Days out · Kent
Days out in Kent from Bromley, Dartford and Sidcup
The castles, the cathedral city, the dockyard and the coast, all under an hour and a half from south-east London, with a fixed fare for the whole car.
Fixed prices from Bromley and Dartford
| Journey | Saloon (sedan) (3) | Executive | MPV (6) | 9-seater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bromley → Leeds Castle | £67 | £131 | £114 | £147 |
| Bromley → Hever Castle | £44 | £131 | £114 | £147 |
| Bromley → Canterbury | £101 | £149 | £133 | £166 |
| Bromley → Chatham Historic Dockyard | £56 | £131 | £114 | £147 |
| Bromley → Whitstable | £101 | £149 | £133 | £166 |
| Bromley → Margate | £135 | £183 | £167 | £200 |
| Dartford → Leeds Castle | £56 | £131 | £114 | £147 |
| Dartford → Canterbury | £91 | £139 | £123 | £156 |
| Dartford → Whitstable | £87 | £135 | £118 | £151 |
| Dartford → Margate | £116 | £164 | £147 | £180 |
Live engine prices at the time of writing for a weekday 09:00 pickup, one way, per car, VAT included. Sidcup, Orpington, Chislehurst and Bexleyheath are similar to Bromley; the exact fare shows before you pay. Returns can be booked at a different time; a day rate with the driver waiting is usually better value for the coast.
Leeds Castle and Hever Castle
Leeds Castle (near Maidstone, 35 minutes from Dartford, 50 from Bromley) is the full day: the castle on its lakes, the maze and grotto, the falconry displays, and 500 acres to walk. Tickets are valid for a year, so locals go back. Hever Castle (Edenbridge, 35 minutes from Bromley) is Anne Boleyn's childhood home, smaller and better for younger children, with the water maze in summer and the Christmas lights in December. Both have car parks at the door, so a taxi drops you at the entrance and the driver can wait in the car park or return at a fixed time.
Canterbury and the Dockyard
Canterbury is 55 minutes down the A2 from Dartford, just over an hour from Bromley. Ask to be dropped at the Westgate for the cathedral (entry about £17, free for the Sunday services), the old town, the river tour and the Marlowe Theatre. Traffic inside the walls is restricted, so a drop at the edge and a pre-booked pickup beats driving in. Chatham Historic Dockyard is 30 minutes from Dartford: three warships, the ropery, and the Call the Midwife filming locations; tickets are annual passes too.
Whitstable, Margate and the coast
Whitstable for oysters on the beach, the harbour market and a pub by the sea; 55 minutes from Dartford. Margate for Dreamland, the Turner Contemporary and the old town; about 75 minutes. Summer weekends the A2 and Thanet Way are slow after 10:00, so leave early or go on a weekday. For a group of six, an MPV to Whitstable is £133 each way, which is under £20 a head, and nobody stands on the Southeastern from Victoria. See the Kent coast guide.
How to book a day out
- Book the outbound on the booking page with your pickup time.
- Book the return as a second journey from the venue, or message WhatsApp for a day rate if you want the driver to wait.
- Child seats are free; tell us the ages when booking. Dogs are fine in the MPV with notice.
Every fare is fixed with no surge and no meter, at any hour, from any address in Bromley, Orpington, Sidcup, Chislehurst, Bexleyheath, Dartford or Swanley. See areas we cover.
Questions
Is a taxi cheaper than the train for a day out in Kent?
For one person, no. For three or more, usually yes once you count peak fares, the bus or taxi at the far end and the return: a saloon (sedan) from Bromley to Canterbury is £101 for the whole car, one way.
Can the driver wait while we visit?
Yes, by the hour, or ask for a day rate. For Leeds Castle or the coast a day rate is usually better value than two one-way fares.
Do you go from Sidcup, Orpington and Bexleyheath?
Yes. Prices from those areas are within a few pounds of Bromley; the exact fare shows before you pay.
What about Bluewater and Brands Hatch?
Both are local runs from £83; see the Bluewater and Brands Hatch pages.
Related
Dover cruise terminal from Bromley, Bexley or Dartford
Should you take the high-speed train or a car to the Dover cruise terminal, and how far is the port from Dover Priory station? The Southeastern high-speed service from St Pancras reaches Dover Priory in about 66 minutes. But the station is about 2.5 km from the cruise terminals, the port shuttle does not call there, taxis can be scarce on busy ship days and Uber does not operate in Dover.
From south-east London the train makes even less sense, because you would first travel into St Pancras. A car goes the other way, straight down the A2 and M2 to the terminal kerb.
- Allow roughly 1 hour 15 minutes from Dartford in normal traffic, more on summer Saturdays.
- Check your ship's boarding window before you fix a pick-up time.
- On the way home, ships usually berth early in the morning, so a mid-morning pick-up avoids waiting at the terminal.
Q: Can I walk from Dover Priory station to the cruise terminal?
A: It is about 2.5 km, which is a long walk with cruise luggage. The cruise shuttle does not stop at the station, so most people take a taxi or arrange a car.
Canterbury, Dover and the White Cliffs in a day from SE London
Can you see Canterbury, Dover and the White Cliffs in one day? From south-east London, yes, because you start well down the A2. Canterbury is roughly 45 minutes to an hour from Dartford by car, and Dover around half an hour beyond it.
- Canterbury: The cathedral is the highlight. Buy entry online and allow two hours including the old city streets.
- The White Cliffs: The National Trust visitor centre at Langdon Cliffs, just east of Dover, is the start of the clifftop walk to South Foreland Lighthouse.
- Dover Castle: Run by English Heritage, with wartime tunnels. It is a big site, so if time is short choose either the castle or the cliffs.
By train from Dartford, Canterbury means a change and nearly two hours each way. A car lets you set off early, take all three in order and come home up the A2 without going into central London.
Q: How long does it take to drive from Dartford to Canterbury?
A: Roughly 45 minutes to an hour in normal traffic. Allow longer on summer weekends.
Kent castles and gardens on Bromley's doorstep
Which Kent castles and gardens are easy day trips from south-east London? Several of the best are much closer to Bromley and Orpington than to central London.
- Chartwell, near Westerham: Winston Churchill's family home, run by the National Trust. Roughly 30 minutes from Bromley by car.
- Hever Castle, near Edenbridge: Anne Boleyn's childhood home, with lakeside gardens. Around 40 minutes from Bromley.
- Leeds Castle, near Maidstone: Moated and grand, roughly 30 to 40 minutes from Dartford via the M20.
- Down House, Downe: Charles Darwin's home, run by English Heritage, inside the borough of Bromley itself.
Chartwell and Hever are only a few miles apart, so they combine well in one day. Public transport to all of them is slow, with infrequent buses from the nearest stations, which is why most visitors drive or book a car. Check opening days before you set off, as winter hours are shorter.
Q: Can I visit Chartwell and Hever Castle on the same day?
A: Yes. They are only a few miles apart near Westerham and Edenbridge, so a morning at one and an afternoon at the other works well by car.