From Calais to Dover: which ferry terminal, new or old?

marchugo · Aug 5, 2022

Preparing our visit to Wales, I found out that there are now two ferry terminals in the port of Calais. The old one in the West of the port, and a brand new Terminal 2 a bit more North, built in the sea.

As the Irish Ferries website is directing us to both, I wonder if anyone traveled lately from Calais to Dover by ferry, and could tell us if we can go straight to the new Terminal 2? We already booked and paid our tickets, so no need to go to the main old terminal office, I suppose?

Of course I have mailed Irish Ferries, and they had this surprising answer: "There are presently delays with our response times which are up to 18 working days."

We sure hope to be in Wales before that...

Thanks in advance for feedback.

Regards from Amsterdam,

Marc.

SailSki · Aug 5, 2022

Hi Marc,
I had an entertaining drive around the inside of the new Calais ferry terminal a week ago.....
I was booked with Irish Ferries and made the mistake of thinking that being in a Cali and with a roof box and windsurfing boards on top I would be treated as a high vehicle like on Eurotunnel and went to the truck booth at check in. Big mistake followed by an hour being sent to random places by people who didn't know or didn't care.
When arriving for Irish Ferries you go to the new terminal and go to the CAR check in, then you will be fine - they check your booking form and give you a loading ticket and hanger for your rear view mirror. You then follow the signs for the loading number you are given (suspect it will be a number below 1000 like me , so you go most of the way around the first roundabout after the check in, which is a different loading area to DFDS and P&O.
Hope that helps.....