Detling Showground · Maidstone · Three days each July
Kent County Show Transfers – Fixed Price Quote, Book Online 24/7
The county show is the biggest three days in the Kent calendar and it is a family day out above all else. Pushchairs, grandparents, tired children and a bag of everything all have to cross a car park that is a considerable distance from the gate.
Usually the second weekend of July, running Friday to Sunday. The Saturday is the busiest by some way, and it is the day the A249 approach and the parking fields are under the most pressure.
Who is actually in your car makes the difference here
This is the one event on our list where the passengers matter more than the venue. County show bookings are overwhelmingly family groups, and that shapes everything.
And everything attached to them
A day at the show with small children involves a startling amount of equipment. Getting it from a parking field to the gate and back is the part people underestimate.
Three generations, one day
The county show is one of the few events that genuinely spans the whole family, which means the walk from the car has to work for the least mobile person in the party.
You will buy things
Food halls, craft stalls and the trade stands mean most families leave heavier than they arrived. The vehicle wants boot space for the way home.
Or the mud
July in Kent delivers either a very hot field or a very wet one, and both make the walk from a distant car park considerably worse than it sounds in the planning stage.
The three days
Each day has a slightly different feel, and the middle Saturday is where the crowd concentrates. If you have a choice, the other two are noticeably easier.
| Day | Character | Travel note |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | Working day, more trade and livestock focus | The easiest access of the three and the quietest approach roads. |
| Saturday | The main day, biggest crowd | Heaviest traffic on the A249. Leave early or be dropped at the gate. |
| Sunday | Family day, relaxed finish | Busy but calmer, with a more spread-out departure. |
Getting there from across Kent
Detling is central to the county, which is why the show has been there so long. Show days add to the last couple of miles rather than the whole journey.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Normal | Show Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 4 miles | 10–15 min | 20–35 min |
| Rochester, Chatham & Gillingham | 10 miles | 18–25 min | 30–45 min |
| Sittingbourne & Bredgar | 12 miles | 20–25 min | 30–45 min |
| Faversham & Teynham | 17 miles | 25–35 min | 35–50 min |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 18 miles | 30–40 min | 40–60 min |
| Tonbridge & Tunbridge Wells | 20 miles | 30–40 min | 40–60 min |
| Sevenoaks & Borough Green | 20 miles | 30–40 min | 40–60 min |
| Ashford & Charing | 22 miles | 30–40 min | 40–60 min |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 25 miles | 35–45 min | 45–65 min |
| Canterbury & Whitstable | 30 miles | 40–50 min | 50–70 min |
A day at the county show, planned
The car park is the bit nobody plans for
Everybody thinks about tickets, weather and what time to arrive. Almost nobody thinks about the distance between where the marshal puts your car and where the gate is, which on the Saturday can be a long way across a field. With a pushchair, a cool bag and a grandparent, that walk shapes the whole day, twice. A drop at the entrance removes it in both directions for a fare that, over these distances, is genuinely small.
Going as an extended family
One of the nicest things about the county show is that it works for everybody from toddlers to great-grandparents, and one of the most annoying is that it usually means three cars and a convoy. An V Class or a minibus puts the whole family in one vehicle, arriving together, and it costs less than the fuel and parking across three cars once you add it up.
If you are exhibiting or showing
Trade stands, craft stalls and livestock exhibitors have completely different requirements from visitors: early access, load space, and multiple days. We handle those alongside the family bookings, and they are worth arranging as a block across the three days rather than individually. Tell us what you are bringing and we will size the vehicle for it.
Book before the summer
The county show falls in the middle of our busiest season, competing with weddings, festivals and school proms for the same vehicles. It is not as tight as Boxing Day or the Six Nations, but the V Class and minibuses do go. If you know your family is going, a booking in the spring is a good deal easier than a phone call in the second week of July.
Kent County Show travel questions
Family logistics, mainly.
When is the Kent County Show?
It runs over three days in July, usually the second weekend, at Detling Showground near Maidstone. The Saturday is the busiest day by a clear margin and the Friday is the easiest for access.
Can you drop us at the entrance?
Yes, which is the main reason families book us. Set-down at the gate rather than in a parking field saves a long walk in both directions, and with pushchairs, bags and older relatives that walk is the part that shapes the day.
How far is Detling from where we live?
For most of Kent, under forty minutes. Maidstone is fifteen, Medway around twenty-five, Gravesend about thirty-five, Canterbury under an hour. Show Saturday adds to the final couple of miles rather than the whole journey.
Can you take the whole family in one vehicle?
