UK to France as a foot passenger? P&O Dover to Calais Ferry

The buses back to Brussels were really expensive, so I decided to head over to the continent as a foot passenger instead, from my native Kent. How much did it cost? How did I get there? What was Dover town centre like? And could they pour a decent pint of Guinness?
Oh, and the buses at either end of the sailing were pretty interesting too!

[@DJDannyN2009]

Such a "Bald and Bankrupt" vibe with this video. Love it

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@krimskrams]

he even sounds like him! uncanny!

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Must be the visit to wetherspoons

[@TheoSmith249]

... all he needs is to find, are some nice 'mosaics' 😂😂

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

No on board this ferry! Just Pip and Ollie on a mural

[@samantha1054]

Sorry, this is a year later. I want to experience the English Channel crossing by boat (almost with no gunfire) like my great-grandfather did during WW2. He wrote about seeing the Dover cliffs. I will be in England (from the USA)next fortnight (as u British say). You are a natural reporter. You have made organizing this subsequent crossing a whole lot easier. Thank you.

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

No problem Sam, glad to be of service! Hope your journey is fun and goes smoothly

[@stephenvalente3296]

I used to go at least 6 times a year when it was £1 for foot passengers, and up to a dozen times one year! In fact Hoverspeed actually paid me £1 to go on one occasion with the car! Last month I went with the car for the first time in 15 years and it cost £39 return, and the same again a few weeks later. Can't really complain in reality with that, and don't think I would consider going as a foot passenger again seeing how much it costs. Got the bug for going over again now, and great to see how much Calais town centre has improved, more so because most of the Brits aren't wandering around the town looking for cheek cigarettes and booze to go along with their English lunch on the high street. Much more civilised now.

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Wow, I remember there were offers but never did anything like that! You're dead right about Calais. Enjoy your next trip, I love a ferry journey!

[@stephenvalente3296]

@@helloantoniotraveladventures Before Hoverspeed closed things down to Boulogne from Folkestone, my oldest friend and I had a plan to go as foot passengers to Calais, walk to Boulogne then get the Seacat back to Folkestone, and train to Dover to collect the car. We tested the route walking half way to Boulogne and back again to Calais, so we could have done that if the Boulogne service hadn't closed. Shame, it was a nice alternative to Calais, and having been there recently, it's still a great place to visit. The French put so much more effort into maintaining and sprucing up their towns than we do in England.

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

@stephenvalente3296 that sounds like an awesome plan and would have been a fun video! Shame you never got to do it

[@AndriyValdensius-wi8gw]

So this is called "progress". In the olden days (1970s and 1980s and before) that I remember, there was a boat train from Victoria Station to Dover Western Docks. You got off the train, at Western Docks terminus, walked across the platform through an exit porch on to the quayside where the Sealink ferry was parked. Up the gangplank, or whatever it's called, on to the boat. You were ready to sail. Now the only train station is right across the town with no transport between it and the ferry terminal which is itself a bus ride from the boat. Idiotic.

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

That's capitalist economics for you!

[@Chris-m3q]

A very sad looking pint of Guinness... I'd have got my money back.

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

I should have done shouldn't I!

[@howddy6485]

This experience looks hectic lol! -A pint of Guiness that looks like an expresso -Assembling foot passengers like it's D Day about to happen -Foot passengers unboarding by bus (very anticlimactic, warrants refund for lost D Day experience) -Some randoms honking like they are celebrating a marriage while in the boarding queue Oh yeah also peak french public transport experience the navette "queue". For each and every kind of public transport in France it's not about who arrived first, it's about who is the best at predicting the door position 😂

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

😂 Fantastic analysis, thanks for watching. Hope I never have a Guinness like that again

[@lynx6776]

I'm going to calais from dover next week and honestly I'd love to be able to grab a pint from spoons before boarding lol but i dont think i have that option, but the video did help me get over some anxiety i had about boarding so thankyou!

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Glad to be of service and hope you make it to a Spoons soon!

[@lynx6776]

@helloantoniotraveladventures Thanks mate! Hopefully I will lol

[@griswald7156]

I remember when Dover people had jobs on the boat…

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Yep, now they go for cheap labour

[@robertfox882]

Smells of lorries and cambelts...🤣....but Soooo true

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

I call it as I smell it!

