Southwark is home. Our base is on Bear Lane in SE1, a few minutes from Southwark station and Blackfriars Road, and that makes this the borough we can reach fastest. Minibus hire Southwark customers book often comes at short notice. A train cancellation at London Bridge, an office team that needs moving in the next hour, a wedding party that's grown by six people since Friday.
From Bankside to Dulwich, most of the borough is within twenty to thirty minutes of our base, and the north of it within ten.
London Bridge, Bankside and the riverside
The north of the borough runs along the Thames, from Bankside through London Bridge to Bermondsey. Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe, Borough Market, Southwark Cathedral and The Shard are all here, along with thousands of offices.
London Bridge station is one of the busiest in the country, and when trains are cancelled, groups often need another way home or on to an airport. A minibus from the station is the easy answer. We'll agree a pickup point nearby, because the roads around the station are busy and heavily controlled.
Guy's Hospital, next to London Bridge, is part of one of the biggest hospital trusts in London, and staff book us for team events. The Bridge Theatre, by Tower Bridge, and Southwark Playhouse bring theatre groups into the area.
Borough Market fills the streets around it on Saturdays, and the roads near the cathedral and Southwark Street slow down.
Minibus hire Southwark for office teams
The offices around London Bridge, More London and Bankside book us for away days, client events and team nights out. A typical booking is a team of fifteen heading to a venue in Kent for the day, back in time for evening trains from London Bridge, or a group going from the office to a dinner in the West End.
For corporate bookings, we'll agree the pickup point in advance and send the details in writing. Being so close means late changes are easier to handle.
Elephant, Peckham, Camberwell and Dulwich
Elephant and Castle has been rebuilt in recent years, with new housing, shops and London South Bank University and the London College of Communication close by. Students and staff book us for trips and events.
The Old Kent Road runs south-east towards New Cross, with Burgess Park and Walworth to one side. It's one of the busiest roads in south London, and slow at most times of day.
Further south, Southwark changes. Peckham has its rooftop bars, its busy Rye Lane and a lot of nights out. Camberwell has King's College Hospital and the art school. Dulwich has its village, its picture gallery and some of the best-known schools in London.
Dulwich schools book us for sports fixtures and trips, often on Saturday mornings and midweek afternoons, and Dulwich Picture Gallery is a popular school visit. Peckham groups book us for nights out and birthdays. King's College Hospital staff book us for team events and leaving dos. The South London Gallery in Peckham and the Horniman, just over the border in Forest Hill, are both popular school visits.
Airports from SE1
From Southwark, London City is the closest, around twenty-five to thirty-five minutes. Gatwick is about an hour to an hour and a quarter, via the A3 and the A23 or the A2 and the M25. Heathrow is about an hour, via the A4. Stansted and Luton are both around an hour and a quarter.
For early flights, our short distance helps, and it helps on the way back too, because the driver finishes close to base. A 4am pickup in Bermondsey or Walworth means a driver who started ten minutes away.
Weddings and celebrations
Southwark has plenty of weddings, from Southwark Cathedral and churches across the borough to register office ceremonies and receptions at riverside venues near Tower Bridge and Bermondsey. Being this close to our base helps a lot on the day. If guest numbers change in the morning, a second vehicle can usually be with you quickly.
We'll plan the timings with buffers, because weddings always run a little late, and the driver will wait between runs.
Congestion Charge and Tower Bridge
The north of Southwark, around London Bridge, Borough and Bankside, sits inside the Congestion Charge zone. The charge applies during charging hours when a route enters it.
Tower Bridge closes to traffic for a few minutes each time it lifts for ships, and has its own restrictions on heavier vehicles. The Rotherhithe Tunnel, in the east of the borough, has height and width limits that rule out larger minibuses. When you book minibus hire Southwark side for a trip north across the river, we'll pick the crossing that suits the vehicle and the time of day.
For minibus hire in Southwark, call 020 7183 0567.