Church Road · Wimbledon · London SW19 5AE · Late June to mid July
Wimbledon: your ticket decides the day
Four people can go to Wimbledon on the same day and have four entirely different experiences, arriving at different times, sitting in different places and leaving hours apart. Before anything else about transport, we need to know which kind of ticket you are holding.
Ballot, debenture, hospitality and grounds pass. Each has a different arrival window, a different finish and a different sensible collection arrangement. It is the single most useful thing you can tell us when you book.
Four tickets, four days
This is the framework we plan around. Everything else follows from it.
Centre or No.1 Court
A seat for the day. Arrive in good time, and the finish depends entirely on the matches.
Show court, with hospitality
Access to debenture facilities, and holders often stay well after play. Later collection.
Timed, with dining
The most predictable of the four, because the package sets the schedule. Tell us the operator's timings.
Outside courts
Cheapest, most flexible, and often the best value. Comes and goes as you like.
Kent to SW19
South west London, and busier than usual for the fortnight. We leave earlier than a satnav suggests.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Championships journey |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley & Orpington | 11 miles | 40–70 min |
| Sidcup & Bexley | 15 miles | 50–80 min |
| Bexleyheath & Welling | 16 miles | 50–85 min |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 25 miles | 55–90 min |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 23 miles | 55–90 min |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 29 miles | 65–100 min |
| Rochester & Chatham | 38 miles | 75–110 min |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 39 miles | 75–115 min |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 62 miles | 100–140 min |
Which day of the fortnight
The first week and the second are different events, and the transport reflects that.
| Stage | Character |
|---|---|
| First week, weekdays | Most tennis for your money. Outside courts busy, atmosphere relaxed |
| Middle Sunday and second Monday | Traditionally one of the best days of the fortnight |
| Quarter finals | Show courts only really. Grounds passes give less |
| Semi finals | Big days, later finishes, heavier crowds |
| Finals weekend | The hardest to get to and from, and the shortest day of play |
Planning a Wimbledon day
Tell us the ticket, then the date
A grounds pass holder may leave at four in the afternoon or stay until nine, and either is fine. A hospitality guest has a schedule set by the package operator. A debenture holder will very likely still be there an hour after the last ball. These are not variations on one booking, and getting it right is the difference between a vehicle waiting and a group waiting.
A grounds pass is usually the best value
Especially in the first week, when the outside courts have serious players on them and you can wander between five matches in an afternoon. It is also the most flexible arrangement for us, because you decide when the day ends rather than the order of play deciding it. For a first visit we would recommend it over almost anything else.
Play does not finish at a set time
Tennis has no clock. A day's order of play can end at four or run to the curfew, and nobody knows in advance. We work Wimbledon as a return window rather than a fixed time, agreed with you at booking, and our Wimbledon guide covers how that works alongside the Queue, the stations and what you can bring in.
SW19 is residential and controlled
Church Road and the streets around it are managed throughout the fortnight, with residents' parking, stewarding and restrictions on where a vehicle may stop. We agree a collection point in advance, a short walk from the gate on your ticket, and we do not attempt to hold outside the grounds.
Wimbledon Championships questions
Tickets, timings and SW19.
Why does the ticket type matter for transport?
Because it determines when you arrive and when you leave. A grounds pass holder chooses; a hospitality guest follows a package schedule; a debenture holder usually stays long after play. They are different bookings.
Which ticket is best value?
A grounds pass in the first week, when the outside courts have serious players and you can watch several matches in an afternoon. It is also the most flexible for planning transport.
What time does play finish?
There is no fixed time. A day can end in mid afternoon or run to the curfew. We work Wimbledon as an agreed return window rather than a set time.
Can you collect us outside the grounds?
No. Church Road and the surrounding streets are managed throughout the fortnight with restrictions on stopping. We agree a collection point a short walk from your gate.
How long does it take from Kent?
Around forty minutes from Bromley to well over two hours from east Kent, and longer than usual during the fortnight.
Which day should we choose?
The first week gives the most tennis for the money. Finals weekend is the shortest day of play and the hardest to travel to and.
Do you cover hospitality packages?
Yes, and they are the most predictable to plan because the operator sets the schedule. Send us those timings and we will build the day around them.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking, with the return window and any waiting arrangement set out in advance.
Summer occasions and guides
The London season.