Thomas Cubitt laid out Pimlico in the 1820s and 30s as a grid of white stucco terraces and squares, and two centuries later it still looks much as he planned it. Behind those terraces are some of central London's busiest primary and secondary schools, the Churchill Gardens estate, and Dolphin Square, once the largest block of flats in Europe. Minibus hire Pimlico customers book is mostly school trips and sport, family outings and runs to Victoria, Heathrow and Gatwick, all of them shaped by the area's one-way streets and parking bays.
Pimlico sits between Victoria, Belgravia and the river, with Vauxhall Bridge Road on one side and Chelsea Bridge Road on the other. From our base in SE1, it's about fifteen to twenty minutes outside the rush hour, over Vauxhall Bridge.
Minibus hire Pimlico for school trips
Pimlico's schools, from the primaries in the side streets to Pimlico Academy on Lupus Street, book us for museum visits, theatre trips, swimming, sports fixtures and residential trips. Because the area is so central, many destinations are close. The South Kensington museums are about fifteen minutes away, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum have drop-off points nearby, and the Horniman in Forest Hill is about thirty minutes.
For a school booking, send us the pupil and staff numbers, the destination and the times, and we'll confirm everything in writing. The driver will be at the gate at the agreed time.
For sports fixtures, playing fields are a short drive away in Battersea Park, at the Westway, or further out at the school's own grounds. The team and the kit travel together, and the driver waits until the game finishes.
Tate Britain and the river
Tate Britain, on Millbank at the southern edge of Pimlico, holds the national collection of British art from the 1500s to today, with Turner's paintings in the Clore Gallery. Schools, art societies and university groups visit every day, and entry to the main collection is free.
The Tate Boat runs from Millbank Pier to Tate Modern on Bankside, and some groups combine a morning at one gallery with a river trip and an afternoon at the other. We can drop at Tate Britain and collect from Bankside later. The Thames Path along the Grosvenor Road side of Pimlico makes a pleasant walk towards Chelsea.
Residential streets and parking bays
Pimlico's grid is mostly residential, with one-way streets, residents' parking bays on both sides and traffic calming designed to keep through traffic out. A larger vehicle can get round, but it can't stop for long, and the driver can't use residents' bays.
For home pickups, give us the address and we'll agree the nearest point where the vehicle can stop, often at a junction or on one of the wider roads such as Lupus Street, Belgrave Road or Warwick Way. For schools, the pickup is usually at the gate, but some school streets close to traffic at the start and end of the day, so we'll check the times with the school. Minibus hire Pimlico parents book for a birthday outing works best with one meeting point rather than a run of doorsteps.
Victoria, Gatwick and Heathrow
Victoria station is on Pimlico's doorstep, with the Gatwick Express and Southern trains to Gatwick and the coach station for long-distance coaches. Many Pimlico families take the train, but with young children, grandparents and a lot of luggage, a minibus from the door saves the walk and the platforms.
Gatwick is about an hour to an hour and a quarter outside the rush hour, via the A23 and the M23. Heathrow is about forty to fifty minutes, via the Embankment, the A4 and the M4. London City is about thirty-five minutes. When the family flies back, send us the flight number and we'll match the pickup to the landing time.
Dolphin Square, Churchill Gardens and community groups
Dolphin Square, by the river, and the Churchill Gardens estate next to it have large communities of residents, including many older people. Residents' associations, lunch clubs and community groups book us for outings to gardens, the coast and attractions outside London. For senior groups, we'll keep the steps and the walking to a minimum.
Pimlico Road, with its antique shops and design showrooms, and the Saturday farmers' market at Orange Square suit a quieter group outing.
Congestion Charge and the gyratory
Pimlico is inside the Congestion Charge zone and the ULEZ. Our vehicles meet the ULEZ standard, and if your trip falls in charging hours, the Congestion Charge goes on the quote. Vauxhall Bridge Road and the Vauxhall gyratory, just over the river, are slow at peak times, and Victoria's one-way system can add time on the way in. For school trips, leaving after half past nine avoids the worst of it.
For minibus hire in Pimlico, call 020 7183 0567.