Day Trip to France
Day Trips to France
Embark on a day trip to France with DFDS and enjoy incredible Duty Free shopping onboard or at our Dunkirk and Calais port shops. Whether you're planning a cheap day trip to France with a car or a quick escape from the UK, our ferries provide a seamless way to explore northern France.
Sail from Dover to Dunkirk or Calais, with crossings taking approximately 2 hours. With over 50 daily sailings across two routes, a day trip to France from Dover is both convenient and flexible with DFDS.
Enhance your day trip to France and find inspiration with our blogs.
Short crossings
Excellent Onboard Facilities
Reserve & Collect Duty Free
Book by 30 December 2026, travel by 31 December 2026
Calais shop open 9:30-22:00 French time
Dunkerque shop open 8:30 – 20:00 French time
Spend €250 in the Calais or Dunkerque Duty Free stores and get a free day trip PLUS 10% off instantly!**
Spend €150 in store & receive a free day trip
Duty Free Shopping
Rediscover Duty Free, now available both onboard our ships and in our shore side Duty Free Shops at Dunkerque and Calais ports. Browse the fantastic savings on alcohol, perfume and technology and enjoy savings of up to 50% versus the UK high street.
With generous allowances, you can bring back up to 18 litres of wine, 42 litres of beer and up to £390 of non-alcoholic goods when entering the UK! Treat yourself, you deserve it!
Terms and Conditions
*Lead in price based on return day trip fare for a standard car carrying up to 4 passengers on Dover-France routes, including ETS charge as of 1st January 2024.
- Journeys are subject to availability and usual DFDS terms & conditions apply
- Day trip terms and conditions apply.
- **This offer excludes cigarettes and tobacco products. Only redeemable on purchases made at Calais Port Shop and Dunkerque Port Shop.
Timetables
To view our timetables, please click here.
Duty Free at Sea
Dunkerque Duty Free Shop
Visit our Dunkerque Duty Free shop and stock up on Duty Free deals. Park right outside and fill your boot with a range of products with up to 50% versus the UK high street!
Calais Duty Free Shop
Browse our Calais Duty Free Shop and treat yourself to savings of up to 50% vs UK high street. Take your car and fill your boot with great deals.
Reserve & Collect
Duty Free Shopping couldn’t be easier with our Reserve & Collect service. Select at home, choose a pick up time and collect from our Duty Free stores in Dunkerque, Dieppe or Calais.
Our Short Breaks
3 Day Short Break to France
Want a quick break to relax and unwind? Sail to Calais or Dunkirk from Dover and spend 3 days in France to explore its vibrant cities, charming towns and beautiful coasts.
From
£119
per car + up to 4 people*
5 Day Short Break to France
Looking for the perfect getaway that still offers enough time to immerse yourself in full holiday mode? Our 5-day short break is the ideal choice – sail from Dover to the Calais or Dunkirk ports in 2h or under.
From
£149
per car + up to 4 people*
Duty Free Allowances
DFDS offer unlimited baggage allowance which means you can fill your boots with great duty free deals.
What you can bring back to the UK
- 18 Litres of wine
- 42 litres of beer
- Up to £390 worth of non-alcoholic goods
For more information on what you can bring into the UK and Europe check out our Duty Free FAQs.
Proudly named the World’s Leading Ferry Operator
We are also proud to announce that we have been nominated as Europe’s Leading Ferry Operator 2026 and this amazing journey continues, first and foremost, thanks to you.
To our loyal passengers who put their trust in us, our valued partners and our hard-working colleagues: this nomination is also yours. You are the heart of DFDS and today, we’d like to say THANK YOU.
Let's continue to create beautiful memories and cross the finish line together.
Prices are subject to availability. Telephone booking fees apply. Terms and conditions apply.