Dover doesn't have much to offer as a town. It was bombed out during WWII and little thought or effort was put into rebuilding it. But Dover Castle still stands proudly upon the cliff tops, and the world famous chalk cliffs themselves are a sight to behold.
Travel & Food
We were just passing through Dover on our way over to France so we only had a few hours to spare. The train station is not in the center of town and is over a 30 minute uphill walk from Dover Castle, so I would suggest a 5 euro taxi that takes you straight to the top. There's also a little place in town that will hold your luggage for you for a few hours whilst you gallivant around the castle. If you do the war tunnels, you'll end up half way down the hill and you can walk back easily. There is one bar on your way down the hill where every channel swimmer has signed their name on the wall. We didn't have time for food in Dover so I can't vouch for the food and drink.
Otherwise, it's very easy to take a car up the hill and park right near the castle. Nearly every tour group does so.
Trip Highlights
The castle itself is similar to the Tower of London without the mass crowds. There's a central keep surrounded by fortress buildings, churches, and an old Roman lighthouse. The English seemed to think that Dover would be under a lot of attack because I've never seen such effort placed in protection and defense. They've even built a fortress on the hill across the way to protect the castle. The castle itself had many interesting displays about daily life back in the day for the kings and queens and they've even decorated it as such, but the most interesting part was the war tunnels underneath the hill.
Built into the hill are 5-6 miles worth of tunnels used for a variety of purposes dating back to the building of the castles. Their most recent use was in WWII, specifically for the Battle of France and the evacuation of Dunkirk. Using clever technology and animation, the tunnel tour (about 40 minutes) takes you through those frantic days and nights of evacuation. It was just another look at the war that shaped Britain and all of Europe. The tunnel tour is included in your ticket and is definitely worth the extra time!
Following our rushed castle tour, we headed to the busy Dover port - okay there were only 7 foot passengers, but lots and lots of cargo. The best view of the cliffs is by boat and we got a few good shots before it got too windy and we headed back downstairs to a boat that hadn't been renovated since the seventies. In all truthfulness, I think it's where I contracted my tonsillitis (aka don't touch anything). But it was a pleasant hour and a half journey across the Channel before we arrived in Calais.
