by Wendy
follow me on twitter @wendylooksleaps

Interested in taking a day trip from London to another part of the country? Consider Dover. We had a brilliant time in this southeastern city on the coast of the English Channel.

We planned to go to Dover the day after arriving in London via Reykjavik, and reserved tickets on the 9am train. Not too early, except we had been up since 3:45am the previous morning to catch our flight. And of course we did what any sensible travelers do on their first evening in the great city of London. Go to a local pub.

So we’re tired when the alarm goes off but all of us are looking forward to visiting Dover. We hop on the tube to St. Pancras international train station. There is track work on the Underground that requires us to take an alternate route (reminds me of the Metro in DC). We are a little behind schedule and hustle to print our tickets at the kiosks.

After minutes spent looking for the correct platform, we realize that we did not book a direct train route as we thought. Due to repairs on the sea wall in Dover, we need to take the train to Folkestone and then a bus to Dover. No worries. Again, just reminds me of home.

The train is fast and the bus ride is fun, giving us a great view of the town. The bus reaches Dover in about 15 minutes. The first order of business is grabbing coffee and pastries at the shop adjacent to the station since we skipped breakfast in the rush to catch the train.

We walk outside into the warm, shining sun. It’s a truly gorgeous day. We can see Dover Castle in the distance, kind of at the top of the city. So we start walking.

And continue walking. Uphill.

Cars pass as we navigate the narrow sidewalks.

We hope we’re going the right way. We hope this coffee kicks in.

Finally after about 30 minutes of climbing the streets, we see the blessed ticket office – as well as a parking lot where lazy smart people are going.

To our delight, we’re now close to all of the attractions we most want to see in Dover. An entry ticket to the surrounding area is only about 18 pounds – allowing us access to the castle, the tunnels under the cliffs, and stunning views of the port.

We roam the grounds for the next several hours. We see the famous white cliffs of Dover and the English Channel sparkling in the sun, with a misty hint of France’s coastline way off in the distance. It’s beautiful.

We walk through the secret wartime tunnels underneath the cliffs. These are significant in England’s military history, and the interactive tour focuses on the Dunkirk rescue mission that was planned at that very spot. No photos allowed in the tunnel during the approximately hour long tour – but trust me, it’s very fascinating.

The medieval Dover Castle is as castle-riffic as you would want. Part of its purpose was to project the power of the Crown, so it’s a giant castle – one of the largest in England. It has tons of cool views and interesting passageways. You can tour a King’s residence and read about how the large household of royals, staff and servants operated. We climb up narrow stairwells (many more steps) to peer out windows and learn about the castle’s use as a fortress. We check out various museums on the grounds. We stop for awhile to watch a few brave teachers on a lawn instructing kids how to be knights  – the toy spears and swords still look like they could do a bit of damage.

It doesn’t feel super crowded but there are lots of people enjoying the day. Judging by accents, it seemed to be more visitors from neighboring areas who drove in to go hiking or let kids run around outside.

After we leave the castle grounds, we stop for a late lunch at a pub. The Port of Call is the right choice. We spot an empty table outside. The patio looks out onto the small town square, and many people are taking advantage of the lovely afternoon weather. The jovial waiter boasts about the fish and chips so that’s what we order. The plate is perfect – lightly battered fish, crispy fries, mushy peas. Mom orders strawberries and cream for everyone to share. There’s a delay – did they forget the dessert? Nope, the waiter ran out to borrow cream from another restaurant. Dad receives a beer on the house – someone’s incorrect order. We overhear the waiter say, “Give the pint to the American.” We are appreciative of the great service and opportunity to relax before trekking the rest of the way to the train station.

So it seems the deal with our paid tickets is that we can jump on any train headed back from Dover to London. We decide to return to London a little earlier than planned. If we take the bus back to Folkestone, we don’t have to change trains. Sounds good.

When one person tells you to go outside and wait for the bus, be sure you understand exactly where. We spend about 30 minutes contemplating the area right outside the Dover train terminal until we decide to ask again about the bus. Apparently, it had just left. From around the corner. Where a sign said “Bus stop.” Twenty more minutes before another shows up. Lesson learned. Once we get to Folkestone there is a train heading back to London within 10 minutes, but it is a slow train with lots more stops.

Towns we’ve never heard of go past. We’re feeling a little tired. We look out the window at small suburbs not far from London. The sky is fading to twilight and I see a lone kid practicing on a soccer pitch. Probably burning off some energy before homework and dinnertime. We have the whole train car to ourselves and wish we had playing cards. Another lesson to remember.

Delays happen – never let them ruin your day. Travel errors happen – learn from it and move on. Dover was a delightful day trip. As much as we love being in London, all of us agreed that it was worth the time and energy to see another part of the country, especially one so charming, beautiful and historic.