how to take a day trip to the White Cliffs of Dover from London without a car

You’re on a pebbled beach. A wall of brilliant rugged white limestone towers over you on your left. You can just barely make out the tufts of green grass lining the top. On your right, the sea spreads like a blanket of blue silk towards the horizon, glittering and reflecting the sunlight.

You’re at the White Cliffs of Dover, one of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the UK and one of the easiest to visit from London given the UK’s extensive rail network that runs out from the city.

The cliffs of Dover were the destination of my first solo trip when I lived and studied abroad in the UK. They had been on my travel bucket list for years, after learning about them in a travel guide book my friend gifted me. After a few weeks getting acquainted with the hustle and bustle of London, I craved some natural calm, so I packed my bag with some snacks, my camera, and my journal and headed to Victoria Station to catch a train to Dover.

Here are the exact steps I took to get myself from London to the White Cliffs of Dover without a car. If you follow this itinerary, you’ll be able to easily get to Dover and have a full day to explore the natural beauty of the cliffs.

Step-by-step process for a day trip to the White Cliffs of Dover from London (an itinerary)

1. Purchase your train tickets online.

I recommend buying your train tickets online ahead of time to secure your seat and have a better idea of when you need to arrive at the train station.

I used the Omio app to purchase my tickets and I highly recommend it for a quick and convenient experience. You can download it here using my link and we both get a €10 credit.

You’ll still need to pick up the physical tickets from the kiosks at the station as you need them to scan through the gate to the train platform, but you can do that at any time at any station before your trip. You just need your booking number and credit card. If you decide to get the tickets on the day of your trip, just be sure to arrive an extra 15 minutes early.

Direct trains to Dover leave from Victoria Station, London Bridge Station, and St Pancras Station, all in central London. The Omio app will show you all the options for trains leaving from each of the three train stations, so you can choose the most convenient station and route for yourself.

Trains from Victoria Station to Dover and take about 2 hours while trains from London Bridge Station to Dover take about an hour and 45 minutes and trains from King’s Cross St. Pancras to Dover take a bit more than an hour.

If you’re not a morning person like me, do not fret; you don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn for a day trip to Dover. I took a train that left around 9 in the morning and I still had plenty of time to explore the cliffs. I recommend taking a train at around this same time or a bit earlier to make the most out of your day.

If you’re between 16-25 years old and planning to explore the UK on rail for multiple trips, I highly recommend getting a youth railcard so you can get discounts on train tickets. You can read more about the card here and purchase for the card online here.

With my student rail card, my tickets cost £8.50 (about $10-12USD) for a one-way ticket. My round-trip ticket was £17 (about $22USD at the time). I departed from Victoria Station and arrived back at London Bridge Station.

If you want to purchase your tickets once you arrive at the station, you can buy them directly from the kiosks in the central area of the station. Just be sure to budget a bit more time for this.

2. Head to the train station to catch your train to Dover.

To start your journey, you’ll catch a morning train from any of the three train stations in central London mentioned above to Dover Priory Station.

Victoria Station is serviced by the Victoria, District, and Circle tube lines while London Bridge Station is accessible by the Northern and Jubilee lines and St. Pancras Station is accessible via the Victoria, Circle, Northern, Hammersmith & City, Piccadilly, and Metropolitan lines.

You’ll want to arrive at least 30-45 minutes before your train is scheduled to depart to give yourself ample time to pick up your tickets and any snacks or food you might want for your trip.

DO NOT BE LATE! The trains leave at exactly their scheduled time and will not wait for you!

3. Pick up your train tickets.

Once you arrive at the train station, head to a ticket machine where you will enter your booking number and credit card to retrieve your paper tickets.

If you did not purchase the tickets online, you can also purchase them at the ticket machines now.

4. Grab snacks and beverages as you wish.

There are kiosks selling snacks and beverages all around the train stations.

If you didn’t pack any of your own food before arriving at the station, I would highly recommend purchasing a small meal, such as a sandwich, and water.

There is nowhere to buy food and water once you are on the cliffs themselves and you’ll want to stay hydrated throughout the day.

You can also buy food in town once you get to Dover, but it’s more convenient to do it when you’re already at the train station.

5. Scan your tickets at the gate & board the train!

You’ll be on the train for between an hour or two before you’ll arrive in Dover. Enjoy the views of the English countryside on your way!

6. Get off the train and walk through town to the Cliffs.

Once you disembark the train at Dover Priory station, it will be about a 40-minute walk to the cliffs themselves.

The town is quiet and not very big, so it won’t feel like too long of a walk. Since the cliffs are the main attraction of the town, there are multiple signs posted throughout town that guide you towards them.

Before you start walking on the cliffs, you can also choose to visit Dover Castle, which is an English Heritage site. Tickets for the castle are between £23 to £29, depending on the season, for adults. However, you get a great view from the cliffs, so unless you want to learn more about the history of the castle itself, I would skip it and go straight to the cliffs.

7. Walk & explore the cliffs at your own pace!

You’ve made it, now is the fun part! Once you arrive at the part of the cliffs that are closest to town, it’s a pretty straightforward free for all.

You can walk straight, following the cliffs themselves until you reach the South Foreland Lighthouse before turning around. Make sure the admire the view as you walk!

Along the way, you might come across a ladder or two that will lead you down the cliffs to the rocky beach at the bottom. Venture down at your own discretion!

8. Return to catch the train back to London.

If you purchased your train tickets for a morning departure and an evening return, that should give you plenty of time to walk the length of the cliffs at a moderately leisurely pace. I took a train from London at around 9 am, caught my return train at around 6:30pm, and felt like I had explored the cliffs to my heart’s content.

What to pack for a day trip to the White Cliffs of Dover

1. A camera

The views of and from the cliffs are unrivaled and you’ll definitely want to bring a camera, whether it’s the one on your phone or a separate digital one, to capture the scene.

Here are some of the photos I took during my trip.

2. Snacks and/or lunch

There aren’t many shops or restaurants where you can buy food once you are near the cliffs themselves. They are all in the town itself, so I recommend that you bring your own snacks and lunch or buy them at the London train station or in town before you walk over to the cliffs.

3. Windbreaker or warm jacket

It is very windy on the cliffs, so bring a windbreaker or a jacket! On a sunny day, it may be a bit warmer but the wind can still be rough. It’s better to have a jacket and not need it than to need it but not have it. You can bring a small and light packable one like this one from Uniqlo.

4. Comfortable walking shoes

A trip to Dover will guarantee a day of walking, so wear comfortable shoes! You’ll be walking primarily on grass and dirt, so don’t bring shoes that you would be heartbroken to get dirty.

5. Sunscreen and/or a sunhat

There is little to no shade when you’re on the cliffs, so make sure to bring an abundant amount of sunscreen to reapply throughout the day (especially if you’re prone to sunburn).

I would also recommend a sunhat instead of sunglasses if you are able. A sunhat can keep the sun out of your eyes without dimming the vibrancy of the landscape like sunglasses will.

That’s a wrap on this guide to getting to the White Cliffs of Dover from London! The cliffs are a must-see if you’re visiting the UK and I hope this guide shows you how easy it is to dedicate even just one day to seeing this beautiful natural landmark.