Getting Around Canterbury
Canterbury is a cathedral city in east Kent. Canterbury Cathedral, together with St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church, forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city is also home to the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University. Term dates, open days and graduations bring parents and students to the city through the academic year.
The city has two stations. Canterbury West has high-speed trains to London St Pancras, and Canterbury East has trains towards London Victoria. Add the train and its arrival time to the booking, and the car is scheduled for that arrival.
The historic centre lies inside the old city walls. If your hotel or guest house is within them, send the full address with the booking and we will tell you how close the car can go.
For a day split between the cathedral, a campus and meetings outside the city, a booking by the hour fits: one chauffeur and one vehicle stay with you for the time you reserve.
Airport Transfers in Canterbury
London City Airport is 58 miles away, 1 hour 25 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes by car. It sits in the Royal Docks, handled 3.74 million passengers in 2025 and suits short business flights. Gatwick is 69 miles by road, 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 55 minutes; in 2025 it counted 42.8 million passengers across its North and South terminals. The right one depends on your airline and route.
Book with your flight number. For a flight into London, your chauffeur checks the flight status and times the pick-up to when you actually land, and your booking confirmation shows where to meet the chauffeur. For a departure from Canterbury, what counts is the length of the drive, not the time on the clock: both airports are well over an hour away, so build the whole route into the pick-up time, not only the last miles. Journey times vary with traffic and weather. You set the pick-up time yourself, and the confirmation shows it.
Long-Distance & Day-Trip Travel from Canterbury
The Kent coast is close. Whitstable, a seaside town known for its oysters, is 8 miles north, 30–40 minutes. Dover is 18 miles, 40–55 minutes; ferries sail from its port to Calais and Dunkirk, and cruise ships berth at the Western Docks. French border checks take place in Dover before you board, so allow extra time in the school holidays.
Maidstone, the county town of Kent, is 28 miles, 50 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes. Central London is 61 miles, 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours 10 minutes.
For a longer day, Cambridge is 104 miles, 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 55 minutes. Driving from Canterbury, your bags stay in the car until you reach the college or hotel, and an hourly booking keeps the same car for the trip back.
Groups & Event Travel in Canterbury
The cathedral and the two universities lend themselves to group travel: a school trip or church group visiting the cathedral, a family arriving for a graduation, or cruise passengers spending their day ashore here from Dover, 18 miles, 40–55 minutes away.
When you book for other people, all their transfers can be kept in one account, each with its own booking and confirmation. If guests fly in on several flights, every arrival gets a transfer of its own. For a church group or a class, a Sprinter van carries up to 12 people with their bags, and bigger groups go by coach, with up to 56 seats; the vehicle is matched to the load, from day bags to full suitcases.
Local vehicles and drivers are booked up early for graduation weeks and summer weekends. If your plans go beyond a standard booking, write to support with the dates, addresses, number of passengers, flights and luggage, and the team will arrange it.