[@CuttThroat13]

Very good video!

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Glad you liked it!

[@CuttThroat13]

@@helloantoniotraveladventures If you ever are in the vicinity of Bucharest in the future let me know :D

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Will do, still need to see Ceaucescu's crazy Palace

[@RealGestumblindi]

Well, it ends a bit abruptly?

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Cliffhanger so you'll watch the next one

[@DesiExplorer]

where can i get ticket for foot passengers? I can only see passenger with car or bike.

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

I got mine on the p and o website

[@DanielHCantwell]

I can't believe they discontinued boat trains to the ferries. I was looking into going this way but seems like an ordeal.

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

No need now they have the channel tunnel! An ordeal indeed

[@DanielHCantwell]

Ah, watched to the end. It's crazier than I thought.

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Yep, not the most relaxing way to travel!

[@Truthbewithyou]

Trying to get ticket information on any form of transport is so confusing. its like they have made it near on imposible. I just, for love nor money, can't get an option of prices or times. They keep asking me to enter what time i want to travel. But i have no idea what time ferries go cos there is no timetable anywhere, so how can i enter what time i want to travel when i dont know what time the ferries are 🙄 I swear, years ago you'd literally pick the phone up and ask someone and be done in 5 minutes 🤦🏼‍♂️ Enjoyed the vid though mate 😁

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Sounds like a real rigmarole organising your travel, good luck and glad you enjoyed the video

[@MH-jp7mh]

Dover smells of cambelts ?? Cambelts don’t smell🤦🏼‍♂️

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Correct, they don't have noses

[@griswald7156]

I walked from the port into Calais…it took ages…i wouldnt do it again…just dont faff around when you get off the boat be alert and jump on a bus into Calais..

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Top advice right there

[@NomadicDmitry]

I am about to do the crossing in a couple of days.. This is so weird. There should be so many options to cross. I looked up online.. The fares are 100 Euro and more the ferry crossings. Most of the website are not even mentioning the foot option for crossing. It's either bicycle or car, etc.. This is so badly organized..

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Yeah, it's not great! What have you decided to do in the end?

[@NomadicDmitry]

@@helloantoniotraveladventures I bought a ticket for the same ferry that you did. It was 40 pounds. Thanks for your advice and please film more buddy.

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

No worries! Expensive isn't it? But gets you to France at least...

[@SedeDeVenda]

Hi, I am planning to do this but departing from Calais to Dover, do you know if is possible!!? I saw somewhere that there is one company (P&o ferries) operating this route, but I could not find any concrete information anywhere

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Yes you can! Google p&o Calais to Dover foot passenger and you should be able to book there

[@evangelista279]

Funny video bro! Im planning do same. How about border in france is same like airport? I mean they stop you check bags..make qustions.. or just see passport?

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Cheers man! They'll put your bags they an x-ray machine sometimes, but you don't have to unpack like at the airport. Enjoy your trip!

[@abdotp]

Why there's no passport control?

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

There is, I just didn't show it

[@troywalling-h2p]

isint buses free in france or is that just Calais and dunkque cuz thats where we went im just curious for the next time we go

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Not everywhere I'm afraid but many places do have free buses

[@DikWhite]

A mini adventure! The queues don't look bad at all, and the blue English Channel looks like the Aegean. A shame it's not always like that. By the way, I bet you didn't know that Turks call the English Channel "Manş" (pronounced Manche). An interesting piece of useless information that I thought you'd appreciate as a francophone.

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

It was a nice journey, all in all! Didn't know that about Turkish either, love a bit of linguistic trivia

[@DikWhite]

@@helloantoniotraveladventures lots of French words incorporated in Turkish, all phonetically spelt so that Turks can read and pronounce them correctly. You get your hair cut at a kuaför, buy a pack of sosis for your full English breakfast, get your bilet (here they pronounce the T) from a gişe to board a long distance otobüs or tren. The otobüs will be driven by a şoför. You park your car in an otopark and go to a garaj to get a new egzos fitted. Egzos? Exhaust, one English word got a look-in here. Just a few examples to further whet your appetite for Turkish trivia.

[@DikWhite]

@@helloantoniotraveladventures I almost forgot, I'm not a lover of the local sosis but I do like a couple of freshly baked kruvasan for breakfast.

