# Does Canterbury Park & Ride Get Full Overnight?



## jimmyd0g (Oct 22, 2009)

Our intention is to leave Manchester at about 9-00 p.m. on Monday evening & drive through the night for an early hours stop at Canterbury Park & Ride before catching a Tuesday p.m. ferry. It is probable that, with stops en route, we will not arrive in Canterbury until about 3-00 a.m. Are we likely to arrive at the Park & Ride to find it full (considering the time of year) or is it large enough / underused for there always to be spaces?


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## tonyblake (Apr 4, 2008)

Good idea about the overnight travelling but the Canterbury Park and Ride closes around 7.00 pm. I was there last month and vans did turn up after 7.00 and although the exit lane was open (and I suppose you could drive in), you wouldn't have an exit ticket so could lead to problems getting out. One couple parked up outside until Park and ride was operational then came in. There are a couple of lay byes on the Dover Road that are deep (to cut noise) and stayed once or twice on those but Park and Ride will be closed at you setting off time, let alone your arrival time. What about stopping off a couple of times en route to delay your arrival?


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## Colsom (Mar 13, 2011)

There is also the "lay up area" of the service\petrol station, half an hour outside Dover. It's sign posted, used it for fuel on the way to Dover last month and there was quite a few vans parked up.


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

jimmyd0g said:


> catching a Tuesday p.m. ferry.


What time you sailing ????
I am on the 14.45 Dover - Calais with P&0...
Autotrail apache 700... Just look for 2 little one's running about shouting "grandad" "grandad".... :lol:

We will leave north of Birmingham at about 9.30am on Tuesday and head straight to Dover..


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

In the half a dozen times I've used it Jimmy never seen it more than quarter full.

Dick


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## jimmyd0g (Oct 22, 2009)

tonka said:


> jimmyd0g said:
> 
> 
> > catching a Tuesday p.m. ferry.
> ...


We are booked on the 2-00 p.m. DFDS Dover - Dunquerke sailing, but I wouldn't mind trying to get on the earlier sailing (midday I think), if possible.


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## jimmyd0g (Oct 22, 2009)

Glandwr said:


> In the half a dozen times I've used it Jimmy never seen it more than quarter full.
> 
> Dick


Cheers Dick. In view of one of the earlier replies, though, it seems like we will be service station hopping - with two or three longish power naps en route.


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

jimmyd0g said:


> We are booked on the 2-00 p.m. DFDS Dover - Dunquerke sailing, but I wouldn't mind trying to get on the earlier sailing (midday I think), if possible.


Dont look like our paths will cross then.. Safe journey...


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

Can't understand the closes at 7pm comment Jimmy. True the buses stop running but the ticketting is all automatic. You take a ticket on entry, have it electronically franked at the bus shelter were you pay your £2:50 by coins in the machine, this acts as your exit ticket. 

Maybe there is no presence in the place but if it is closed at 7 it's new.

Dick


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

Details here You need the Dover Road one height barriers on the others.

Dick


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## jimmyd0g (Oct 22, 2009)

Glandwr said:


> Details here You need the Dover Road one height barriers on the others.
> 
> Dick


Thanks for your input Dick, but I'm getting confused. Apparently the New Dover Road car park has a barrier at 2.4m., yet you say there is a car park on Dover Road (a different road?) that has no barrier. If the barrier is at 2.4m, we are officially 2.3m, so is it a generous 2.4m or a tight one?

The more I think about it, the more the more I am tempted - having driven through the night to get as far as Canterbury - to carry on to Dover to try & get onto Marine Parade.


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

The barrier is for the main (car) park Jimmy. On the left as you enter is a separate area sufficient for (20?) large campers. There is a sign prohibiting cars from using this area (it must be quite frustrating for car owners when theirs is full and this is empty but they don’t use it). It also has a place to empty black and grey water and a stand pipe for water as well as mini skips. A full continental aire in other words. 

Give them a ring I’m sure you can use it 24hrs, except Sundays (although another post suggests that they have suspended this for the duration of the Olympics). 

Dick


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