Greenhithe · Kent DA9 9ST · On our doorstep
Bluewater: it's the bags, not the distance
Bluewater is minutes from Dartford and Gravesend, which raises a fair question about why anyone would book transport to it. The answer is not the journey. It is coming back with more than you can carry, and it is the December car parks.
From Dartford or Greenhithe, and under half an hour from most of north Kent. This is the shortest journey on the whole site, and the people who book it are doing so for reasons that have nothing to do with the distance.
Four reasons people actually book this
None of them is the length of the journey.
Christmas especially
A serious shopping trip produces more than a group can reasonably carry to a distant space.
Which are the point
The last three weekends before Christmas are genuinely difficult. Being dropped skips it.
Birthday or otherwise
Where nobody wants to split across cars or drive.
If there is lunch and wine
Which there often is, and it is a perfectly good reason.
Kent to Bluewater
The shortest journeys on this site, and the fares reflect it.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Journey |
|---|---|---|
| Dartford & Greenhithe | 3 miles | 10–20 min |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 7 miles | 15–25 min |
| Bexleyheath & Welling | 8 miles | 15–30 min |
| Swanley & Sidcup | 10 miles | 20–35 min |
| Bromley & Orpington | 14 miles | 25–40 min |
| Rochester & Chatham | 17 miles | 25–40 min |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 20 miles | 30–45 min |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 24 miles | 30–50 min |
| Ashford & Tenterden | 44 miles | 50–70 min |
December is the busy time
Which is when this booking makes the most sense, and when it needs arranging in advance.
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| The last three weekends | Car parks are full and the approach roads queue |
| Late-night opening | Which spreads it out, and the evenings get busy too |
| Bags accumulate | Considerably more than people plan for |
| Book ahead in December | Our busiest month across the board |
| A set collection time | Works well here. Agree it and we will be there |
A trip to Bluewater
It is the cheapest booking we do
A ten to twenty minute journey split between a few people is a very small amount of money, and it buys you a drop at the door, no car park, and the ability to come back with as much as you can carry. For a Christmas shopping trip that arithmetic is straightforward.
December is the whole case for it
The last three weekends before Christmas at Bluewater involve queuing to get into a car park, walking a long way with bags, and queuing to get out. None of that is necessary if you are dropped and collected. It is the single most common reason people book this journey and it is a good one.
Groups do not have to split across cars
A birthday, a family day or a group of friends shopping together works considerably better in one vehicle than in three cars that arrive separately and park in different places. Everyone travels together, everyone leaves together, and nobody spends the day as the designated driver.
Tell us roughly how much you expect to carry
Six people with a few bags each is a different vehicle from six people at the end of a serious Christmas trip. It costs nothing to mention at booking and it means the right size turns up rather than the minimum one.
Bluewater questions
Short journey, real reasons.
Why book transport to somewhere so close?
For the bags and for December. A drop at the door, no car park and the ability to carry back as much as you like. The journey itself is not the reason.
How far is Bluewater from Kent?
Ten minutes from Dartford, twenty from Gravesend, under an hour from almost anywhere in the county. It is the shortest journey on this site.
Is December really that difficult?
The last three weekends before Christmas involve queuing into a car park, walking a long way with bags and queuing out again. Being dropped skips all of it.
Should we book in advance for December?
Yes. It is our busiest month across the board and the weekends before Christmas fill early.
Can you take a large group?
Yes, up to forty-nine seats, though most Bluewater bookings are smaller family or friend groups.
Do you wait or come back?
Either. A set collection time works well here, agreed at booking, and we will be there for it.
Does the amount of shopping matter?
It affects the vehicle size. Six people at the end of a serious Christmas trip need more room than six people with a bag each. Mention it and we will size properly.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking. It is among the cheapest fares we quote.
Shopping and local days out
Kent and beyond.