We will be in London in October and are interested in seeing Chartwell and Hever Castle as a day trip out of London. We do not drive in Europe. Looking at tours or private transfer is quite expensive, more that we are willing to spend. I have read on this forum before of using taxis for pick up at the bus station and pre-arranging time for pick up from one location and taking to the next with a pre-arranged time to return to the bus station for return to London;
I emailed a taxi company in that area for pickup at Sevenoaks to begin this process with inquiry about cost. That was over 10 days ago with no response.
For those who have done this before.....did you pre-arrange the taxi pickup initially at the Sevenoaks train station or did you just use what was available when you actually arrived? Do you remember generally how much you paid?
I am a little reluctant to book entry tickets at those venues without knowing the reliability of transportation to get to and from them.
Thanking you in advance for your time and response.
Posted by
Lake District, England
9805 posts
For Chartwell if you go on a Sunday the London Bus #246 runs there from Bromley North, Bromley South and Hayes railway stations, hourly.
All those stations are within TfL fare zones, and it's a normal flat rate London bus fare.
Posted by
Atlanta
2594 posts
I had my hotel in Oxford, England, book a taxi or private car to take me round trip to Blenheim Palace. It was a few years ago but a very reasonable price during November when I didn’t want to wait for a bus in the cold weather.
The car picked us up at the hotel and at a prearranged time drove us back to Oxford.
Perhaps you could do it through your hotel.
Posted by
Chicago
1607 posts
We were in Chartwell two weeks ago. Highly recommend! I had the same questions as you - I'd planned this trip a couple years ago and then got sick and didn't feel like leaving London. So, special treat this time. Sorry, I can't help with the Hever Castle end of things.
We just picked up a taxi at the train station at Sevenoaks. In fact, we missed the two that were sitting there as our train arrived, but another came along immediately. I made arrangements with that driver to come back and pick us up. We exchanged What'sApp numbers in case anything went wrong, but he was back at our designated time. I think I gave us 3.5 hours to enjoy Chartwell, the gardens, the estate walks. That was fine for us - with more time, we might have walked more trails. There is an OK cafe as well if timing is off.
Chartwell's ticketing is unusual. You can't pre-book except for a few hours in the afternoon. When one arrives in the AM, tickets for entry are first come, first served. Ticket office opens at 10, gardens at 9 as I recall. We were first in line for house entry tickets and entered at 10. The entry room is small, so they have timed entries at 10 minute intervals. My approach to the matter was to arrive about 9:30 which we easily did with train from London, then taxi. If you find a private driver (I had no luck at a price I wanted), you could arrange afternoon pre-booked tickets, but I didn't see this as an option for us.
I'll check on the price I paid and the taxi company. There were several different companies at the taxi stand.
edit - Shungite Taxi was the company that appears on my visa charge: https://www.shungite-taxis.co.uk The driver gave me a card that said "Warren Taxi" - the website indicates independent drivers. Definitely licensed vehicle and driver. Fine service, very large passenger seating area (I didn't think about it being wheel chair accessible, but obviously it was). Price one way was just over $33 USD both going and returning.
The other company that was quite prominent at the train station was Beeline Taxis. http://www.sevenoakstaxis.com
I had not researched specific taxi companies before we left on this trip. If our driver had not been so responsive and helpful, I would have asked the very nice staff at Chartwell who they would recommend I call for a pick-up. In the past, I have emailed Chartwell and other major venues and asked about transport and recommended cab companies so I have that when I arrive. I have always received gracious responses.
Posted by
Long Beach, Ca, usa
2190 posts
Shouldn't this thread be in the England forum instead of France?
Posted by
OP
Hill Country
68 posts
Many thanks to all everyone who responded.
And yes, Judy you are correct as this does belong in the England Forum. I am working on the trip in France that I just returned from and can't get France off my mind as I am doing a digital photo book of that trip.
Thanks for the detail from the Chicago person. Great information that is really helpful and so recent. We will take your advise and just plan to arrive at 9:30 AM and use the taxi from the Sevenoaks train station when we arrive. The other taxi company you mention but did not use is the one I emailed and got no answer. Maybe the request was too detailed so my fault. Anyway, you have answered my questions and I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to offer up your experience.
Great week to all!
Posted by
IJzendijke, The Netherlands
2240 posts
Last year I stayed near Edenbridge but had my own car. Visited both Chartwell and Hever Castle the same day. Driving between the two you will pass through Edenbridge and I think a better, cheaper place for arranging a taxi at one of the two train stations there than from Seven Oaks. Have to say that I have no idea how easy that will be.
There are direct trains from London Bridge (38 min.) to Edenbridge Town and trains from London Charing Cross to the other train station in Edenbridge with a change in Tonbridge (around 1 hour).
You will certainly enjoy both Chartwell and Hever Castle. Don’t be afraid to have a chat with one of the stewards there, they are well motivated to answer questions if you have them. Not only fun to do but also very instructive.
Posted by
Chicago
1607 posts
I was advised by folks at Chartwell two years ago for the journey that didn’t occer due to illness to catch a taxi at Sevenoaks for best service. Sounds like the OP picked up that advice somewhere also.
I can’t comment on adding Hever, although we almost added Knole (Sackvilke-West House) to the Chartwell day. That is in/near SevenOaks and do-able with taxi or walk/hike. Opted for early return to London and National Portrait Gallery instead. Too many options!
Posted by
Nashville, TN, USA
4021 posts
Here's information about getting to Hever Castle, or reverse the information to return to London.
The information from their website includes taxi services so there are some more options for you.
https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/
https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/visit/opening-times-directions/
From their website:
"By Rail:
Trains run from London Victoria and London Bridge (via Oxted or East Croydon) to Edenbridge Town Station, and then take a taxi for three miles to the castle. Contact Country Hire and Go Taxis, telephone 07723 054863 or Relyon Taxis, telephone 01732 863800. We suggest that you book a taxi in advance for both legs of your journey.
Hever Station (next on line, unmanned and no taxis) is a one-mile rural walk to the castle. (Map of walk from station to castle). As you leave the platform you will also see another map on your left. This will guide you to Hever Castle, but you simply need to look out for red and white wooden posts.
There are no regular bus services to Hever Castle."
Map of the walk from the station to the castle:
https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Walk-station-map.pdf
You could do Hever and Chartwell on different days. I know your plan was originally to do both on the same day, taking a taxi between the two, but you may not have enough time at Hever that way. There's a lot to see at Hever, including house and gardens. There's a nice cafe there for lunch or a snack/refreshments.