One Day in Dover
If you’re based in London, or just temporarily visiting, everyone needs a city break every now and again. A day trip from London to Dover is the perfect way to experience some of what the UK has to offer. Dover satisfied my craving to get out of the city, as well as peaked my interest for the city, I will definitely need to head back!
First things first…. my recommendation is to rent a car if possible. There are trains to Dover from London, but having a car proved super useful, especially for only have one day and trying to fit in as much as possible. We picked ours up at Gatwick, from there it was less than an hour and a half in the car.
I knew there were a few things that definitely needed to be done, but also left much of the day open. The main goal was to see the White Cliffs of Dover. We also last minute decided on taking a visit to Dover Castle.
We started the day at the castle. Please learn from me on this one, book your tickets ahead of time, we ended up paying more at the entrance since we didn’t book ahead, my fault for being spontaneous. If you can visit Monday- Friday there is also a slight discount for off peak times. Anyways, please make sure you research this a bit before going! The castle is cool and reaaaally old, so if you like a bit of history this could be your thing. The castle was also used during the second World War for the battle of Dunkirk, so lots of history. There are loads of grounds in the castle to cover, so you could easily end up spending a large portion of your day there. The castle also gives you some sought after views of Dover and a sneak peak of the cliffs. Hot tip, people bring their own food and picnic in the grounds, though there are options to buy food there.
Not to be missed, the White Cliffs of Dover. There are options to takes Ferry’s or small boats to see the Cliffs of Dover from the water, which sadly were sold out (OOPS). Having said that, this was a summer weekend which might slightly impact the tourist rates. Regardless, the hike/ walk through the park to the lighthouse, along the cliffs is magnificent. From the parking lot at the cliffs to the light house is approx. an hour to an hour and a half, depending if you stick to the trail or divert for pictures and more ideal views. Along the walk expect greens, wildlife and wind. Also, you can see France! Once at the lighthouse there is a teahouse as well as access to the bathroom. Have a sit and take in the scenery!
My last suggestion of the day would be a where to eat. The Coastguard in St. Margaret’s Bay gives you another great view, putting you right on the beach. I would also say their fish and chips was awesome, which was all I was craving being by the sea, and I’d say one of the best I’ve ever had. This was my first experience on the British seaside, and I was definitely not expecting the coast to be as rocky as it was. Do I like fish and chips so much because it is foreign to me? Jury’s still out on that one.
Has anyone else gone to the White Cliffs of Dover? What was your experience?
Samantha xx
