Dartford to Dover Cruise Terminal Taxi
Start the holiday at your front door. Taxi On The Go drives cruise passengers from Dartford, Bexley and north Kent straight to the Western Docks Cruise Terminals at Dover for a fixed fare, with room for the cases and a driver who knows which terminal your ship is on. See Dover cruise transfers for the wider Kent service or book online now.
A taxi from Dartford to the Dover cruise terminal costs from £85 one way in a standard saloon, covering the 55-mile run down the A2 and M2 in about 60–80 minutes. Taxi On The Go drops you at Cruise Terminal 1 or 2 at the Western Docks, carries two large cases per saloon, offers 8-seat minibuses for groups and can collect you on disembarkation day.
Dartford to Dover cruise taxi fares
Guide fares for a standard saloon, one way, to the Western Docks Cruise Terminals. Both terminals are priced the same; the driver is told which one your ship is using. The final row covers the Eastern Docks ferry port for anyone sailing to Calais or Dunkirk. An estate costs the same as a saloon and takes an extra case.
| Pickup area | Fixed fare (from) | Journey time |
|---|---|---|
| Dartford town centre DA1 | £85 | 60–80 min |
| Dartford DA2 Darent Valley, Wilmington, Joyce Green | £85 | 60–80 min |
| Greenhithe / Bluewater DA9 | £82 | 55–75 min |
| Ebbsfleet / Swanscombe DA10 | £80 | 55–75 min |
| Gravesend DA11, DA12 | £78 | 50–70 min |
| Bexleyheath / Crayford DA6, DA7, DA1 | £92 | 70–90 min |
| Sidcup / Welling DA14, DA15, DA16 | £95 | 70–95 min |
| Swanley / Hextable BR8 | £88 | 60–85 min |
| Sutton-at-Hone / Farningham DA4 | £85 | 60–80 min |
| Dartford to Eastern Docks ferry port P&O / DFDS check-in | £85 | 60–80 min |
Guide prices for a saloon, one way. MPV approximately +25%, 8-seat minibus approximately +50%. No booking fee, no card surcharge. Return journeys on disembarkation day are priced at the same one-way rate.
Dartford to the Dover cruise terminals by road
This is one of the cleaner long runs out of Dartford. The driver joins the A2 at the Darenth interchange, follows it past Gravesend and Cobham, and where the road becomes the M2 keeps going past Rochester, Sittingbourne and Faversham. At the end of the motorway the A2 picks up again through Barham and Lydden and drops into Dover from the north.
The Western Docks are on the right as you enter town. Cruise Terminal 1 is the old marine station, a listed Edwardian building that still has its railway platforms inside; Cruise Terminal 2 is the newer, larger building further along the same quay. Both are reached from the A20 Limekiln Street roundabout, and both have a drop-off lane directly outside the check-in doors.
Larger ships tend to use Terminal 2; smaller and expedition ships often go to Terminal 1. Give us the ship name and we check the day before.
- A2 to the M2, then A2 again into Dover
- No Dartford Crossing and no tolls on this route
- Kerbside set-down outside CT1 and CT2
- Roughly 55 miles, 60–80 minutes in normal traffic
If the M2 is closed, the M20 and A20 coast road bring you in from the west, ten minutes longer; the fare does not change.
Embarkation timing from Dartford
Most lines sailing from Dover give you a check-in window on your boarding pass, often between 11 am and 3 pm, with the ship departing in the late afternoon. Arriving inside your window rather than at the very start means a shorter security queue and a faster walk up the gangway.
Working back from your check-in slot
Allow 75 minutes from Dartford on a weekday, 65 at the weekend.
Add 30–45 minutes. Summer Saturdays on the M2 and Operation Brock on the M20 are the usual culprits.
Check-in at 1 pm means a pickup from DA1 at about 10.45 am.
Arriving before your slot is fine; the terminal holds your bags and there is a café.
Dover is the most forgiving of the three ports: no motorway toll, one road, and the port is on the town's edge. The driver watches the traffic reports on the morning and will message you if leaving fifteen minutes earlier looks sensible.
Getting the luggage and the whole party to Dover
Cruise luggage is the reason a fixed-fare car beats the train here: there is no direct line from Dartford to Dover, and Dover Priory to the Western Docks is a taxi ride anyway.
Choose the right vehicle
| Vehicle | Passengers | Large cases | Guide fare from DA1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saloon | 4 | 2 | from £85 |
| Estate | 4 | 3–4 | from £85 |
| 6-seat MPV | 6 | 4–5 | from £106 |
| 8-seat minibus | 8 | 8 | from £128 |
| Executive V-Class | 6 | 5 | on request |
Two couples with a case each fit an estate comfortably. A family of five with a buggy needs the MPV. The minibus takes eight people and eight cases and works out at around £16 a head from Dartford, which is why groups celebrating a birthday or anniversary at sea usually go that way. See group minibus transfers.
