Seeing Dover Castle before Cruise

[ErikdaRed]

My family is sailing out of Dover on June 17th. We are staying in London the night before and thinking of taking the train down in the morning, arriving around noon at Dover Priory. Would that be enough time to get up to the castle and still make all aboard?

I've found I can drop the bags at a luggage storage place in town, but would we be able to just drop things at the ship instead.

A taxi at the station should be easy to find, but will we be able to get one at the castle easily?

 

[lolainkent]

I live right near Dover and have been to Dover castle many many times. In my personal opinion, the Dover Castle site needs more than 1-2 hours to see it fully and justify the price. There are two wartime tunnels with excellent displays, but both are led by tour guide and go at specific times (plus there can be lines). One is 20min (the hospital tunnel), the other is 60min (the Evacuation of Dunkirk). They are so worth doing!

That said the Great Tower can be done quickly so if it's just about seeing/going up the castle, you can do that in under 2 hours. The people at the desks where you pay can call you a taxi though it could take 10min or so for one to turn up (my dad has done this before when visiting me). There are taxi ranks at Dover Priory - it's about a 5min drive from the train station to the castle.

Also fun to note, you can see the cruise terminal from the top of the Great Tower - I was up there when the Magic was in port last summer and got a great view and some good photos

 

[tidefan]

We are on the May 29th sailing of the Magic and had the exact same question! We are taking a minibus down to Dover and hope to arrive between 10am and 11am. We too hope to drop our bags with the porters, then head over to the Castle.

Actually, I'd like to go up to Sandwich to play golf, but unfortunately don't have time for that...

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

We are on the May 29th sailing of the Magic and had the exact same question! We are taking a minibus down to Dover and hope to arrive between 10am and 11am. We too hope to drop our bags with the porters, then head over to the Castle.

Actually, I'd like to go up to Sandwich to play golf, but unfortunately don't have time for that...

Note the terminal often has back ups and you may not be able to get in until 10.30am or 11am see my trip report, http://torussiawithmickeybars.blogspot.co.uk/ for arrival, embarkation and disembarkation at Dover, with trip information from London and also photos at Dover and Dover castle.

As said before the cruise terminal is on a long pier and has security and gets congested, we got there early couldn't drop off until 11am ish, and the Castle is at the other end of the town/bay, up a hill. As PP said before just doable but you will rush it. To me only if your there a day before or day after is it worth going to the castle.

Opening times will be posted later but will be around 10am. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/dover-castle/prices-and-opening-times