Dover to Calais is the shortest sea crossing to France, and three operators sell tickets on it: P&O Ferries, DFDS and Irish Ferries. DFDS also sails from Dover to Dunkirk, which is worth checking when Calais sailings are busy or dearer. Below are the fares, offers and ticket rules each operator lists on its own website.
Prices on ferry sites change all the time, with the date, the time of day and how full the ship is. Every price here is what the operator showed when I checked on 11 November 2026. Treat them as a starting point and check the live fare before you book.
Prices on ferry sites change all the time, with the date, the time of day and how full the ship is.
Dover to France at a glance
| Route | Operator | Crossing time | Sailings | Lowest fare shown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover to Calais | P&O Ferries | 90 minutes | A minimum of 11 a day | Standard tickets from £114 |
| Dover to Calais | DFDS | 1 hour 40 minutes | Up to 30 a day | £114 one way, car + 5 people |
| Dover to Dunkirk | DFDS | From 2 hours | Up to 22 a day | £114 one way, car + 5 people |
Irish Ferries also sails Dover to Calais, on its ships Oscar Wilde and Isle of Inishmore. Its route page didn't show a crossing time, a sailing count or a "from" fare when I checked, so it isn't in the table.
One thing that affects the cheapest option straight away: DFDS says "Only vehicle travel is permitted on our Dover - France routes. Foot passengers are not permitted." P&O does take foot passengers on Dover to Calais.
P&O Ferries: fares and ticket types
P&O sells three ticket types on Dover to Calais, and the price gap between them is the main thing to weigh up:
- Standard, from £114. P&O says amendments "will incur a fee" and the ticket is non-refundable. You can travel within 4 hours either side of your booked time, subject to availability.
- Standard Flexi, from £144. The same 4-hour window, but "No amendment fee, just pay the difference in ticket price", and it's refundable.
- Fully Flexi, from £209. Any departure time that suits you, subject to availability, refundable, and "nothing to pay if keeping to the same duration and booking details".
P&O's page doesn't put a figure on the Standard amendment fee. The same page also says return tickets start "from £120", so the £114 and £120 figures are both P&O's own and I can't tell you which applies to your trip without a live search.
On booking ahead, P&O says turning up at the port is possible but "it is highly recommended to book in advance", because booking ahead "not only guarantees your space on the ferry but also often results in better prices."
P&O Ferries offers on Dover to Calais
These were the P&O Dover to Calais offers listed when I checked:
- £65 day trip. A day trip "from just £65, with travel right up to 31 January 2027". It's for cars and motorcycles on Standard tickets only, and P&O says "The price for return travel with a car only is £65, different prices apply to travel with other vehicles."
- 3-day and 5-day short breaks. A 3 Day Short Break from £120 if you book by 28 December 2026, or a 5 Day Short Break from £144 if you book by 26 December 2026, both for travel up to 31 December 2026, for a car and up to 9 passengers.
- 15% early booking discount for 2027. P&O takes 15% off Long Breaks and Single tickets for travel in 2027 if you book by 1 February 2027. It applies to Standard, Flexi and Fully Flexi tickets for singles or returns of 7 days or more, and excludes Day Trips and Short Breaks.
P&O also sells season tickets for frequent travellers, saying you'll "pay less per trip". With a season ticket you "can amend right up until the day before you travel", and P&O adds a supplement during its high season periods.
DFDS: Dover to Calais and Dover to Dunkirk
DFDS lists the same lead-in fare on both its Dover routes: £114 for a car and up to 5 people, one way. Its small print says that's based on "a one-way fare for a standard car carrying up to 5 passengers on Dover-France routes, including ETS charge." (The FAQ lower down the same pages says "from £99", which doesn't match the headline. I've used the headline figure.)
DFDS sells two ticket types on its Dover routes, Economy and Premium:
- Economy. You can travel 4 hours either side of your booked sailing, subject to availability. Changes cost "£20 per crossing", and there's no refund if you cancel.
- Premium. You can travel up to 72 hours before or after your booked crossing, subject to availability. Changes are free, and you can "Cancel up to 48hrs before your booking crossing time."
Like P&O, DFDS recommends booking ahead "to secure the best prices and to guarantee your space on the ferry". It also says telephone booking fees apply, so booking online saves that.
DFDS offers
DFDS's short breaks work on both Dover to Calais and Dover to Dunkirk. These were the offers listed when I checked:
- Day trip from £79 return for a car and up to 5 people.
- 3 Day Short Break from £119 for a car and up to 5 people. Book by 28 December 2026 and travel by 31 December 2026.
- 5 Day Short Break from £149 return for a car and up to 5 people. Book by 26 December 2026 and travel by 31 December 2026.
