Outer Circle · Regent's Park · London NW1 4RY
London Zoo: two different days out
By day London Zoo is a family outing in Regent's Park with buggies, small children and no realistic parking anywhere nearby. On summer evenings it runs adults-only Zoo Nights, which is a completely different booking with a late return and a group who have been drinking.
A family Saturday and an adults-only summer evening are the same postcode and nothing else in common. Tell us which, because the vehicle, the timings and the return arrangement all differ.
Daytime and Zoo Nights
Two products from the same organisation, and two entirely different transport jobs.
Families
Buggies, small children, car seats. A daytime drop and a flexible return.
Summer evenings, adults only
Bars, food and a late finish. Book the return for the evening you are having.
Either way
Regent's Park and the surrounding streets are controlled. There is nowhere to leave a car.
Around it
Worth an hour in its own right, particularly in summer.
Kent to Regent's Park
North of the centre, so further across London than it looks from Kent.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Journey |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley & Orpington | 16 miles | 50–80 min |
| Bexleyheath & Welling | 16 miles | 50–85 min |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 22 miles | 55–90 min |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 28 miles | 60–95 min |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 28 miles | 65–100 min |
| Rochester & Chatham | 37 miles | 75–110 min |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 38 miles | 75–115 min |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 61 miles | 100–140 min |
Going with children
The same considerations as our Camp Bestival page, at a fraction of the distance.
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tell us the children's ages | Child seat requirements are a legal matter, not a preference |
| Buggies take real space | Particularly doubles, which do not compress |
| It is a walking day | Regent's Park and the zoo itself. Small children tire |
| No parking anywhere | Which is the main reason families book us for this |
| A flexible return | Children set the pace. We agree a window rather than a time |
A day at the zoo
Say daytime or Zoo Nights
It is the first thing we ask. A family visit needs a daytime drop, child seats and a flexible return; a Zoo Nights booking needs an evening arrival and a late collection for a group who have been in the bars. Same address, and nothing else about the two bookings is alike.
There is genuinely nowhere to park
Regent's Park and the surrounding streets are controlled throughout, and the zoo sits in the middle of it. Anyone driving themselves spends a meaningful part of the day dealing with that, usually with children in the car. Being dropped at the gate and collected from it is the entire reason most of our zoo passengers book.
Tell us the ages if children are coming
Same as our Camp Bestival page and for the same reason: child seat requirements are set by law rather than by preference, and they depend on age and height. Raise it at the enquiry stage and we will confirm what we can supply. Buggies, particularly doubles, also need declaring because they take real space.
Regent's Park is part of the day
The zoo sits inside one of the best parks in London, and a family that has done three hours of animals often wants an hour of grass and open space afterwards. A collection window rather than a fixed time accommodates that, and it costs nothing extra when agreed at booking.
London Zoo questions
Families by day, adults by night.
What are Zoo Nights?
Adults-only summer evening events with bars and food, which are a completely different booking from a family day visit. Tell us which you are attending.
Is there parking at the zoo?
No. Regent's Park and the surrounding streets are controlled throughout, which is the main reason families book transport for this.
Do you need our children's ages?
Yes, at the enquiry stage. Child seat requirements are set by law and depend on age and height. We will confirm what we can supply.
Can you carry buggies?
Yes, and tell us how many and whether any are doubles, since they take real space and do not compress.
How far is it from Kent?
Around sixteen to sixty miles, roughly fifty minutes from Bromley to two and a half hours from east Kent. NW1 is further across London than it looks.
How does the return work for a family?
A window rather than a fixed time, because children set the pace. Agreed at booking, at no extra cost.
What about a Zoo Nights return?
Later, and booked for the evening you are actually having rather than the published finish time.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking including the waiting.
Family days out
London and beyond.