Crossing the English Channel in the late 1950s

[squibstress]

How long would it likely take?

I have two characters who will be taking the ferry between Dover and Calais in early 1958, but I can't find any information on how long a crossing would have taken at that time. The Guardian helpfully informs me that the first hovercraft crossing occurred in 1959 and took 2 hours and 3 minutes, so I'm assuming a

Comments

[dorsetgirl]

You might look at the post Hypothetical UK to Europe train trip in 1913. It's the wrong time period but I think some of it might be useful anyway for general background.

[squibstress]

Many thanks!

[sollersuk]

I'm inclined to suspect a Grauniad glitch if it's talking about Dover-Calais or Dover-Boulogne. I crossed Dover-Boulogne by conventional ferry in the early 1960s and I don't remember it being much more than a couple of hours - it's so short a distance that at night we would go up onto the cliffs and see the lights of Dover.. My parents came over by hovercraft to see me before I moved on from Boulogne to elsewhere in France and I think it took them about half an hour

[squibstress]

Thank you!

I hadn't considered the currency restrictions; thanks for the tip!

[ffutures]

That's a very early hovercraft, the SRN-1, top speed was about 35-50 knots after various design changes in 1961-2, but considerably slower before that; I recall about 20MPH. It could only operate under near calm conditions, and I suspect that they may have routed it to avoid rough wateer.

In 1966 I took took the hovercraft service then running, the huge SRN-4 - it took about 35 minutes at 60+ knots.

[squibstress]

That's very helpful, thanks.

[inamac]

It's the loading that takes time for the cross channel ferry. In 1848 the actual crossing time (by steamer) was an hour and 25 minutes (a good deal faster than the early hovercraft, and the modern ferry. Present day ferries take an hour and a half actual crossing time - plus half an hour at each end for loading and unloading (and a certain amount of hanging around outside the ports at either end waiting for a berth). If you're talking about the whole journey, in 1958 say 2 hours. Useful photos of the inside of a 1958 ferry boat MV Compiegne, and the prices of on board services.

[squibstress]

Ah, I hadn't thought about the loading time. Thanks for the info.

[jayb111]

I remember it taking an hour and a half from Dover to Calais in the mid '60s too. We were foot passengers, so didn't have to wait around to embark or disembark with a car. Adverse weather conditions could slow the journey down, or even cause the ferries to be suspended altogether, so you have room to make it take longer if you need to.

[squibstress]

Thanks. My characters won't have a car, either, so that's good to know.

[jayb111]

Do you recall the fare as a foot passenger? I haven't been able to locate this in my search? Thanks in advance