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Premier Inn Dover Central is close to everything except the thing its name suggests. It's "seconds from the Dover Eastern Ferry Terminal", per Premier Inn — and about 1.1 miles of road from the cruise terminals by our routing, with parking at £5 (about US$7) per 24 hours.
That puts it third, three points behind the two above, and only because nothing here earns evening points. Premier Inn mentions a restaurant but doesn't name it or give hours, so we don't count it.
There's no air conditioning, just a 360° fan, and breakfast costs extra. Premier Inn doesn't print a street address or check-in times on the page we read.
Book it for the price and the location, and tell the taxi Western Docks, not the ferry port.
Book it if
- You want to stroll the seafront the evening before you sail
- A plain room from a brand you already know is enough
- You're driving and want overnight parking at £5 per 24 hours
Look elsewhere if
- You need air conditioning — the rooms have a 360° fan instead.
- You want dinner on site you can count on, not a restaurant nobody names.
- You'd like breakfast in the rate rather than paid on the morning.
Your night before, from here
From check-in to the gangway, using only what Premier Inn Dover Central publishes.
The page mentions a restaurant without naming it or giving hours, so we don't count it. The town centre is close by, per Premier Inn.
Premier Inn calls it "right on hand for the ferry or cruise ships" but names no shuttle. Plan on a taxi along the seafront to the Western Docks.
Breakfast is paid, and up to two kids eat free with an adult; Premier Inn doesn't print the price.
Premier Inn puts it "seconds from the Dover Eastern Ferry Terminal" — that's the ferry port, not the cruise berths. Our routing gives about 1.1 miles by road to CT1 and CT2 at the Western Docks. Book the taxi for your check-in slot, not earlier — the port says there’s nowhere to wait at the terminal.
Chargeable parking is £5 per 24 hours, run by Horizon Parking. Premier Inn doesn't say whether you can leave a car for a cruise.
Night-Before Score: 30 of 100
Scored only from what the hotel publishes. See how the Night-Before Score works.
Getting here, and on to the ship
From Heathrow it’s about 101.6 road miles to Premier Inn Dover Central, from Gatwick about 82.0, and from the hotel about 1.1 to the terminals — our routing, with no traffic. Question marks are rides you arrange.
Premier Inn doesn't mention airport transport — Southeastern's trains from St Pancras stop at Dover Priory, and there's a taxi rank at the station.
Premier Inn calls it "right on hand for the ferry or cruise ships" but names no shuttle. Plan on a taxi along the seafront to the Western Docks.
Premier Inn puts it "seconds from the Dover Eastern Ferry Terminal" — that's the ferry port, not the cruise berths. Our routing gives about 1.1 miles by road to CT1 and CT2 at the Western Docks.
From LHR without a hotel shuttle
By our routing, Heathrow to Premier Inn Dover Central is about 101.6 road miles, roughly 116 minutes with no traffic; Gatwick is about 82.0 miles and 92 minutes. The train via St Pancras is the usual way, and fixed-fare taxis publish £146.60 to £275 (about US$195–365) a car. More: the airport page.
Premier Inn doesn't mention airport transport — from Gatwick our routing gives about 82 road miles, roughly 92 minutes with no traffic.
Premier Inn calls it "right on hand for the ferry or cruise ships" but names no shuttle. Plan on a taxi along the seafront to the Western Docks.
Premier Inn puts it "seconds from the Dover Eastern Ferry Terminal" — that's the ferry port, not the cruise berths. Our routing gives about 1.1 miles by road to CT1 and CT2 at the Western Docks.
From LGW without a hotel shuttle
By our routing, Heathrow to Premier Inn Dover Central is about 101.6 road miles, roughly 116 minutes with no traffic; Gatwick is about 82.0 miles and 92 minutes. The train via St Pancras is the usual way, and fixed-fare taxis publish £146.60 to £275 a car. More: the airport page.
Chargeable parking is £5 per 24 hours, run by Horizon Parking. Premier Inn doesn't say whether you can leave a car for a cruise.
Parking for your stay: £5 per 24 hours, managed by Horizon Parking.
Premier Inn calls it "right on hand for the ferry or cruise ships" but names no shuttle. Plan on a taxi along the seafront to the Western Docks.
Premier Inn puts it "seconds from the Dover Eastern Ferry Terminal" — that's the ferry port, not the cruise berths. Our routing gives about 1.1 miles by road to CT1 and CT2 at the Western Docks.
Landing on sail morning instead? Skip Premier Inn Dover Central and go straight to the terminals — the airport page covers Carnival’s transfer and the trains.
