‘Can you visit the White Cliffs of Dover from London by train in one day??’ This was a thought I had for many months whilst living in London and one sunny weekend, I decided to give it a go,
Thankfully, I found out yes, you can easily visit the famous White Cliffs of Dover from London by train on a day trip!
London to White Cliffs of Dover by Train
In this post, I’ll give you information on how to get to the White Cliffs of Dover if you want to travel there from London by train including step-by-step information because first, you need to get to Dover Priory Station and then walk to the White Cliffs of Dover from Dover town centre.
It is a long day out with a lot of walking but it’s worth it, and make sure you wear some comfy shoes!
London to Dover Train
The train station for the White Cliffs of Dover is Dover Priory Station.
There is a London to Dover fast train that takes 1 hour 5 minutes and there are some slower London to Dover trains which take nearly 2 hours.
Even though the fast train will probably cost a bit more money, I would recommend taking it if you can to save time on your day trip.
The fast train to Dover leaves from St Pancras Station inside Kings Cross Station with South Eastern Railway. The trains that take nearly 2 hours leave from London Victoria Station and Charring Cross Station.
For the cheapest train price, it’s best to book as early in advance as you can and avoid commuting times if you visit during the week!
I booked this ticket and all of my tickets on The Train Line as I find it really useful when comparing train times, journey lengths and prices like this. Have a look into tickets here!
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- Things To Do in Bath on a Day Trip from London!
- 10 Of The Best Alternative Day Trips from London!
- 25 Day Trip From London By Train Ideas!
Dover Train Station to the White Cliffs of Dover
Dover Priory Train Station is very close to Dover Town which is why it makes it so easy to visit the White Cliffs of Dover from London by train!
I’d heard mixed things about Dover as a town and I can confirm that it’s nothing special, it’s fairly small with plenty of high street shops.
It’s a very English town that could do with a facelift, but luckily once arriving at Dover Priory train station you only need to pass through the town very briefly until you reach the coast.
Walk to the coast from Dover town and you’ll come across a beach known as Dover Beach or Marine Parade.
It’s a small stone beach with flats and a Best Western Premier Hotel (which is a great location in Dover if you want to stay the night or are heading to Dover Port!) behind it so it’s nothing hugely special but I would recommend heading down here to start your walk to the White Cliffs of Dover from Dover train station.
From Dover Beach, carry on up the footpath towards Dover Port and White Cliffs, I crossed over the main road and followed the footpath around the back of some houses.
This pathway starts to incline and this confirmed I was on my way to the Cliffs.
Dover Port is huge so the first part of the walk is walking alongside it but it’s quite interesting to see all of the boats and the hustle and bustle beneath.
Places to see on the White Cliffs of Dover
Once on the Cliff, you are on the White Cliffs of Dover however you will need to follow the path forward to see the iconic White Cliff views and there are a few attractions and things to see on the way:
You’ll notice that Dover Castle is one of the first attractions you’ll see. I didn’t visit on my trip from London to the White Cliffs of Dover by train but in hindsight, I should have as I have heard it’s a really good castle to visit.
For advance purchase tickets to Dover Castle which are a good idea when it’s busy, have a look here for Dover Castle Tickets!
The War Tunnels, further along, are also a popular place for people to visit in Dover. However, if you’re just there for the walk like I was, keep on walking up the pathway.
A good place to walk towards is the South Foreland Lighthouse, you can’t miss it as it’s a gorgeous white lighthouse. It has a Tea Room inside called Mrs Knotts and a nice lawn to sit on and relax.
I would think that a lot of people use this point as their turnaround point as it took me just over one hour to walk to the lighthouse from the port of Dover and about 90 minutes to walk here from Dover Train Station.
I did decide to keep walking on my London to Dover trip by train as I went on a long summer day with no rush to get back to London.
I continued to walk from the Lighthouse to St Margaret’s Bay as I thought it would be nice to see the beach and get some lunch. To be honest, St Margarets Beach isn’t overly nice but this is a good spot to get some lunch as there are a few places to eat, use the free public toilets and have a breather.
You can go further along the cliffs than St Margarets Bay but, I think is the perfect turnaround point when visiting the White Cliffs of Dover by train from London because it’s far enough to give you a good walk, but not too far! The walk, of course, was just as gorgeous on the way back!
It took me about 2 hours to walk back into Dover Train Station from St Margarets Bay and I believe you can get a bus from St Margaret’s Town to Dover Town if you want to.
I hope this guide helps you work out how to get from London to the White Cliffs of Dover by train.
If you feel this is too much for you, there are brilliant and highly rated day tours from London to the White Cliffs of Dover which will take you by coach from London to the coast and nearby sites with a guide, like this:
