Ferry crossings to Calais connect Dover and Folkestone to northern France in under two hours, with P&O Ferries, DFDS, Irish Ferries and Eurotunnel all competing for British travellers. Once you know the routes and the timings, one offer changes the whole trip: pre-order €300 or more at Calais Vins or Olivier Vins and the ferry crossing itself costs nothing. This guide walks through every step, from booking to the shop shelf.
Dover to Calais: understanding your ferry crossing options
Three operators, one short sea crossing
Three ferry operators run scheduled sailings on the Dover to Calais route: P&O Ferries, DFDS and Irish Ferries. P&O Ferries operates up to 15 daily sailings, with a crossing time of around 1 hour 30 minutes. Fares start from £114 for a Standard ticket, £144 for Standard Flexi and £204 for Fully Flexi, with return journeys advertised from £95. DFDS runs up to 30 daily sailings from Dover to Calais, completing the crossing in around 100 minutes, with prices from €114 per car including up to 5 passengers. Irish Ferries operates the Oscar Wilde on this route, a ship built to carry over 2,000 passengers and 1,059 cars, or 180 freight vehicles when configured for cargo.
Comparing sailing frequency and duration
Independent comparison data from ferry booking platforms lists 11 crossings daily in 1 hour 40 minutes, 9 crossings in 1 hour 30 minutes and 10 crossings in 1 hour 25 minutes on the Dover to Calais route. Folkestone to Calais via the Channel Tunnel adds 41 crossings daily, with a journey time of just 35 minutes and fares from £200. Get the best fares by booking early and comparing across all three operators rather than relying on a single site.
| Operator | Route | Daily sailings | Crossing time | Price from |
| P&O Ferries | Dover to Calais | Up to 15 | 1h30 | £114 |
| DFDS | Dover to Calais | Up to 30 | 100 minutes | €114 per car |
| Irish Ferries | Dover to Calais | Multiple | 1h30 | Subject to availability |
| Eurotunnel | Folkestone to Calais | 41 | 35 minutes | £200 |
What to check before booking
- Check-in times vary by operator and by mode of transport.
- A valid passport is required for every crossing to the EU.
- Ticket flexibility affects the price: Standard is cheapest but non refundable.
Formalities at the border
- Arrive within the check-in window stated on your ticket.
- Present your passport at UK border control and French border controls.
- Complete the EES facility checks where applicable before boarding.
The Port of Dover welcomes over 10 million passengers, 1.3 million tourist vehicles and 2 million freight vehicles each year, with a departure roughly every 30 minutes across all operators.
Once the crossing is booked, the real decision starts on French soil. Filling the boot at a supermarket shelf is one option. Stopping at an independent wine merchant, with proper advice and a far wider range than any onboard shop, is another.
The free ferry crossing that changes the maths
How the €300 pre-order offer works
Thanks to a partnership between Calais Vins, Olivier Vins et Compagnie and P&O Ferries, any online pre-order of €300 or more unlocks a free same day return ferry crossing from Dover. You place your order at wine-calais.co.uk, choose your crossing, and collect your bottles in store on arrival, with nothing extra to pay for the trip itself.
Why British shoppers are booking again
Demand for this kind of daytrip has picked up sharply. Calais Vins recorded a 57% increase in British customers in 2023 compared with 2022, a rise linked to a 9.6% jump in alcohol prices in the UK over the same period. Co-founder Jérôme Pont sums up what draws shoppers back across the Channel.
Our British clientele understands the value of purchasing wine from us. They seek more than just cheap booze; they recognise that, by coming here, they can find top quality wines ranging from €10 to €25.
| Pre-order value | Reward |
| €300 or more | Free same day return ferry crossing |
What you need to do to qualify
- Pre-order online at wine-calais.co.uk from our range of over 4,000 references.
- Reach the €300 threshold to qualify for the free crossing.
- Collect your order in store on arrival and reclaim the VAT on the same visit.
A quick word on duty free at sea
The onboard shop still has its place, with familiar brands sold at a discount on UK high street prices. But its shelves stay generalist. The real selection, and the advice to go with it, is waiting once you dock in Calais. For a full breakdown of how port and onboard duty free pricing compares to Calais Vins on wine, this independent comparison guide walks through every option in detail.
More than a crossing: the shopping stop you shouldn't skip in Calais
Your duty free allowance after Brexit
Every adult travelling back to the UK can bring 42 litres of beer and 18 litres of still wine duty free. On top of that, you can choose either 9 litres of fortified wine, sparkling wine or alcoholic drinks up to 22% alcohol, or 4 litres of spirits. This last allowance can be split, for example 4.5 litres of fortified wine alongside 2 litres of spirits, both counted as half your allowance.
- Beer: 42 litres
- Still wine: 18 litres
- Fortified or sparkling wine up to 22%: 9 litres, or
- Spirits over 22%: 4 litres
Two shops, one warm welcome
We run two shops for this exact moment in your journey. Calais Vins sits on Rue Gutenberg, 62100 Calais, right off the A16 at junction 44, Calais St Pierre, just minutes from the port and the Eurotunnel terminal. Olivier Vins et Compagnie is on the CD215 at 62185 Fréthun, off the A16 at junction 40, Gare TGV, equally close to both the Eurotunnel and the port. Both shops open daily from 9am to 7pm, and from 10am to 6pm on Sundays and French bank holidays, with free and easy parking right outside.
What you will find on our shelves
- Over 4,000 references across wine, beer, champagne and spirits.
- English speaking sommeliers, trained under Éric Dugardin, Vice-Meilleur Sommelier de France.
- A dedicated PerfectDraft keg range, priced well below the £5.01 average pub pint recorded by the British Beer and Pub Association.
Growth we are proud of
In Q1 2025, our duty free transactions processed through Global Blue grew by 49% year on year at Calais Vins, with 99% of them made by British customers. Olivier Vins recorded 36% growth in tax free transaction volumes over the same period.
We reclaim the VAT for our customers through two trusted partners, Global Blue and Skiptax, with the refund process starting as soon as you embark in Calais or Fréthun.
- Collect your Tax Free Form in store, or download the Skiptax app.
- Scan your form or receipt at the terminal kiosk.
- Receive your VAT refund, worth around 15%, within a few days.
Pre-order online at wine-calais.co.uk before you travel, and your bottles will be waiting when you walk through our door.For the full step-by-step process, see our dedicated guide on claiming the VAT back.
Making the most of your ferry crossings to Calais
Ferry crossings to Calais have never offered so much choice, from P&O Ferries and DFDS sailings out of Dover to the 35 minute Eurotunnel hop from Folkestone. But the detail that actually pays off is the €300 pre-order that turns your crossing into a free trip with Calais Vins and Olivier Vins. Add duty free allowances of 42 litres of beer and 18 litres of wine, plus VAT refunds worth around 15% through Global Blue and Skiptax, and the real value of the journey is settled before you even reach the port.