Three main roads meet at Purley Cross, the A23 from London, the A22 heading for Eastbourne and the A235 from Croydon, and the A23 carries straight on to Gatwick. That makes Purley one of the best-placed parts of London for the airport, and it's why so many airline staff and frequent flyers live here. Minibus hire Purley customers book is led by Gatwick runs, along with weddings, school trips and visits to the area's aviation history at Kenley and Croydon Airport.
Purley sits in the south of Croydon borough, in a valley between the hills of Kenley, Sanderstead and Coulsdon. From our base in SE1, it's about forty-five minutes to an hour outside the rush hour, down the A23 through Streatham and Croydon.
Minibus hire Purley for Gatwick runs
Gatwick is about twenty-five to thirty-five minutes from Purley outside the rush hour, down the A23 and the M23. For families heading off on holiday, groups of friends flying together and business travellers with colleagues, a minibus from the door is quicker and easier than the train from East Croydon with a stack of cases.
For departures, tell us the flight time and the terminal, and we'll suggest a pickup with a sensible margin. For arrivals, send us the flight number and the driver will time the pickup to the landing. Heathrow is about forty-five minutes to an hour, via the M25. Stansted and Luton are both about an hour and a quarter or more. Minibus hire Purley families book for a summer holiday often means a very early start, and the A23 is clear at that hour. Crew members and pilots on early shifts book us too, often as a small group sharing one vehicle from homes across Purley and Kenley.
Weddings down the A22 and A23
Purley and the surrounding hills have churches, golf clubs and country venues, and couples marry here and in Surrey. Receptions are often at hotels and barns down the A22 and the A23, where public transport is scarce and the lanes are dark at night.
A minibus collects guests from their homes or a hotel, drops at the ceremony, carries on to the reception and handles the late run home. For venues down country lanes in Surrey, we'll check the access and the turning space with the venue first.
Kenley airfield and Croydon Airport
RAF Kenley, on the hill above Purley, was one of the most important fighter stations in the Battle of Britain, and much of the airfield survives, with blast pens, a memorial and a gliding club that still flies from the runway. Kenley Common, around it, has walks and heritage trails. Gliders still use the runway, so groups keep to the common and the marked heritage trail.
Historic Croydon Airport, on the Purley Way, was London's first international airport, and its terminal building has a visitor centre that opens on set days. Schools, cadet groups and history societies book us for trips to both.
Schools on the hills
Purley has several independent and state schools, and they book us for museum visits, theatre trips, swimming and sports fixtures. The South Kensington museums are about an hour away outside the rush hour, and the Science Museum and Natural History Museum have drop-off points nearby.
Teams travel to fixtures across Croydon, Sutton and Surrey. The squad, the coaches and the kit all travel together, and the driver stays at the ground. Purley's prep schools have busy fixture lists, and their teams travel to schools across Surrey and Kent on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.
The Purley Way and shopping trips
The Purley Way, the A23 north towards Croydon, is lined with retail parks and big stores, and it's a popular trip for shopping groups. The retail parks have big car parks with room to stop, which makes them easy by minibus. Purley's own town centre has shops, restaurants and pubs along the Brighton Road and the High Street, and a large supermarket by Purley Cross.
For a birthday dinner or a night out, the driver collects from homes across Purley, Kenley and Sanderstead, drops at the venue and does the run home at the end.
Purley Cross and the hills
Purley Cross is a large one-way system where the three main roads meet, and at peak times it's one of the slowest junctions in south London. The valley floor around it has also flooded in heavy rain in the past, so in a storm we check the roads before setting off. The roads up the hills, to Kenley, Sanderstead and Riddlesdown, are steep and narrow in places, and some private estates in the area have their own rules about access. For home pickups, give us the address and we'll check the nearest point the vehicle can reach.
For minibus hire in Purley, call 020 7183 0567.