Folkestone

Folkestone is a coastal town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour, shipping port, and fashionable coastal resort for most of the 19th and mid-20th centuries. Wikipedia.
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Top attractions in Folkestone

LeShuttle Freight
1. LeShuttle Freight
4.4
(2601)
Railway services
Sights & Landmarks
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“As a truck driver, I’m very satisfied with the Eurotunnel service from Folkestone to Calais. The check-in and customs process is quick and well-organized, staff are friendly and helpful, and the journey itself is smooth and on time. A stress-free and efficient way to cross the Channel with a lorry – highly recommended.”
Free coffee and lately free snacks won't make up for overall cleanliness and horrendous state of the Club Car bathrooms. Tap water often smells worse than what you've left in the loo; hope they use different water for the coffee machines! Quick way across, just don't touch anything without gloves.
More often than not one train an hour during the night. Understandable at the beginning of the week when it’s quiet. but mid week when it’s busy and the lines are full and still only One train an hour, terrible service. Quite often have sat waiting to get on a train for two hours because of lack of trains being put on!
Fast and good service, if customs go smoothly…
I use this service multiple times a week and in both directions. When it runs properly, its a fantastic service! But the calais side is by far the worst side! It is an unnecessarily long process just to get through to the lanes. Don't bother even checking the train times on the app as they stop your lane half way through just to send a half empty train! 4 departures an hour, but sat in the lanes for over 30 minutes? I wonder how they get to those departure numbers. The staff are friendly enough though. The coffee on board is rancid but the hot chocolate is nice enough. Toilets can be hit and miss to the cleanliness, but thats down to the drivers. And let's face it, how many don't practice self hygiene. The toilet flushes only work as and when they want to. The carriages themselves are right enough. But I wonder when the last time they were given a deep clean was. Using the service today, I had over a 30 min wait I the lanes and there were only 10 drivers on board the carriage whilst the lanes were getting very full. They could have fit atleast another 2 lanes of trucks on this train alone. They prioritise passenger trains over freight. In January 2025, they removed the duty free from the UK side from freight drivers but kept the passenger side to which we have no access. We was told this would be for 6 weeks or so whilst they build a new one. Middle of August and there is still no duty free for freight drivers on the english side. There is so much room for improvement, but you never see any change.
Nice and quick through the lanes at the minute in the uk. But why do inside the trains have to be so bloody hot get some air-conditioning pumping through them properly
Cool 30 not long
Excellent service. Booked day before. Turned up earlier than asked. Got straight on earlier. Easy, safe, great value.
Folkestone Harbour Arm
2. Folkestone Harbour Arm
4.6
(3925)
Sights & Landmarks
Historic Walking Areas
Broad seaside promenade with food stands & bars, plus live music stages & seasonal events.
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Folkestone Harbour Arm is such a wonderful place! It has a very cosy and welcoming atmosphere, making it perfect for a relaxing day out with family. There are plenty of things to see and do – from beautiful views of the sea to lovely cafes and little shops to explore. We really enjoyed walking along the pier, soaking up the fresh air and peaceful vibe. It feels so charming and full of life at the same time. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Folkestone – it’s ideal for families and for anyone who loves spending time by the sea.
The Folkestone Harbour along with the Lighthouse is an iconic attraction for anyone visiting Folkestone. The place has a long history dating back in the 1900s. The photos along with the valuable information speaks a lot. The Harbour area was quite windy when we visited yesterday but Sun came out later and calmed the environment. There is an entertaining promenade with live music and food cafes along with good seating arrangements. A place worthy to visit in summer.
What an amazing place to spend a few hours (or maybe a full day). Absolutely loved what had been done with a disused railway station. There are some great bars eateries, offering exceptional views across the English Channel.
The harbour arm has been 'done up' and is very nice. There are lots of independent small market shops and places where you can eat and drink, a bit like Christmas Market huts. There is a big outdoor TV screen fir watching sports etc. Not sure whether all this is seasonal abd just maybe weekends out of season? But there are other places such as the very nice bar by the lighthouse, and a small brewery pub that I should imagine stays open more regularly. There is also a few fair rides. The views of folkestone are lovely from here too.
Enjoyed a lovely walk from Lower Leas car park along the promenade & boardwalk to the harbour arm. Here we stopped at the Champagne bar in the old lighthouse. Well worth a visit, nice cocktails and yummy charcuterie.