Which terminal
CT1 and CT2, Western DocksShips start their cruises at CT1 and CT2 on the Western Docks — about 1.1 road miles from Premier Inn Dover Central by our routing, measured to the terminals’ postcode point, so approximate. More in the Dover cruise guide.
Source: portofdover.comDistance
~1.1 mi, our routingPremier Inn puts it "seconds from the Dover Eastern Ferry Terminal" — that's the ferry port, not the cruise berths. Our routing gives about 1.1 miles by road to CT1 and CT2 at the Western Docks.
Source: premierinn.comShuttle departures
No shuttle statedNo shuttle to time from Premier Inn Dover Central — the terminals are about 1.1 road miles away by our routing, so book a taxi for your check-in time, not before it. There’s no Uber in Dover.
Source: premierinn.comParking while you sail
Cruise parking
Cruise parking unconfirmedChargeable parking is £5 per 24 hours, run by Horizon Parking. Premier Inn doesn't say whether you can leave a car for a cruise.
Source: premierinn.comOff-site park-and-ride
£9 (about US$12) a day, per RelyonRelyon’s park-and-ride on Poulton Close is about 2.3 road miles from Premier Inn Dover Central by our routing: £9 a day with a £30 (about US$40) minimum, per Relyon, and a door-to-door shuttle to the terminal — a published rate, not a hotel deal, against £5 per 24 hours, run by Horizon Parking here.
Where the car goes while you sail · Dover cruise parking, compared.
Source: relyongroup.co.ukThe evening and the morning
The evening
Nothing we could countThe page mentions a restaurant without naming it or giving hours, so we don't count it. The town centre is close by, per Premier Inn.
Breakfast
Not freeBreakfast is paid, and up to two kids eat free with an adult; Premier Inn doesn't print the price.
Address
Marine Parade, by the ferry terminalMarine Parade, Dover (Premier Inn prints no street address; map listing)
Hotel website
The fine print, in one place
Times, fees, rooms and the small stuff, as Premier Inn Dover Central publishes it. The gaps here are check-in and check-out times and whether a car can stay while you cruise — a call to Premier Inn Dover Central settles both.
Check-in and check-out
Minimum age
Not stated by the hotel.
Extra fees
None stated
Wi-Fi
Free
Parking for your stay
£5 per 24 hours, managed by Horizon Parking
Breakfast
Paid; up to two kids eat free with an adult
Pool
No pool mentioned on the pages we read
Pets
The page we read doesn't mention pets.
Rooms
King-size beds, family rooms and accessible rooms.
Accessibility
Accessible rooms are listed.
On site
- EV chargingNot stated
- Guest laundryNot stated
- GymNot stated
- Pets allowedNot stated
Also worth knowing
- No air conditioning: a 360° high-speed fan
- "Seconds from the Dover Eastern Ferry Terminal" — the ferry port
- On the Port of Dover’s pre- and post-stay list (as "Premier Inn")
Before you book
Worth knowing
- Parking £5 per 24 hours, run by Horizon Parking.
- No air conditioning: a 360° high-speed fan instead.
- Family and accessible rooms are listed.
- Premier Inn prints no street address on the page we read.
What we couldn’t confirm
- Check-in and check-out times
- Whether a car can stay while you cruise
- The restaurant's name and hours
Every hotel fact here comes from Premier Inn Dover Central’s own pages, read October 3, 2026, unless we name another source — so before you book, confirm check-in times and whether the car park holds a car for a week.
Worth a look alongside it
Around Premier Inn Dover Central: the Dover cruise guide, Dover cruise parking and the splurge list.
Wake up beside the ferry terminal, a mile from the cruise berths.
Tell us your sail date and we’ll check Premier Inn Dover Central for the night before. No payment on the form.
Premier Inn Dover Central FAQ
Is Premier Inn Dover Central near the cruise terminal or the ferry terminal?
The ferry terminal — Premier Inn says it's seconds from the Eastern Ferry Terminal; the cruise terminals are at the Western Docks, about 1.1 road miles away by our routing.
How much is parking at Premier Inn Dover Central?
£5 per 24 hours, managed by Horizon Parking. Premier Inn doesn't say whether you can leave a car there while you cruise.
Does Premier Inn Dover Central have air conditioning?
No — the rooms have a 360° high-speed fan instead, per Premier Inn.
Is Premier Inn Dover Central on the port's hotel list?
A "Premier Inn" is on the Port of Dover's pre- and post-stay list, without saying which one. This is the Dover Premier Inn closest to the port.
Does Premier Inn Dover Central have family rooms?
Yes, family rooms and accessible rooms are listed, though Premier Inn doesn't say how many people a family room takes.
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