Dover
Dover is a busy port in East Kent, in the South of England. For hitchhikers this is one of if not the best possibility to cross the Channel. Because it is the closest port to continental Europe on mainland Britain with just 21 miles from the French port of Calais, Dover is the busiest cross-Channel port in the UK, with 18 million passengers every year and thousands of lorrys each day. Regular ferry services operate from Dover to Calais (P&O and Seafrance) and Dunkerque (norfolkline).
Hitchhikers can get over for free because drivers only pay for their vehicle and up to nine persons go for free with a car and two with a lorry – additional persons pay like footpassengers. If you are searching for a lift you often have to tell people about this possibility first – otherwise they often don't take you with them just because they think it's too complicated or they'll have to pay...
Near Calais there is a huge lorry park with great possibilities for hitchhikers!
From Dover there's the A2 that runs north to Canterbury and on to the M2, the A20 that follows the coast south to Folkestone, and the A256 that heads north towards Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate.
To get a lift to France, you may prefer to stop at Maidstone Services on the M20, where you have the possibility to talk to trucks that might be crossing. Many more trucks stop at Ashford Truckstop on the M20, but there is security here and if they see you asking for lifts they will tell you to leave.
If you end up in Dover town it usually works eventually if you stand at one of the bus stops on the main seaside road with a sign that says France. If you're really stuck you can also try at the Western Docks, there is a truck park where drivers carrying certain types of goods or from outside the EU have to stop to complete some paperwork.
Do not accept a lift with anyone offering to take you to the entrance of the Channel Tunnel. There's nowhere where you can stand and hitch.
For leaving Dover, you probably have a better chance of a lift if you follow the Main road out of town. After about 20 minutes when you start to walk up a hill, there is a good place for vehicles to pull in.