Child seats are free on request. Mobility scooters and folding wheelchairs go in an estate or MPV, and a wheelchair accessible vehicle can be booked with a day's notice. The driver loads at both ends and brings the cases to the porter's trolleys at the terminal door.
Return pickup from Dover on disembarkation day
Coming off a ship is slower than getting on one. Passengers are called off in groups from around 7 am, and depending on your deck and whether you chose self-assist or porter luggage you might walk out anywhere between 7.30 and 10.30 am. Book the return with the outbound and we plan around that.
How the pickup works
- Give us the ship name and arrival date. We check the scheduled berth time the evening before.
- Tell us your disembarkation group time or an estimate.
- The driver waits in the terminal car park; you message or call when you have your cases and the car is at the kerb within minutes.
- The first 45 minutes after your stated time are free, the same allowance we give on airport pickups.
If you would rather have a name board, the driver can meet you inside at the exit doors; ask when booking. Return fares from Dover to any area in the table match the outbound figures, and both legs can go on one booking and one invoice.
Cruise pickups across DA, BR and beyond
Dover suits cruise passengers across north-west Kent and south-east London, because the A2 runs practically past the door.
- Dartford DA1, DA2, DA4 – base fare from £85, covering Wilmington, Hawley, Sutton-at-Hone and Farningham. See Dartford taxis.
- Gravesend DA11, DA12 – twenty minutes closer to Dover, so the cheapest fare in the table. See Gravesend taxis.
- Greenhithe, Bluewater and Ebbsfleet DA9, DA10 – handy for passengers arriving by HS1 and joining a car at Ebbsfleet International.
- Bexleyheath, Welling, Sidcup and Erith – a few pounds more for the extra miles. See Bexley taxis.
- Swanley, Hextable and Longfield – close to the Dartford rate.
Sailing from elsewhere? The Tilbury run is fifteen minutes over the Dartford Crossing and Southampton is two hours via the M25. For fly-cruises the same drivers cover Heathrow and Gatwick.
How to book your Dartford to Dover cruise taxi
Send the sailing details
Pickup postcode, date, cruise line and ship name, check-in window, and how many people and cases are travelling.
Fixed fare agreed
One price for the vehicle you need, with the return leg quoted alongside if you want it. No booking fee, no card surcharge.
Driver confirmed
The evening before you sail, you get the driver's name, mobile number and registration by text.
Door to gangway
Cases loaded at home, set-down outside your terminal and bags taken to the porter point. Pay by card, cash or invoice.
Every booking includes
- A fixed fare agreed before you travel
- Drop-off directly outside Cruise Terminal 1 or 2
- Driver help loading and unloading luggage
- 15 minutes free waiting at your home address
- 45 minutes free waiting on disembarkation pickups
- Licensed, insured, DBS-checked driver
- Card, cash or invoice, no booking fee
- Free child seats on request
Dartford to Dover cruise taxi — questions
How much is a taxi from Dartford to Dover cruise terminal?
From £85 one way for a standard saloon carrying up to four people and two large cases. An estate is the same price with more boot space, a 6-seat MPV from around £106 and the 8-seat minibus from around £128. Gravesend pickups are a little cheaper, Bexley pickups a little more.
How long does it take to drive from Dartford to Dover port?
About 60–80 minutes for the 55-mile trip along the A2 and M2. Weekend mornings are quickest; summer Saturdays can stretch it to 90 minutes, which is why we suggest a 30–45 minute margin on top of the drive.
Which Dover terminal will my cruise use?
Dover has two cruise terminals side by side at the Western Docks. Terminal 2 handles most of the larger ships; Terminal 1, the historic marine station, takes smaller and expedition vessels. Give us the ship name and we confirm the terminal the day before.
What time should I leave Dartford for a Dover cruise?
Take the start of your check-in window, subtract 75 minutes for the drive and another 30–45 for margin. A 1 pm check-in from DA1 therefore means a pickup at roughly 10.45 am. Arriving early is never a problem at Dover; arriving after the gangway closes is.
Can you pick us up from Dover when the cruise ends?
Yes. Book the return when you book the outbound. The driver checks the ship's arrival the evening before, waits in the terminal car park and comes to the kerb when you message. The first 45 minutes of waiting after your stated time are free.
Do you have a minibus for a cruise group from Dartford?
We run 8-seat minibuses with room for eight large cases, priced around 50% above the saloon fare, which is about £16 per person from Dartford. Larger groups can be split across a minibus and an MPV travelling together.
How much luggage can I bring in the taxi?
A saloon carries two large suitcases plus cabin bags; an estate three or four; the MPV four or five; and the minibus eight. Tell us the case count when you book and we put you in the right vehicle.
Do you also go to the Dover ferry port?
Yes. The Eastern Docks, where the P&O and DFDS ferries to Calais and Dunkirk leave from, are on the far side of the harbour and cost the same from Dartford: from £85. Say ferry rather than cruise when you book so the driver heads to the right side of town.