Vincent Van Gogh – a Ramsgate resident in 1876 – used to commute between London and Ramsgate on foot. Fortunately, Ramsgate’s transport links are a little better nowadays!
There is a wealth of transport options available to you: car, train, plane or ferry. Whether you are starting your journey from the UK or abroad it couldn’t be easier to get here.
BY AIR
Ramsgate is close to a number of airports, making it easy to reach from the UK and overseas destinations.
From Gatwick you can drive to Ramsgate in one and a half hours. Kelkoo is a great site for finding affordable car hire at Gatwick. Or if you’d prefer you could catch the train into London Victoria or St Pancras and take the train to Ramsgate from there.
Travel by car from Heathrow and you’ll be here in two hours. If you don’t fancy the drive, just take the Heathrow Express into Paddington and, via the London Underground, head for the train terminals that serve Ramsgate.
BY SEA
Kent is exceptionally well served by ferry lines for those who are starting their journeys from mainland Europe.
Numerous ferry lines sail into Dover, which is a half-hour drive from Ramsgate. P&O Ferries and SeaFrance reach the town from Calais – an easy journey lasting 90 minutes. Alternatively, Norfolkline arrives at the home of the White Cliffs from Dunkirk.
BY RAIL
Take the direct train from St. Pancras to Ramsgate on the Southeastern Railway service and you’ll be here in just over an hour. It leaves once or twice an hour passing through Ebbsfleet and Ashford along the way.
If time is not of the essence, trains also depart for Ramsgate from both London Victoria and London Charing Cross, taking approximately two hours.
If you are travelling from overseas, you can catch the Eurotunnel from Calais into Folkestone which is situated just a 45-minute drive from Ramsgate. And the Eurostar takes you to nearby Ashford and Ebbsfleet from Lille, Paris and Brussels where you can change and take the fast train to Ramsgate which takes 40 minutes.
BY CAR
Well served by the M25 and M2 it’s a simple drive to Ramsgate – wherever you leave from.
From central London, the journey typically takes one-and-a-half hours. If you are coming from the North or the West, circle the M25 and exit at Junction 2 for the A2 (M2).
From the M2, continue onto the A299 which will take you into the heart of Ramsgate. You’ll be here in double-quick time. To find directions from where you live, use the AA's route planner.
Alternatively, you could take advantage of the low fares offered by National Express. Leaving from London’s Victoria coach station, the journey to Ramsgate takes just short of three hours.