Yes, and it is usually cheaper than taking three cars once fuel and parking are counted. V Class and minibuses are our most-booked vehicles for the show for exactly this reason.
Can you carry a pushchair and a wheelchair?
Yes, with notice. Tell us what you are bringing and who is travelling when you book, and we will allocate a vehicle that takes it properly rather than one where it technically fits.
What if it rains?
Then the parking fields become the worst part of the day and the exit slows considerably. A drop at the gate matters more in wet weather, not less, and it is when we get the most bookings from people who drove the previous year.
Do you cover exhibitors and trade stands?
Yes. Early access on set-up day, load space for stock and stands, and the three days arranged as a block rather than separately. Tell us the volume you are carrying.
How far ahead should we book?
Spring is comfortable. July is the middle of our busiest season and the larger vehicles compete with weddings and proms, so a late booking risks not getting the size you want.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed when you book. A queue on the A249, a wet field or staying later than planned do not change what you pay.
Can you collect us at a set time or do we call?
Either. Most families set a time when they book and adjust by a message on the day. The driver waits rather than leaving if a child needs one more go on something.
Other Kent days out and guides
More of the county calendar.
Travel guides
Closest airport to Kent County Show
Southend Airport is the closest airport to Kent County Show, roughly 24 road miles and about 52 minutes by car outside the peaks. For most scheduled international flights the best airport for Kent County Show is Gatwick Airport, about 43 miles and 85 minutes away, with far more routes and airlines; Stansted Airport is the next option at around 54 miles.
| Airport | Road distance | Drive time | Fixed-fare taxi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southend Airport (SEN) | 24 miles | about 52 min | Get fixed fare · SEN transfers |
| London City Airport (LCY) | 34 miles | about 69 min | Get fixed fare · LCY transfers |
| Gatwick Airport (LGW) | 43 miles | about 85 min | Get fixed fare · LGW transfers |
| Stansted Airport (STN) | 54 miles | about 103 min | Get fixed fare · STN transfers |
| Heathrow Airport (LHR) | 58 miles | about 110 min | Get fixed fare · LHR transfers |
Best airport for Kent County Show: which one to fly into
Distance is only half the answer. Pick the airport with the right flight, then let us handle the road: every Rushxo airport taxi to Kent County Show is a fixed fare agreed before you book, the driver tracks your flight and meets you in arrivals with a name board, and waiting time for a late landing is built in. Popular searches: taxi from Southend Airport to Kent County Show, taxi from London City Airport to Kent County Show, taxi from Gatwick Airport to Kent County Show.
Airport taxi to Kent County Show: how it works
- Fixed price per car, not per person, saloon to V Class minibus
- Meet and greet in arrivals, live traffic routing, name board
- Drop-off and pickup charges included in the fare
- Child seats and wheelchair-accessible vehicles on request
- Return to the airport after the event at the same fixed price
- 24/7, pre-booked, TfL and council licensed drivers
Vehicles and drivers
Choose a saloon for up to four passengers, an executive car for business travel, an MPV for families and luggage, or a minibus for groups of up to 16. Every driver is TfL-licensed and DBS-checked, and every vehicle is insured for private hire.
Frequently asked questions
Is the price for Kent County Show Transfers fixed?
Yes. Every Rushxo journey is a fixed price agreed before you travel, whatever the traffic or time of day: no meter, no surge pricing, no hidden extras.
How do I book Kent County Show Transfers?
Request a quote online, by WhatsApp or by phone, 24 hours a day. Confirm the pick-up time and address and you receive the driver details before the journey; business accounts can book on monthly invoice.
Is Rushxo a licensed operator?
Yes. Rushxo journeys are operated by Get London Transfer Ltd, a TfL-licensed private hire operator (licence 11588). Rushxo Ltd is registered at Companies House (16464640), with DBS-checked drivers and insurance up to £10m.
Searching for London to Kent County Show taxi or taxi from London to Kent County Show? Rushxo quotes one fixed price before you travel, with a licensed driver and door-to-door pick-up at any hour.
Kent County Show: events, venues, airports & the wider Kent network
Rushxo runs fixed-price transfers from Kent County Show to events and venues, all major airports and cruise terminals, and towns and cities right across Kent and the South East. Every journey is a fixed price agreed before you book.
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Gatwick Airport · Heathrow Airport · Stansted Airport · Luton Airport · London City Airport · Southend Airport · Cruise transfers
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Canterbury · Maidstone · Ashford · Dover · Dartford · Gravesend · Folkestone · Margate
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