person; peak dates cost more. Children travel at reduced fares.

Q: How do foot passengers get onto the ferry?

After check-in, passport control and security, a shuttle bus takes foot passengers from the terminal directly to the ship – both in Dover and in Calais.

Q: How do I get from London to the Dover ferry without a car?

High-speed trains run from London St Pancras to Dover Priory in about 65 minutes; the port is a short taxi or bus ride away. National Express coaches from London Victoria take ~2.5 hours.

Q: Is the ferry or the Eurostar better without a car?

The Eurostar is faster and city-centre to city-centre, but usually far more expensive. The ferry from ~£25 is the budget option.

Crossing the Channel without a vehicle: only P&O Ferries carries foot passengers – on selected sailings, with a shuttle bus to the ship. Fares, luggage rules, check-in and onward trains explained.

~£25per person, one way

90 mincrossing time

P&Oonly foot-passenger operator

~65 minDover → London by train

Only P&O takes foot passengers Shuttle bus to the ship Carry-your-own luggage Trains & coaches at both ends

Search sailings without a vehicle

Travel date

Adults

Children

Live timetable

Dover–Calais without a car – sailings & fares

Live data from the booking API. Important: only P&O Ferries can be booked as a foot passenger – choose “no vehicle” at booking and only eligible sailings will appear.

Depart Calais	Arrive Dover	Duration	Ship	Operator	Price/pers.	Total

* Indicative fares without a vehicle, in €. Foot passengers: P&O Ferries only, selected sailings – confirm availability on the booking page.

The key fact

Only one operator takes foot passengers: P&O Ferries

DFDS and Irish Ferries: vehicles only

DFDS Seaways explicitly does not carry foot passengers on Dover–Calais (or Dover–Dunkirk). Irish Ferries sometimes shows a foot-passenger option in booking forms, but in practice it cannot be booked. If you're crossing without a vehicle, P&O is your operator.

P&O Ferries: foot passengers welcome – on selected sailings

P&O carries foot passengers on several departures per day (not all of them). Fares start at around €30–35 / £25–30 per person one way. Choose “foot passenger” at booking – only eligible sailings will be shown.

Operator	Foot passengers?	Notes
P&O Ferries	Yes	Selected sailings, from ~£25/€30, shuttle bus to the ship
DFDS Seaways	No	Vehicles only – also applies to Dover–Dunkirk
Irish Ferries	Effectively no	Option sometimes visible but not bookable

Car-free alternative: the Eurostar runs through the Channel Tunnel as a passenger train (London–Paris/Brussels/Lille) – faster, but usually much pricier than a £25 ferry fare. LeShuttle itself only carries vehicles.

Step by step

Crossing the Channel without a car – how it works

On deck of the Dover Calais ferry as a foot passenger

Check-in & boarding as a foot passenger

Check in at the passenger terminal at least 60–90 minutes before departure – foot-passenger check-in often closes earlier than for cars.
After passport and security checks, a shuttle bus takes you straight to the ship – walking across the port isn't allowed.
Luggage: only what you can comfortably carry yourself – there are no trolleys. Rule of thumb: one case plus hand luggage.
Have your passport ready – EU visitors also need the UK ETA when heading to England.

Fares & booking

From around £25–30 / €30–35 per person one way; children pay reduced fares.
Select “foot passenger / no vehicle” when booking – only P&O sailings with foot-passenger slots will appear.
Book early – foot-passenger capacity per sailing is limited.

Getting to the Port of Dover without a car

Trains from London St Pancras to Dover Priory take ~65 minutes (high-speed) – the port is a ~£10 taxi or a bus ride from the station.
National Express coaches run London Victoria ↔ Dover in ~2.5 hours, often from around £10.
Allow extra time – you still need to clear check-in 60–90 minutes before sailing.

Onward travel from Calais

A shuttle drops foot passengers at the terminal; Calais-Ville station is about 3 km away (taxi €10–15 or local bus).
TGV connections from Calais-Fréthun reach Paris in ~1h40.
Day-trippers: Calais town centre, the beach and the Dragon of Calais are all doable on foot from the station.

Staying over before or after

Early sailing from Dover? Plenty of B&Bs sit within reach of the port: Dover accommodation.
Late arrival in France: Calais accommodation – several hotels are close to the terminal.

Stay over

Hotels in Dover after arrival

Late arrival or an early return sailing? Many Dover B&Bs and hotels are within easy reach of the port. Adjust the dates top right.

Here we show a map of places to stay from our partner Stay22. Loading it sends data (including your IP address) to Stay22.

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More tips: Dover accommodation guide · * Booked via partner – commission at no extra cost to you.

FAQ

FAQ: foot passengers on the Dover–Calais ferry

Yes – but only with P&O Ferries. P&O carries foot passengers on selected sailings from around £25–30 per person. DFDS does not take foot passengers on this route, and with Irish Ferries the option is effectively not bookable.

One-way fares start at around £25–30 (€30–35) per person; peak dates cost more. Children travel at reduced fares, and booking the return together is often cheaper.

After check-in, passport control and security, a shuttle bus takes foot passengers from the terminal directly to the ship – both in Dover and in Calais. Walking across the port area is not permitted.

P&O's rule of thumb: no more than you can easily carry yourself – there are no luggage trolleys and you'll board via a shuttle bus and gangway. Realistically one suitcase plus hand luggage per person.

High-speed trains run from London St Pancras to Dover Priory in about 65 minutes; the port is a short taxi or bus ride from the station. National Express coaches from London Victoria take ~2.5 hours and are usually cheaper.

The Eurostar (London–Paris/Brussels through the tunnel) is faster and city-centre to city-centre, but usually far more expensive. The ferry from ~£25 is the budget option – and the only one with sea air, an open deck and the White Cliffs view.