Question 1

Dover on Your Own

Accepted Answer

Dover is small enough to see on foot, and the cruise shuttle bus takes care of the climb to the castle, so an independent day is straightforward. London is possible too, by high-speed train from Dover Priory, but it needs a long call. Dover Castle: The shuttle stops at the castle, where the Great Tower, the medieval keep of Henry II, and the Secret Wartime Tunnels in the cliff are the main sights. Ask on arrival which tunnel tours are running, because numbers are limited and sections can close for maintenance. The town: Dover Museum, in Market Square, has the Bronze Age boat found by road builders in 1992. The Roman Painted House, the remains of a guesthouse for Roman officials from about AD 200 with painted walls, is also in the town. The White Cliffs: A footpath climbs from East Cliff to the National Trust site at Langdon Cliffs, and a separate cliff-top path of about 6 kilometers, just under 4 miles, runs from near the Eastern Docks to St Margaret's Bay. London by train: High-speed trains run from Dover Priory to London St Pancras International in 66 minutes, about once an hour. Add the shuttle or a taxi to the station at each end, and leave a wide margin. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own.

Question 2

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

Dover itself is small enough to explore mostly on foot, though the castle stands high above the town and is easier reached by the cruise shuttle or a taxi. For farther afield, there are trains from Dover Priory and Stagecoach buses along the coast and to Canterbury. Southeastern runs all the trains from Dover Priory, to London St Pancras International, London Victoria and London Charing Cross, and to Canterbury and Ashford. The high-speed service to St Pancras began in 2009. Stagecoach East Kent buses run to Deal, Folkestone, Canterbury and beyond. National Express coaches run from Dover to London Victoria Coach Station; they are cheaper than the train but take around three hours. The main shopping streets are King Street, Cannon Street and Biggin Street.

Question 3

Tipping and Currency

Accepted Answer

Tipping in the UK is modest: 10 to 15 percent is customary in restaurants for good service, but it is not expected. Prices are in pounds sterling. Many restaurant bills already include a service charge, often 12.5 percent, described as optional, so check before adding more. Taxi passengers often round the fare up to a convenient amount. Tipping is not a tradition in most pubs.

Question 4

Culture & Local Life

Accepted Answer

Dover's sights are mostly about defense and crossings: a Roman lighthouse, a Saxon church, Napoleonic fortifications and a memorial to the first flight across the Channel. The White Cliffs themselves are part of the national story, celebrated in a wartime song. The Roman lighthouse, or Pharos, inside the castle grounds is the tallest surviving Roman structure in Britain, about 80 feet high, and serves as the bell tower of the Saxon church of St Mary in Castro beside it. On the Western Heights across town, the Grand Shaft is a triple staircase built in the Napoleonic era to move troops quickly between the town and the forts; it opens on selected Sundays. The outline of Louis Blériot's aircraft is laid out in granite setts where he landed after the first flight across the Channel in 1909. Dover is one of the Cinque Ports, the group of Channel ports that once supplied ships for England's defense. Exmoor ponies graze the chalk grassland on the cliff tops to keep down faster-growing plants. The bluebirds of the World War II song about the cliffs are not native to Britain, and the song may mean swallows or house martins.

Question 5

A Brief History

Accepted Answer

Dover has been a cross-Channel port since Roman times, when it was Portus Dubris, and its castle has long been called the Key to England. In the 20th century it was on the front line twice: troops for the trenches left from its docks in the First World War, and in 1940 the Dunkirk evacuation was run from tunnels beneath the castle. About 1550 BC, the Bronze Age boat: A sewn-plank boat, one of the oldest seagoing boats known, was found by road builders in 1992. 55 BC, Caesar turned away: Julius Caesar meant to land at Dover but sailed on along the coast when he saw Britons massed on the cliffs above the harbor. Roman Dubris: The fortified port was a starting point of Watling Street, the road to Canterbury and London, and its lighthouse was built in the first century AD. 1066, William the Conqueror: After the Battle of Hastings, William's army marched to London by way of Dover and Canterbury. 1179 to 1188, the Great Tower: Henry II, in whose reign the great keep was built, spent more than £6,500 on the castle at a time when his yearly revenue was perhaps £10,000. 1216, the siege: The future Louis VIII of France twice besieged the castle and breached its walls but could not take it. 1606, the Harbour Board: King James I granted the royal charter that created the Dover Harbour Board, which still runs the port. 1803, the tunnels: Barracks tunnels were dug into the cliff during the Napoleonic Wars, and the first troops moved in in 1803. 1915 to 1920, Dover Marine: About 5 million troops left for the First World War from the Western Docks station, and in 1920 the body of the Unknown Warrior was landed there on its way to Westminster Abbey. May 1940, Operation Dynamo: Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsay ran the Dunkirk evacuation from his headquarters in the cliff tunnels, and by June 4 more than 338,000 soldiers had been brought out. 1994 to 1996, the cruise port: Dover Marine closed as a railway station in 1994 and became a cruise terminal, and a second terminal opened in 1996. To learn more ashore: Dover Museum, in Market Square, covers the town from prehistoric times through the Romans and the Cinque Ports, and has a gallery for the Bronze Age boat.

Question 6

Families and Children

Accepted Answer

Dover Castle is the obvious family choice, with a medieval tower to explore and wartime tunnels to walk through, and the cruise shuttle stops there. For younger children who would rather be outside, Samphire Hoe, a nature reserve below the cliffs west of town, has paths suitable for wheelchairs and a picnic area. Younger children: Samphire Hoe was made from chalk dug out for the Channel Tunnel. It has wheelchair-accessible paths, a picnic area and views of the cliffs, and it is signposted off the A20. School age: In the Great Tower, rooms are set out as they might have looked in the 1200s, and some objects can be handled. The upper floors are reached by steep, narrow stairs. Teenagers: Guided tours go into the wartime tunnels, including the underground hospital. Numbers are limited, so ask about times when you arrive. On the cliff tops: Watch for the Exmoor ponies that graze the grassland above the White Cliffs.

Question 7

Accessibility

Accepted Answer

Dover Castle's grounds are mostly tarmac but have some very steep slopes, there is no elevator in the medieval part of the castle, and an on-site mobility bus helps visitors get around. Wheelchairs and mobility scooters can be borrowed by booking ahead by email with the castle. Wheelchair users can reach the grounds, Arthur's Hall, the regimental museum and the ground floor of the Great Tower; the tower's upper floors are up steep, narrow steps. The Spur casemates, with their siege and Georgian barracks exhibitions, are step-free. The Spur tunnels are reached only by a narrow spiral staircase of 18 steps, then 26 more, with handrails. The Secret Wartime Tunnels have elevator access, but the tour starts and ends on a very steep slope with only a partial handrail. There is a free Blue Badge parking area near the Great Tower, except on event days. Surfaces include gravel and cobbles, some stone steps are uneven, and the grassy banks are slippery when wet. Samphire Hoe, below the cliffs, has paths suitable for wheelchairs and accessible toilets.

Dover (for London), England

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