When you tell people that you are going to London for a week, the question is usually: By plane or by train? Wrong twice, we prefer to go by car and ferry from DFDS. Here's why.
1. Speed
You read that right. The plane seems faster, but with all the hassle before, during and after check-in, you quickly lose just as much time as driving. An hour and a half by train, an hour before boarding, an hour of reserve time
...By the time you are on the plane, we will drive onto the ferry in Dunkirk. On the other side of the pond, you land somewhere far outside the city. We park the car in front of the door. Nowadays, the train journey is almost the same as flying, it is far too much hassle.
2. Dunkirk
Calais is known as the most famous port city to sail to England. You can also sail from Calais to Dover with DFDS if you want. Our preference is Dunkirk. That is a bit less far to drive, a little further sailing, but the harbor is pleasantly compact. You can drive onto the boat without much hassle. Ideal.
3. Affordable
Well, we're assuming you have a car. If that's the case, you're not that expensive at all. Certainly not when you are traveling with two or more people. Traveling by train or plane often seems cheap, but if you want to travel at pleasant times (in the morning, back in the evening) you will see that the prices rise quickly. Don't forget to include the cost of traveling to and from the airport or the parking fee.
4. Freedom
The car offers you a lot of freedom. At the destination, but also on the road. You leave when you want, because the ferries sail up and down all day. And you drive how you want. Nice and fast on the highway or lazing around in the shortcut. Our preference: quickly to Dunkirk, then rest with a cup of coffee on the boat and then take a short cut to London. From Dover, the back roads are great.
5. Hotel
Of course, you don't go by car in the middle of the city. You just drive to a nice hotel in one of the outskirts of the city. These hotels often have enough parking spaces and for the same money as for a broom closet in the city, you choose a beautiful hotel room a little outside. If you pay attention when booking, make sure you are close to a metro station, so you can be in the center in no time. A day ticket for the metro is not only convenient, but also very affordable.
At DFDS you can now book your crossing and hotel in one, which makes it all a bit easier. The included Kingston Lodge Hotel is in a perfect location as a starting point for a city trip to London. The hotel is just a 10-minute walk to a train station that has direct access to London Waterloo! Click here for more info!
6. Environment
London is great, but the surroundings of England's capital are just as beautiful. Especially when you go a little longer, you can go out with your car. The rural area around London is rich in culture, nature and history. Visit beautiful Oxford or drive a few days to Brighton by the sea.
7. Driving
Don't tell anyone, but England is a wonderful country to drive. Both the main roads and the back roads are well maintained. If you love driving, the small back roads are great, you can often drive 60 miles per hour (about 90 km/h) and in many cases that is even faster than you want. Driving on the left a problem? Not at all. When you leave the boat, it is clearly indicated what the intention is. Once on the road, you get used to it in no time.
We happily glued two more days of Brighton to our trip and enjoyed the road trip there.
Have a nice trip!
