I'd like to know what means of transport we should consider from Dover to London/LHR, please. How long is the drive?

Did any of you who have gone from Dover to London stop along the way to visit Canterbury, Kent?

Fare information would be appreciated, too.

Thanks.

We used the new company Ngaire recommended. Frank something It was about an hour and a half from the port to our hotel in Knightsbridge. Nice Mercedes Van. Very nice drivers. We were very pleased. Someone else on our cruise used RSSC Bus and had to make stops at a couple hotels and cab from there.

Thank you, Kathy. Do you recall the cost?

Denise - here is the thread Kathy is referring to:

Car Service

Hi Denise, we used Frank Gelder's company too. It's part of a larger company that does cars in London, but has recently branched out into Kent.

The cost may be different for you, depending on the timing. Ours was £125, but that included dropping us in Canterbury for 3 hours, keeping our luggage, and then picking us up and taking us to Heathrow.

Excellent service, great driver.

Thanks Wendy and Andrea. Just the info I needed to look at.

Wendy, did you find 3 hours in Canterbury enough time to wander and visit Canterbury Cathedral (if you visited the Cathedral)?

Hi Denise,

Yes, although a couple more hours would have been nice too. We spent about an hour, or maybe a bit more, in the Cathedral. It was just as great as I remembered it.

We also had a pub lunch, and strolled around and shopped (I bought a pair of sandals, of all things), and walked the wall and a very nice park.

It might have been slightly longer than 3 hours, maybe 3.5. Very pleasant. Did not attempt to do the other touristy things, like the Canterbury Tales attraction.

Thanks, again, Wendy. We are considering doing the same and I appreciate the transport/stop info.

Not into the more touristy stuff. Just wandering as you did. I hear Kent is charming.

Another question, please. What time was your flight out of LHR? I am trying to figure a time of departure back to LA on the same day or if this stop warrants a one night stay at LHR, catching an early morning flight back home.

Hi Denise. Yes, Kent looked charming. I could certainly imagine going back there by care some day.

Our flight was at 7:30 or something like that. Our driver was booked for 9:30, and we got off the ship shortly after that time. The drive to Canterbury took about 20 minutes or so, as I remember. The drive to Heathrow is problematic. I can't remember exactly how long it took (I fell asleep!), but Frank wanted to budget 2 1/2 hours to get there, to account for possible traffic problems. So we left Canterbury at 2 p.m., but had gobs of time at Heathrow.

I so appreciate your input, Wendy! Thank you! I now have the information I need to figure out our return transport and stop along the way.

One small addendum to Wendy amd Kathy's posts about Frank Gelder. When we got off the Voyager in Dover, there were two representatives from the company waiting on the Pier, in addition to our driver. We were not the only people using Frank's service for one thing or another, but it was nice to have the repesentatives there looking out for us. And one of them was Frank's wife.

So I would predict that the attention to detail that we received is probably typical, and adds to our recommendation of the company.

-- David

Hi David,

Your comments, in addition to Wendy's and Kathy's, are very reassuring. Thank you! This is the direction we'll take for our transport needs next year. I appreciate you taking the time to post this!

Thanks for the reports. We are booked with Frank's company for our transfer from London to Dover in August. These reports put any concerns at rest.

A lot of people on the BLISS cruise used Frank and everyone was very satifised. One guy had all kinds of air problems and Frank's company did a lot for him and he was extremely pleased. Did not hear one complaint. This is one company that I now feel very confident in recommending. WE used them too and they were wonderful. Going to use them again in August.