I adore Folkestone Harbour. The views are absolutely stunning, if you're visiting Folkestone, you simply cannot miss the Harbour Arm. Plenty of independent traders offering a great range of foods and drinks, there's truly something for everyone. Lots of different events and entertainment on throughout the year... I could go on and on!
My first visit to Folkstone to explore the colorful Artist Quarter. Lovely coffee shops open on a Sunday morning, already buzzing with people! Colours of painted shop fronts were joyful and welcoming as I walked down old High Street to the Harbour. Spectacular views east to fishing fleet and chalk cliffs. Beautiful tulips planted in a memorial garden. I loved this visit to Folkstone!
I visited Folkestone and found it to be a charming seaside town with a nice mix of history, coastal views, and places to relax — the harbor area is great for a stroll, and it’s a pleasant spot to enjoy the sea atmosphere.
The Lower Leas Coastal Park
3. The Lower Leas Coastal Park
4.7
(2499)
Park
Nature & Parks
Coastal park with 3 zones: a natural area, formal gardens & an area for adventure activities.
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I absolutely adore this place! It's truly a remarkable spot. The beach is one of my favorites in Kent, with its mix of stones and sand and gentle waves. The playground, which is currently being updated, is already excellent and provides endless fun for the kids. Plus, there’s a wonderful café that the whole family enjoys, serving delicious treats and refreshments. It's the perfect destination for a day out!
Beautiful, unusual, fabulous park, you can enjoy a coffee and on a hot day eat ice cream, you can just walk in this beautiful park. If you haven't been there, you should visit it, it looks like some exotic place.
Absolutely spectacular! Speechless! ❤️ it was such nice weather, and the view was breathtaking. If you want a long walk, that's the place to go. My new favourite place.
A lovely path along the coast. It has a nice picnic area with a beautiful garden. It offers scenic views as the water peeks through the trees. Although, some of the steps were closed therefore you might find yourself walking a little further before you can find access to the top. We love the idea that you have options to walk right along the pebbles on the beach, or by the concrete path, or through the linear park lined with trees such as pines.
Well maintained park with a network of clearly marked footpaths, family friendly play areas and coastal views over the English Channel. Plenty of benches, toilet facilities and easy access from nearby paid parking areas make it a convenient green place to spend some time amongst green space. It's also accessible from the upper Leas via unusual landscaped cliff paths, with grottos built into the false Pulhamite "rock". The park leads out to a beach side promenade, passing brightly coloured beach huts and art installations before arriving at Folkestone Harbour, home to a striking modern apartment building and a selection of cafés and bars.
Fantastic place to visit. The beach is lovly and the water clear. Kids had the best time.
Clean and beautiful beach, playground for kids, Toilets, dog friendly
One of my favourite places. Beautiful view. Clean, no crowds.
Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust
4. Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust
4.7
(1018)
Temporarily Closed
Museum
Specialty Museums
Huge collection of WWII aviation-themed artifacts, aircraft hangars, planes and uniforms.
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Visited today and was unsure what to expect because, despite being a history lover, WW2 isn’t normally a time period that interests me too much. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the sheer amount of work and dedication to those who served and died during the Battle of Britain. There is no photography allowed, which is understandable given the context. Me and my parents spent the whole day here absorbing the emotional stories that all had been meticulously researched. Would absolutely recommend. We also paid a quick visit to the nearby cemetery a minute’s drive away to see the graves of some of those who died in the surrounding area. A great tie in to finish off a wonderful day!
What an excellent Museum, the curator and staff go the extra mile to uncover any items related to the battle of Britain. They have separate sections devoted to individual pilots which helps to bring the whole experience to life. There are some amazing aircraft on site and they support various outside projects, including one to bring a hurricane, recovered from a marsh, back hopefully into an airworthy condition. If you have any interest in the Battle of Britain, then this is a must visit Museum. Set aside a full day as there are a tremendous amount of exhibits and life stories of Pilots.
We had a very nice visit here! This museum was far bigger than we expected. What a great collection of planes and other WW2 memorabilia. Lots of friendly volunteers made our visit even better!
Brilliant museum. You have to hand in your cameras and phones as photography is strictly prohibited unless accompanied by a guide. I wasn’t that bothered but took these from the outside. Staff were very friendly. They have a memorial exhibit for every airman stationed at the site, who died. I remember reading one account who died long after the war, but most were casualties from the war. Some exhibits were of non British airmen. I’m avoiding keywords that search engines might pick up on. The museum is packed, I think they must have all their artefacts on show. The item I found most extraordinary were the training paintings, showing a sequence of plane manoeuvres. We visited late on a Friday in late July
