Dates, prices and menus are as published by each venue (checked October 2026); entries marked “2025 dates” are last season’s and will be updated when 2026 dates are announced. Check the linked site before booking. We can take you door to door to any of these – Christmas fares.
Getting around Sittingbourne: parking, car hire, public transport & accessibility
Car parks in Maidstone – prices & opening hours (nearest researched hub to Sittingbourne: Maidstone)
- Maidstone East Station car park (APCOA)
Station Approach/Sandling Road ME14
£8.00 per day (£8.50 Tue–Thu); £4.00 evening after 18:00; £33.30 weekly; Blue Badge free (register)
524 spaces, 6 Blue Badge bays · prices & booking - Mote Road short-stay (Maidstone BC)
Mote Road ME15
£1.35/1h; £2.70/2h; £4.10/3h; £5.45/4h (max 4h); evening £2.60 (18:30–08:00) (from 1 Apr 2026) · 24h
Blue Badge free up to 4h in disabled bays Blue Badge bays · prices & booking - Medway Street short-stay (Maidstone BC)
Medway Street ME14
£1.70/1h; £3.40/2h; £5.00/3h; £6.75/4h; evening £2.60 · 24h · prices & booking - Brooks Place long-stay (Maidstone BC)
Brooks Place ME14
£1.50/1h … £7.45/5h; £9.70 over 5h; evening £2.60; 2m height · 24h · prices & booking
All car parks near Sittingbourne on Google Maps.
Car hire in Maidstone (nearest researched hub to Sittingbourne: Maidstone)
- Enterprise Maidstone Central
Enterprise House, London Road, Maidstone ME16 8PZ
Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00; Sat 08:00–14:00; Sun 11:00–15:00 · 01622 828171 · book - Enterprise Maidstone South
423 Sutton Road, Maidstone ME15 8RA
Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00; Sat 08:00–13:00; Sun closed · 01622 476390 · book - Hertz Maidstone
See branch page
— · — · book - Europcar Maidstone
See station finder
— · — · book
More car hire near Sittingbourne on Google Maps. Typical 2026 rates: economy car from about £35–£60 a day. Hiring just to reach the airport? Count the fuel, the airport car-park fee and the return of the car before comparing with a one-way fixed fare.
Public transport vs taxi from Sittingbourne to the airports
| Airport | Train / tube / bus | Our taxi |
|---|
| Heathrow | Southeastern Maidstone East to London Victoria, Circle/District to Paddington (or Jubilee to Bond Street), Elizabeth line to Heathrow
110–130 min · 2 changes · Maidstone East–Victoria walk-up via journey planner + Elizabeth line Z1–Heathrow £15.50 (2026, reported)
first arrival approx 07:15, last departure approx 21:30 · timetable | – |
| Gatwick | Maidstone East to Victoria, Gatwick Express/Southern (alt: Maidstone West–Tonbridge–Redhill–Gatwick)
97 fastest, ~135 average · 1–2 changes · Not published on Trainline; Gatwick Express from Victoria ~£20+
first arrival approx 06:00 (first dep 03:41), last departure 23:13 · timetable | – |
| Stansted | Maidstone East to Victoria, Victoria line to Tottenham Hale, Stansted Express
156 fastest · 2 changes · Advance from £27 (Trainline)
first arrival approx 07:00 (first dep 03:10), last departure 01:38 · timetable | – |
| Luton | Maidstone East to Swanley/Bromley South or Victoria, Thameslink to Luton Airport Parkway, DART
112 fastest, ~170 average · 1–2 changes · Advance from £30.30 (Trainline); DART £4.90 if separate
first arrival approx 06:30 (first dep 03:10), last departure 00:50 · timetable | – |
| London City | Maidstone West to Strood, Highspeed to Stratford International, DLR to London City Airport
90–100 min · 2 changes · Walk-up via journey planner + DLR PAYG
first arrival approx 07:00, last departure approx 22:00 · timetable | – |
Coach: No National Express airport coach listed from Maidstone on Omio (Oct 2026); nearest airport coaches from Canterbury or Dartford/Bluewater – — min, — (book).
How to choose. Public transport wins on price for one traveller with hand luggage at 10am. A taxi usually wins when there are two or more of you (one fare for the car, not per person), when you have hold bags or a pushchair, for flights before the first train arrives or landings after the last one leaves, and when a change of train or a station without lifts would be a problem. Rail fares above are per adult; add £4–£6 per person for the DART/shuttle where shown, and remember engineering work most weekends.
Accessibility in Sittingbourne: step-free travel, assistance dogs & pets
| Station | Step-free access | Lifts | Assistance | Accessible toilets | Source |
|---|
Maidstone East
Southeastern | Category B1 — each platform step-free from street/forecourt, but interchange between platforms is via roads/steep paths over 200m | No lifts | Passenger Assist: book up to 2h ahead or turn-up-and-go (20 min); staffed Mon–Sat 05:00–01:00, Sun 07:00–23:59; meeting point platform 1 office | Yes, platform 1 (stoma-friendly) during staffing hours | station page |
Step-free: Maidstone East B1 (no lifts); Maidstone West and Barracks — check National Rail. Buses: Arriva Kent & Surrey and Nu-Venture; low-floor accessible; Maidstone Bus Station ME15. Blue Badge parking: Free at station (APCOA registration); Blue Badge free up to 4h in disabled bays in MBC car parks. Guide & assistance dogs: Assistance dogs accepted on all services on local public transport. Pets on public transport: Southeastern: up to 2 small dogs free, leashed; Arriva: driver's discretion, assistance dogs always free.
Travelling with us: assistance dogs always travel free in every car, no notice needed (Equality Act 2010). Other dogs and pets are welcome by prior arrangement – tell us when you book so we send a suitable car and a driver who is happy to carry them. Folding wheelchairs, walkers and mobility scooters that fold go in the boot at no extra charge; if you need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle or extra time at pick-up, say so when booking and we will confirm availability before you pay. Rail step-free status changes when lifts are out of service – check the station page or book Passenger Assist (ideally 2 hours ahead); on TfL you can turn up and go.
Child-friendly Maidstone: places for children & family dining (nearest researched hub to Sittingbourne: Maidstone)
- Kent Life Heritage Farm Park
Farm animals, play; family tickets
adult about £14, approx · more - Mote Park
Free park, large playground, lake, Mote Park Adventure Zone · more - Maidstone Leisure Centre
Leisure pool with flumes/wave machine
about £5–£15 a session · more - Hazlitt Theatre
Family shows, pantomime
tickets about £12–£30 · more - Leeds Castle
Castle, maze, playgrounds, falconry
adult about £32 (annual ticket), approx · more
Family restaurants: Harvester The Running Horse, Maidstone; Toby Carvery Maidstone; wagamama Maidstone.
Baby changing & feeding: Maidstone East: baby changing on platform 1 during staffing hours (Southeastern). Fremlin Walk/The Mall Maidstone publish facilities on their sites.
Child seats: licensed private hire cars are exempt from the child-seat law when a seat is not available, but we would rather fit one – give us the children’s ages when you book and we will bring the right seat where we can (free, subject to availability), or you are welcome to bring your own. Pushchairs and travel cots go in the boot at no charge.
Car park, car hire, rail and accessibility details are as published by the operators and airports (seen October 2026) and from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) – check before you rely on them; TfL Journey Planner times are for a weekday 10:00 departure. Our fares are the fixed saloon price on the linked route page.
