There’s something decidedly old-school about boarding a ferry as a means of travel. You’re not herded, hurried or hustled. You arrive on in your car, walk up to the top deck, and watch the coastline soften behind you with a warm pastry in one hand and your phone in the other (not for doom-scrolling, but to check what time the museum closes).

Ferries are, quite frankly, underused. Especially when they get you to places like Dunkirk.

Yes, that Dunkirk — of 1940 and Christopher Nolan and stiff upper lips. But while its wartime story is still deeply etched into its shoreline, modern Dunkirk is also full of quiet surprises: galleries where no one’s rushing you along, brasseries that serve proper moules-frites for under €20, and more contemporary culture than you might expect from a town whose most famous monument is a flotilla of fishing boats.

The crossing itself: smooth, stylish, and… 10% off

First, let’s talk about the journey. If you’ve never crossed the Channel with DFDS, you’re in for a bit of a treat. The Dover to Dunkirk ferry takes just two hours, but offers exactly the kind of unhurried comfort that travel so often forgets these days.

The onboard cafés serve excellent coffee and if you upgrade to the Premium Lounge, you’ll find yourself sinking into soft seating with complimentary snacks, charging points and panoramic sea views.

Even better: if you’re book using your Cruise Collective discount, you can currently get up to 10% off DFDS crossings. That’s more than enough to cover your lunch, your lounge, and perhaps even a bottle of something to toast your return.

A gentle dive into Dunkirk’s past and present

Once ashore, it’s hard not to feel the weight of history. The Dunkirk 1940 Museum, housed in the former military headquarters at Bastion 32, is sobering and brilliantly presented — a must-visit, even if you only have a few hours.

But don’t stop there. Make time for the LAAC (Lieu d’Art et Action Contemporaine), a brutalist white box of modern art just steps from the sea, where you might find Warhols and Picassos hidden among sand dunes and sculpture gardens. Or stroll through the Port Museum, which tells the story of Dunkirk’s seafaring roots with a tenderness and depth that’s genuinely moving.

If you're there in late February or early March, Carnaval de Dunkerque is a spectacle worth seeing at least once. It’s a riot of colour, brass bands, and fish-themed costumes that may require some emotional preparation, but makes for brilliant travel tales afterwards.

Where this could take you

Of course, Dunkirk isn’t just a destination — it’s a gateway. From here, the road is open to Bruges, Ghent, Lille, or even Amsterdam, all within a few hours' drive. You could turn a weekend trip into a week-long tour of northern Europe without ever setting foot in an airport queue.

More to the point, it reminds us that travel doesn’t always need to be epic to be memorable. A short ferry crossing. A poignant museum. A really good croissant. Sometimes, that’s enough.

And when you can do it all with a Cruise Collective discount in your pocket and a proper sense of purpose in your planning, it feels less like a getaway and more like a little gift to yourself.

Getting There

• DFDS Dover–Dunkirk ferries run regularly throughout the day and take approximately 2 hours.
• Cruise Collective members save up to 10% on bookings.
• Don’t forget your passport, a sense of curiosity, and enough boot space to bring back a few bottles from Carrefour.