The White Cliffs of Dover
The White Cliffs of Dover are the quintessential view of Great Britain. Visible on a clear day from France, it marks the closest point to continental Europe, and for many entering the UK it is the first thing they see.
The cliffs are a stunning cliff face that reaches up to 350 feet (110m) high and the glistening colour is down to its composition of chalk and streaks of black flint. Stretching along the coast for eight miles, they spread east and west from the town of Dover in Kent, and part of them are now owned by the National Trust.
St. Margaret's Bay at Cliffe
This is a three-part village situated just off the coast road between Deal and Dover in Kent, England. Saint Margaret’s Bay lies along and below the cliffs here and is a great location for photographing the White Cliffs of Dover.
Many people swim the English Channel starting from here.
There is a car park at the bay, but the best viewpoint for photography lies further along, so you need to walk along the beach and rocks. The best time to photograph it is in the morning as the sun rises, because of it’s east coast location. Of course in order to be in place at dawn and sunrise you will need to hike out there in the dark, so take a good head torch and good shoes. Be very careful as the rocks can be extremely slippery. I know this from personal experience, as I slipped when climbing over some rocks and fell flat on my chest with my heavy camera backpack on. Thankfully no broken ribs……
Getting to the UK
The UK is widely served by pretty much every airline around the world. If you are coming from within Europe then the following airlines are worth looking at.
Wizz Air: Personally I have always found them to be the best and offer the lowest fares.
Skyscanner: A great place to search and compare flights
Ebookers: Ebookers have been around for longer than most and have always offered a great choice of flights.
Getting around
CAR
The best way to get around the UK is by car. Either take your own car or you can rent one easily from any airport or major town and city. Here are three great places to look:
BUS
The national Express coach service connects most major cities and towns and is a great way to get around.
Stagecoach is the local bus service that operates across the UK. Use this for more local connections, and also express services between towns and cities. This is a great way to also meet some locals.
TRAIN
The national train service also serves a lot of the larger towns and cities. Great for getting from one side of the country to the other.
Trainline: A great website to search and book your train tickets online.
Accommodation
Holidu: This is a great website to search for a variety of places to stay.
Hostelworld: If you are looking for budget accommodation then Hostelworld is a great place to search for a variety of backpacker hostels, B&Bs and hotels.
