The direct Southeastern train from Dover Priory to Canterbury East is the way to go: about half an hour, one stop listed and no change. On a weekday the first departure was at 04:45 and the last at 22:50.
How long you wait at Dover Priory depends on the hour. After early trains at 04:45 and 05:42, the morning service ran roughly every half hour, at 06:07, 06:45, 07:14, 07:41, 08:13 and 08:50. From 09:11 the service dropped to one an hour, always at eleven minutes past, up to and including the 15:11.
From 15:44 the half-hourly pattern returns until 18:50, with most trains at around 18 and 48 minutes past. After that it is hourly again at 18 minutes past, from 19:18 to 22:18, with one last train at 22:50.
For a daytime visit, then, the train at eleven minutes past is the one to aim for, because between 09:11 and 15:11 the direct trains we found from Dover Priory were a full hour apart.
The weekday timetable also lists journeys from Dover that change at Ashford International, Thanet Parkway or Ramsgate. They take from 50 minutes to a little over an hour, roughly twice the direct train’s time, so they only earn a place if none of the direct departures fits your day.
Canterbury East is the closer of the city’s two stations to the Buttermarket, 800 metres away and about 11 minutes on foot. Train and walk together come to about 40 minutes from Dover Priory to the Buttermarket.
Driving the 16 miles on the A2 takes about 25 minutes, a few minutes less than the train. The case for the train from Dover is the direct service to Canterbury East and that short walk at the far end, rather than any saving in time.
Journey times and changes below come from the rail and bus timetables for Tuesday 1 December 2026. Weekend and holiday timetables differ, so check the day you travel.
From Dover Priory on the weekday we checked: every 30 to 60 minutes or so between 04:45 and 22:50.
By road it is about 16 miles from Dover to Canterbury, mostly via the A2 — roughly 25 min with clear roads. Car parks in Canterbury are listed on the Getting Here page.