You can be in France by lunchtime from any of the three main cross-Channel ports in southern England. That, roughly, is where the resemblance ends. Dover, Newhaven and Portsmouth serve different corners of the country, different corners of France, and quite different sorts of traveller. Choose badly and you add two hours of motorway to your day, or find yourself settling in for a six-hour crossing when a ninety-minute hop would have done the job.

Here is how the three compare, and how to work out which one suits your trip.

Dover: speed, frequency and the M20

Dover is the busiest of the three and the easiest to book at short notice. The port sits at the end of the M20, roughly 70 miles from central London — an hour and a half on a good day, closer to two and a half if the Dartford Crossing is misbehaving. From Kent, Essex and east London, nothing else comes close.

Crossings to Calais take about 90 minutes; Dunkirk is a little longer, closer to two hours. Several operators run the corridor, including P&O Ferries, DFDS and Irish Ferries, so sailings come thick and fast and often run through the night. Miss one and there is usually another within an hour or two, which is a real comfort when you are travelling with children or have driven a long way to reach the coast.

The trade-off is Dover itself. It is a freight port first, and the passenger terminals are workmanlike rather than charming: check-in lanes, a café, toilets, a shop, then the ramp. Border checks take longer than they used to, and summer queues at peak times are a genuine risk. Build in extra time and do not cut it fine. Once you land at Calais, though, you are straight onto the A16 with Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany within easy reach.

Newhaven: the quiet crossing to Dieppe

Newhaven sits on the Sussex coast between Brighton and Eastbourne, and it does one thing: a ferry to Dieppe, run by DFDS. That narrow focus is its appeal. For anyone living in Sussex, Surrey, south London or Kent it is often the shortest drive of the three — well under an hour from Brighton, around two hours from much of south London — and the terminal is small enough to walk through in minutes rather than queue through.

The crossing takes roughly four hours on a conventional ferry. That is not a quick hop, but it is a comfortable one, with proper seats, a restaurant and time to eat a meal rather than bolt a sandwich at the rail. Sailings are far fewer than at Dover — usually a handful a day — so you plan around the ferry rather than turning up and hoping.

Dieppe is a likeable little port town, and it lands you in Normandy. If your destination is Rouen, the Normandy beaches, the Loire or Brittany, this route can save you a long drive down from Calais. If you are heading for Belgium or Germany, it makes no sense at all.

Portsmouth: longer sailings, bigger horizons

Portsmouth is the western option, and the one that feels most like the start of a holiday. Brittany Ferries dominates here, with routes to Caen, Cherbourg, St Malo and Le Havre, plus overnight sailings to Santander and Bilbao in northern Spain. Channel Islands services also use the port.

The ships are the point. Crossings to Normandy typically take around six hours, and the Spain routes run overnight. Cabins, restaurants, a bar and deck space to stretch your legs turn the crossing into part of the trip rather than a means to an end. Arrive in the evening, sleep, and wake up in France or Spain.

Portsmouth is well placed for the south west, the Midlands, Wales and the M3 corridor, and badly placed for anyone starting from east Kent or Essex. Fares tend to be higher and departures less frequent than Dover's, so book early — summer cabins and overnight sailings sell out first.

Comparing the three

• Drive from London: all three are roughly two hours, traffic permitting — Dover via the M20, Newhaven via the A23, Portsmouth via the A3 and M3. Where you actually live matters far more than the distance from London.
• Crossing time: Dover–Calais around 90 minutes; Newhaven–Dieppe around four hours; Portsmouth–Caen around six, longer to Brittany and overnight to Spain.
• Choice of sailings: Dover offers the most operators and departures; Newhaven has a single route with a handful of sailings; Portsmouth covers more destinations but usually with one operator per route.
• Best for: Dover for short breaks, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany; Newhaven for Sussex and south London travellers heading to Normandy; Portsmouth for the west of England, Brittany, and anyone who wants the crossing to be part of the holiday.
• Terminal feel: Dover busy and functional; Newhaven small and quick; Portsmouth closer to a small cruise terminal, with proper waiting areas and somewhere to sit down.

The details that catch people out

Check-in deadlines are the classic trip-ruiner. Most operators ask cars to arrive well before departure, and the exact cut-off varies by port and season, so read the confirmation email rather than assuming. Foot passengers usually need to arrive earlier still, and anyone travelling with a pet should check the current entry requirements for the country they are visiting before booking, as these rules can change.

Think about what you are doing on the other side, too. A Dover sailing saves time at sea but can leave you with a long drive south; a Portsmouth overnight costs more and takes longer, but delivers you rested and already in Normandy. If you are going to Paris, both Calais and Dieppe are workable; if you are going to the Alps, the shorter crossing almost always wins. And if your journey home starts late in the day, look at whether a cabin is worth it rather than planning to drive through the night.

Before you book: a short checklist

1. Work backwards from your final destination, not from the port you like the sound of.
2. Check the drive to the port at the time you will actually be doing it. An early sailing means leaving home in the small hours.
3. Compare total door-to-door time, not just crossing length. A short crossing plus a four-hour drive may still beat a long crossing plus one hour.
4. Look at sailing times before fares. A cheap ticket at an awkward hour rarely feels like a bargain.
5. Book cabins and popular summer departures early, especially on the longer routes.
6. Note the check-in deadline, the pet and vehicle rules, and the operator's contact details in case of delays.
7. Have a plan B if you are travelling on a tight schedule — roadworks, weather and border queues do not read timetables.

Pick the port that fits the whole journey rather than the one with the cheapest headline fare, and the crossing stops being something to endure and becomes the first pleasant hour of the trip.

Photo: moerschy / Pixabay