Me and my dad visited here about a month or so ago, and it was a great experience I must say, brilliant display, but just warning you early, when you walk in and book, you must have your phone in a safe, but if you want to take pictures someone will get called over and guide you to where you are allowed to, but this museum is a good place overall.
Absolutely magnificent little museum, full of amazing stories of heroism in the Battle of Britain, and reconstructed aircraft, which is run by hugely enthusiastic volunteers - allow a couple of hours to wander around then enjoy a delicious meal or snack at the mess. So pleased we found this gem.
What a fantastic museum this is. When I say it's full with WW2 Battle of Britain history it's an understatement. This place is a little gem for anybody interested in this period in time. There is also a WW1 display but mostly Second world war artifacts fill the walls and ground. Pictures are prohibited in the museum itself due to a few reasons but Pictures outside are fine. The staff are very welcoming and helpful. There's also a onsite cafe where we had a fry up, which was great. It also has a little shop with plenty of books and gifts avaliable. The museum collections though are what makes this place what it is. In the middle of the museum on the grass is an array of aircraft including 3 full scale replicas of the Hawker Hurricane, a real Heinkel and a JU 52 among others. Please vist this museum and help keep the history of these brave men and women alive.
Excellent museum commemorating the Heroes who fought in the skies over Southern England in the Battle of Britain, absolutely packed with memorabilia and facts. Definitely worth visiting if you are in the area, just to add no photographs can be taken inside the buildings but the Aircraft outside can be. Lovely Cafe serving an all day breakfast and more, staff very friendly and knowledgeable which adds upto my five star rating.
The Leas
5. The Leas
Sights & Landmarks
Historic Walking Areas
After Art Ltd
6. After Art Ltd
4.5
(137)
Art gallery
Neighborhoods
Slide 1 of 8
Absolutely love this quarter! Well worth a visit. From the off the wall sheep hanging from the ceiling at R&R workshop to the fabulous treasure trove that is Moda! Just take note most galleries are closed on Monday but the other shops are still well worth a visit. Spoilt for choice from a tapas bar to quirky coffee shops . Folkestone's Creative quarter is destination station to add to your holiday list.
Steep narrow street with lots of amazing small shops and galleries. Worth a look if you don't mind the steep slope...
When my wife saw something she liked in the window i thought it would make an excellent Valentine’s present. I wasn’t going to be able to get there again in time to buy it without my wife knowing. I called the shop and armed only with a pretty poor description of the picture from me, they were able to identify and send to me exactly the thing I was after. Postage was fast - faster than quoted - cheap and of really good quality meaning the photo arrived in good time and great condition for me to frame up as a gift. I was also given some helpful advice on framing the picture which was most appreciated. All in all the picture looks lovely, iI couldn't be happier with the service and, most importantly, I have one very happy wife!
Never been to Folkestone before but would definitely go again. Loved the Creative Quarter with quirky independent shops and great bakeries and cafes. If you can get some of the local Dockers bread, do it, it's the most delicious bread ever!
Wonderful range of shops and businesses need to visit again when we have more time. Real arty vibe to the whole area and looks like probably lots of studio space
Very interesting place that offers a variety of things to choose from. The food us also particularly good. The only drawback is it closes very early considering that it's a tourist spot.
Lovely place to walk and be lost in the small boutiques , cafes and restaurants, be ready to walk up the hill if you are coming from the seaside, so bring your trainers or flat shoes , the area is very picturesque , the multicoloured buildings are so beautiful and the architecture is so nice and trendy
Very nice and creative road, shops are very unique
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Other notable attractions

Sunny Sands
Beach
Outdoor Activities
Swimming, kayak rentals, sunbathing & local seafood shacks draw crowds to this bustling beach area.
Sandgate Beach
Beach
Outdoor Activities
Leas Cliff Hall
Performing arts theater
Concerts & Shows
East Cliff and Warren Nature Reserve
Country park
Nature & Parks
Step Short Memorial
Memorial park
Sights & Landmarks
Commemorative steel arch honoring WWI soldiers in an urban green space with English Channel views.
Leas Bandstand
Live music venue
Sights & Landmarks
Quarterhouse
Performing arts theater
Concerts & Shows
Arts and entertainment venue with varied programme of theatre, dance and comedy plus film and music.
Parish Church of St Mary & St Eanswythe, Folkestone
Anglican church
Sights & Landmarks
Docker Bar
Pub
Nightlife
Elham Valley Line Trust
Museum
Specialty Museums

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Weather in Folkestone

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