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Short straits

Dover to Dunkirk, the quieter way across.

Two hours rather than ninety minutes, and the fares often sit a little under the Calais ones. You land at Loon-Plage, west of Dunkirk, directly on the A16.

CalaisDoverDunkirk

Timetables checked August 2026, and how they are checked

2 hat sea10sailings a dayYear roundDFDS

The crossing

Two hours with DFDS, often for a little less than Calais.

Operator
DFDS
Sailings
Around 10 sailings a day, more in peak season
Crossing
About 2 h
Check-in
An hour before departure. Allow a good deal more at peak times for security and the border controls at Dover.
Gas bottles
Up to three butane or propane cylinders, 47 kg between them, for lighting, cooking or heating only. Valves shut and the cylinders secured. DFDS wants them stated at check-in.
Pets
Pets stay in the van for the crossing, booked onto the ticket. There are no kennels or pet cabins on this route, and you go back down to the vehicle when disembarkation is called.Paperwork: an EU pet passport or a GB Animal Health Certificate, a microchip, and a rabies vaccination at least 21 days old. A dog also needs a vet-administered tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before it comes back into Great Britain. An Animal Health Certificate has to come from an official vet within ten days of travel, so it's booked well before the crossing is.
Book with
DFDS (opens in a new tab)Fares and availability live with the operator, not here.

Seasons, weather and operators all move these, so confirm with the operator before you book.

Getting there

London is 1 h 40 away, Edinburgh 8 h.

Typical driving hours to Dover with light traffic
Starting fromDriving hours
London1 h 40
Birmingham3 h
Bristol3 h 30
Manchester4 h 30
Leeds4 h 30
Liverpool5 h
Newcastle upon Tyne6 h
Edinburgh8 h

Ashore

You land at Loon-Plage, a good 20 minutes west of Dunkirk.

You come off at Loon-Plage onto the A16, which is toll free along this stretch. Dunkirk town is about 20 minutes east, the Belgian border about 25, and Bruges a little over an hour on the E40. De Panne and Veurne, the first Belgian aires and campsites, are within 30 to 40 minutes. The first hour is flat, fast and quiet.

Still asked

The night boat runs right through, but not on the cadence people expect.

Not in the town. The terminal is at Loon-Plage, 10 to 15 km west, about 20 to 25 minutes from the centre. It sits on the A16, which makes it a good landing for Belgium and the Netherlands and a small detour if Dunkirk itself is your first stop.

Often, by a little, though DFDS publishes no rule that says so. In practice Dunkirk sailings tend to come out under the equivalent Calais ones on the same length and height bands, which is why it's a common choice with a big van. The gap is small enough that your slot time matters more, so price both for your dates rather than assuming it.

They run right through, though not on an even cadence: out of Dover the last sailing is around 22:00 and the first is around 02:00, with a four-hour gap between them rather than the two-hour spacing that holds through the rest of the night. The near-midnight departure you may see quoted is the Dunkirk to Dover leg. There are no cabins on a two-hour crossing, so a night sailing means the lounges or the paid Premium Lounge.

Duty-free came back on UK to France sailings after Brexit, and the on-board shops are a genuine saving on alcohol and tobacco. Keep an eye on what you're allowed to bring home.

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