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Kruvasan 😂

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

I think I need to get to Turkey!

[@leoschmitz1502]

I am wondering, wether it is possible to come with your bicycle and to pay in cash at the port?

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Honestly, I have no idea. I would contact the company directly if I were you, but i don't see any reason why they wouldn't take a bicycle

[@DanielM19931]

Yes you can, however the fare is much higher than if you book online. You'll need to get off your bicycle at the walk in centre and you can buy a ticket directly there, however it closes at around 5pm

[@nicholashyde6799]

Great video. Also really liked your Commodore Clipper video.

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Thanks, I love doing ferry vlogs!

[@kevinkussibaffour561]

Keep

[@francoisworld9924]

Brings back memory's of the good days taking the ferry to France and visiting family . The meal deal has gone up now ! The cheek of it ! . Interesting video boss

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Shame my "Guinness" wasn't part of a meal deal!

[@francoisworld9924]

@@helloantoniotraveladventures ah yes indeed ! Are you a fan of the caramel latte and such like ?

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

@francoisworld9924 I drink coffee black usually but I was gifted done caramel latte by my "angel" at work recently!

[@francoisworld9924]

@@helloantoniotraveladventures excellent ! I see rocket fuel ! More hardcore than me but we are soft southerners here ! -are you a teacher by trade boss ? National careers myself

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

I'm a soft southerner too! Yeah I am

[@DanielM19931]

Fond memories travelling as a foot passenger. I remember when you could apply this code and get the return fare for as little as £8. Many trips were made to go on big 4-5 week trips around Europe or weekends to France/Belgium. I met some cool people while waiting in the lobby. Every time there was somebody delaying the departure on the bus, mostly too busy chit chatting or carrying way too much luggage. I love the walk to the port, especially when the ferry is early with a beautiful sunrise. I remember when I was the only foot passenger leaving Dover, so instead of a bus they sent down this luxury van with disco lights and comfortable seats - travelling in style! It's a shame they closed down the welcome centre at the other side of the Port of Calais because once you'd get off the shuttle bus you could walk over the bridge and be in town within 10 minutes.

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Wow, sounds like you've had some real adventures from Dover over the years! Great way to start a European adventure

[@user-de4hd7tx6p]

Would you do this again? I found the bus quite long and wondered if this is easier?

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Not really easier due to the transfers between ferry and trains. I would only do it again if it were significantly cheaper and I wasn't in a hurry!

[@andrewclark8630]

@@helloantoniotraveladventures Might it be easier to try and do the bus for a part of the journey say Lille to a stop in Kent? And then use the train the rest of the way. Sometimes the bus from London to Paris is cheaper than the ferry foot passenger ticket but I wouldn't want to stay on the bus that long.

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Good thinking but none of the buses from continental Europe stop in Kent anymore. A bit of a pain for me as a Kent boy!

[@andrewclark8630]

@@helloantoniotraveladventures Thought they might at least let you out in Dover? Or you could get off after you go through the border checks maybe? I guess it's not as simple as that.

[@alassaneka2708]

Where did u buy u ticket?

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Online on the p&o website

[@simplysethils9181]

Hello there I was the kid you talked to 🤣 great video

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Hi mate great to hear from you, glad you liked the video! How was your trip?

[@CoastAway]

@@helloantoniotraveladventures Hey mate sorry that was my alt account, It was amazing thank you, we were very busy! We did alot We came back the next day but it was still great!

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@wasimazankhan767]

hello i am in uk can i travel on my uk brp to calais they will ask for eu visa or not plz tell me???

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Depends what passport you have

[@longsleeve5692]

did you get searched by customs??

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

I think i had to put my bag through something

[@longsleeve5692]

@@helloantoniotraveladventures did you have to go through a security screening?

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

No i don't think so

[@ShonLeRock]

Thanks, Antonio! I've booked a trip and it says that check in closes 90 mins before departure time and the shuttle bus leaves 90 mins before departure time! Did you check in well before 90mins ahead?

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

I had about ten minutes to spare I would say

[@ShonLeRock]

@@helloantoniotraveladventures thanks, they mean it then!

[@helloantoniotraveladventures]

Absolutely

[@russiandrivers9986]

I was also wondering about that. It seems a bit excessive​@@ShonLeRock