Woolwich has been reinvented more than once. For centuries it was a military town, with the Royal Arsenal making weapons on the riverside and the Royal Artillery Barracks up on the hill. Now the Arsenal is a riverside neighbourhood of flats, restaurants and arts venues, and the Elizabeth line has put the town twenty minutes from central London. Minibus hire Woolwich customers book is a mix of school trips, family events, residents' airport runs and nights out, with London City Airport just over the river.
From our base in SE1, Woolwich is about thirty-five to forty-five minutes outside the rush hour, along the A206 or the A2.
The Royal Arsenal and Woolwich Works
The old Royal Arsenal site, on the river, has been turned into thousands of homes with shops and restaurants among the historic buildings. Woolwich Works, in former arsenal buildings, is now a creative and cultural venue with theatre, comedy, music and events.
Residents book us for airport runs, weddings and big birthdays. The restaurants and bars around the old arsenal square draw groups in the evening, and a minibus home to Plumstead, Abbey Wood or Charlton is a short run. Many of the blocks have a drop-off area or a quieter service road where a minibus can wait, so give us the building name when you book.
Minibus hire Woolwich for school trips
Woolwich has a large number of schools, and they book us for museum trips into central London, sports fixtures and days out. The Thames Barrier, just west of the town, has an information centre that's popular for geography trips. Greenwich, with its museums and the Royal Observatory, is a short drive away.
Weekly fixtures and swimming lessons can be booked for a whole term in one go.
The Woolwich Ferry and crossing the river
The Woolwich Ferry is a free vehicle ferry across the Thames to North Woolwich, and it's been running in one form or another for well over a century. When it's running, it's a quick way across to London City Airport and the Royal Docks. It does close for maintenance and bad weather, and queues build at busy times.
The alternatives are the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels to the west, both of which charge a user fee, or the Dartford Crossing to the east. The driver checks the ferry before setting off and picks the best route on the day.
City Airport over the river
London City Airport is about fifteen to twenty-five minutes from Woolwich, depending on the crossing. Gatwick is around an hour via the A2, the A20 and the M25. Stansted is about an hour, via a tunnel or the Dartford Crossing and the M11. Heathrow is a long way, an hour and a quarter or more.
For families with relatives flying in, a minibus that collects the whole group from the airport and brings them home is a common booking.
Hospital, weddings and the neighbours
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, on the edge of Woolwich Common, is the main hospital for the area, and staff book us for team events and leaving dos.
Woolwich has plenty of weddings, from register office ceremonies to receptions at venues across south-east London. General Gordon Square, in the town centre, is a popular meeting point for guests, and Charlton, Eltham and Thamesmead are all close by.
Woolwich sits between Charlton to the west and Plumstead and Thamesmead to the east. Charlton has The Valley, home of Charlton Athletic, and match days bring traffic to the roads around it. Plumstead is mostly residential, with family pickups and school runs. Thamesmead, further east, was built in the 1960s and 70s on the marshes, and its roads were planned for cars rather than buses, which makes pickups straightforward once the driver knows the layout.
Abbey Wood, at the eastern end of the Elizabeth line, is close too, and its station is a handy meeting point for groups coming from Bexley.
The town centre and the A206
Woolwich town centre has a busy high street, Powis Street, and a market. The roads around it form a one-way system with bus lanes, and the Elizabeth line station has brought more people into the centre.
The thing to know about minibus hire Woolwich residents book is that the A206 and the roads into the town centre are slow at peak times, especially on weekday mornings heading towards Greenwich and London. For airport runs or trips into the centre, we'll plan the pickup for the slower version of the road.
Tell us the date, the numbers and where the group needs to be, and we'll come back with a vehicle, a route and a written price.
For early flights, the roads are quiet and the ferry isn't running yet, so the driver will use a tunnel.
For minibus hire in Woolwich, call 020 7183 0567.