- Free day trip with duty free. DFDS says "Spend €150 in store & receive a free day trip" at its Calais and Dunkerque port shops. It excludes cigarettes and tobacco.
- 15% early booking discount for 2027. On Dover to Dunkirk and Calais it applies to "Selected vehicle and passenger fare", for bookings made between 19 October 2026 and 1 February 2027 and travel in 2027. It's for new bookings only and can't be combined with other offers.
DFDS says accommodation isn't included in its short trip offers, only discounted ferry prices.
DFDS multi-trip tickets
If you cross often, DFDS sells multi-trip packages on both Dover to Calais and Dover to Dunkirk. The more trips you buy, the lower the one-way "from" price DFDS quotes:
| Package | Trips | From (car + up to 4 people, one way) |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 3-4 returns (6-9 one-way trips) | £69 |
| Silver | 5-8 returns (10-17 one-way trips) | £67 |
| Gold | 9-11 returns (18-23 one-way trips) | £65 |
| Platinum | 12+ returns (24+ one-way trips) | £63 |
DFDS says these prices exclude the ETS charge, which you pay when you redeem each ticket. You buy a package by phoning Customer Care and paying in full, then pay "a small fee of £1/€1" each time you redeem a trip. Silver, Gold and Platinum holders also get 25% off pet travel.
Irish Ferries on Dover to Calais
Irish Ferries lists Dover to Calais on its routes page and sails it with Oscar Wilde and Isle of Inishmore. It sells three fare types: Economy "for the best value", and Flexi or Flexi+ "if your plans may change".
- Economy. Changes cost "Motorist: €25 / £20" per change, per sailing, plus any fare difference. Cancellation carries a 100% fee.
- Flexi and Flexi+. "No amendment fees before departure", though a fare difference may still be payable. Both are refundable.
On Dover to Calais, Irish Ferries also lets you switch sailings at the port. Economy covers the sailing before or after yours, Flexi covers 4 hours either side and Flexi+ covers 12 hours either side. This is "Available on arrival at port on day of departure only, subject to availability". Irish Ferries also notes that you have to choose Flexi or Flexi+ when you book, because "It is not possible to add this fare type after the booking is made."
Its early booking offer takes 15% off new Economy single and return vehicle fares on Dover to Calais for travel in 2027, if you book by 1 February 2027. The discount doesn't apply to Short Break, Flexi or Flexi+ fares, and Irish Ferries says non-web bookings are subject to a service fee.
How to keep the cost down
Going only by what the operators say themselves:
- Book ahead. P&O and DFDS both say booking in advance gets better prices and guarantees a space.
- Book a 2027 trip by 1 February 2027. All three operators were offering 15% off 2027 travel, each with its own exclusions.
- Pick the cheapest ticket you can live with. P&O's Standard, DFDS's Economy and Irish Ferries' Economy are the lowest fares, but changes cost extra. DFDS charges £20 a crossing and Irish Ferries £20 for motorists.
- Look at day trips and short breaks, which have their own lower prices. Check the trip length: P&O's early booking discount excludes trips under 7 days.
- Cross often? Look at season or multi-trip tickets from P&O or DFDS.
- Book online. DFDS charges telephone booking fees, and Irish Ferries charges a service fee on non-web bookings.
None of the three operators said on these pages which days or times are cheapest, so I haven't guessed.
For more on sailing to France, see my Ferry to France guide and all routes to France. For the current round of discounts across all operators, see my ferry deals guide.
Questions about cheap Dover to Calais ferries
What is the cheapest Dover to Calais ferry?
When I checked on 11 November 2026, the lowest return price listed was P&O's £65 day trip for a car, with travel until 31 January 2027. DFDS's day trip was from £79 return for a car and up to 5 people.
Is Dover to Dunkirk cheaper than Dover to Calais?
DFDS lists the same lead-in fare on both routes: £114 one way for a car and up to 5 people, including the ETS charge. Its short breaks and multi-trip tickets work on either route, so check both dates in a live search.
Can I take the cheap ferry as a foot passenger?
Not with DFDS, which says foot passengers aren't permitted on its Dover to France routes. P&O does take foot passengers on Dover to Calais.
How much does it cost to change a Dover to Calais booking?
DFDS charges £20 per crossing on Economy tickets, and Irish Ferries charges motorists £20 per change on Economy fares. P&O says Standard ticket changes incur a fee but doesn't give the amount. All three sell flexible fares with no amendment fee, though you may pay any fare difference.
Is it cheaper to book in advance?
P&O says booking ahead "often results in better prices", and DFDS recommends booking in advance "to secure the best prices". All three operators were offering 15% off 2027 travel booked by 1 February 2027.
