Dover Calais Ferry Experience
As soon as I get onboard the
Dover Calais Ferry I feel like I am on holiday already. It's a wonderful feeling once that ship pulls out of Dover's Eastern Docks, with a view of the white cliffs and Dover Castle behind me, knowing that in just over an hour we'll be arriving in Calais. I like to wander around the decks for a short while, look out through the big windows and then settle down with a beer or something for the short but exciting journey. Out through the gap between the breakwaters, past fisherman's wharf and point Alpha and it's out into the open sea, the straits of Dover - probably the busiest shipping lane in the World. We pass several other roll on roll off car ferries en route sailing in both directions, and glimpse one or two of the massive container ships and tankers that are making their way along the English channel, perpendicular to our route to Calais.
If it's not too busy
I'll take a look in the gift shop - formerly the duty free, but I'm not that bothered. I know there's be plenty of good value wines and pastis waiting for me in France and I don't smoke. The restaurant is a good option, but only if you decide right away on boarding that you;re going to order a meal. It's no use suddenly deciding to get hungry half way across because there's not enough time. Half way point is a significant occasion, it means that you're closer to France than England so you know which way to swim in an emergency.
Dover Calais Ferry Docking
Nearing France, the Dover Calais Ferry starts making announcements telling the crew to start preparing for disembarkation and everything gets busy. Calais is so different to Dover, with it's flat estuarine type landscape, long sea walls and fishing port near where the ferry docks. Once through cutoms and immigration, I get on board a high speed train and am whisked off to my final destination - the French interior.
