Dulwich has something no other part of London has, a working toll gate. College Road, running south from Dulwich Village, still charges vehicles to pass. It sums the area up. Quiet, green, old-fashioned in the best way, and home to some of the best-known schools in the country. Minibus hire Dulwich families and schools book is mostly sports fixtures, school trips and weddings, with airport runs and family events in between.
From our base in SE1, Dulwich Village is about twenty-five to thirty minutes outside the rush hour.
Minibus hire Dulwich for school fixtures
Dulwich College, Alleyn's and James Allen's Girls' School are all here, along with several prep schools and state schools. Their teams play fixtures across London and the south-east every week, and they book us to get the squads and kit there and back.
For regular fixtures, send us the list for the term and we'll book the dates in. Saturday morning fixtures are the busiest, with several teams from the same school travelling at once. For those, two or three vehicles leaving together, each with its own team and kit, keep the morning on schedule.
The schools also run music tours, drama trips and field courses, and their sixth forms head off on university open days. For longer trips, we'll plan comfort stops and the return time around the school day.
Dulwich Picture Gallery and the park
Dulwich Picture Gallery is the oldest purpose-built public art gallery in England, and school groups, art societies and tour groups visit throughout the year. Dulwich Park, next door, has a lake, gardens and a cafe, and it's a popular spot for a walk after a gallery visit.
For gallery trips, the driver drops near the entrance on Gallery Road and waits nearby. The Horniman Museum, a short drive south in Forest Hill, pairs well with the gallery for a full day out. Belair Park, across the road, has sports pitches used by local clubs.
Chapel and church weddings
Dulwich has plenty of weddings, at churches in the village, at the College's own chapel and at venues across south London. Guests often come from across London, and a minibus from a meeting point to the ceremony, then on to the reception, keeps everyone together.
The village streets are quiet but narrow, with parking on both sides. We'll agree the drop-off and waiting points with the venue in advance.
East Dulwich and Lordship Lane
East Dulwich, around Lordship Lane, has restaurants, bars and shops, and it's a popular spot for birthday dinners and family celebrations. Groups book us to get there and back, often from across south London. Herne Hill, just to the west, with Brockwell Park and its lido, has its own restaurants and a popular Sunday market.
Dulwich Hamlet FC, who play at Champion Hill on the edge of East Dulwich, draw big crowds for a non-league club, and match days bring traffic to the roads around the ground.
Airports from the Dulwich side
Gatwick is about fifty minutes to an hour from Dulwich outside the rush hour, via the South Circular and the A23 or the A205 and the M25. London City Airport is about half an hour east, through the Blackwall or Silvertown tunnel. Heathrow is about an hour, via the South Circular and the A3 or the M25.
The South Circular, the A205, runs along the southern edge of Dulwich and is slow at peak times. We'll avoid it on airport runs wherever a better road exists.
The College Road toll gate
The toll gate on College Road is the last of its kind in London, and it charges vehicles to use the road. Some larger vehicles may not be allowed through at all.
The thing to know about minibus hire Dulwich residents book for a pickup south of the village is that the route may avoid College Road altogether. We'll check the address and plan the route, and if the toll road is the best option, the charge goes on the quote.
Dulwich is also handy for days out. The Kent coast, the castles of the Weald and Brighton are all within about an hour and a half, and Wimbledon, Hampton Court and Richmond are a short run west along the South Circular. For a school or society trip, the vehicle and driver stay with the group and bring everyone back before the evening traffic.
Give us the fixture list, the date or the guest numbers, and we'll come back with a plan and a written price.
For school bookings, we'll match the vehicle to the squad and the kit, not just the head count, and confirm everything in writing for the school office.
Saturday fixture mornings always book up first, so send the term's dates as early as you can.
For minibus hire in Dulwich, call 020 7183 0567.