Chessington Zoo opened in 1931 in the grounds of an old manor house, and in 1987 it added rides and became Chessington World of Adventures, one of the first big theme parks in Britain. Today the resort combines rollercoasters and family rides with a zoo, a sea life centre and two themed hotels, and it draws schools and families from all over London and the south-east. Minibus hire Chessington customers book is mostly about the park, with school trips, family days and birthday groups, along with local school runs and airport runs.
Chessington sits at the southern tip of Kingston borough, between Tolworth, Hook, Malden Rushett and the Surrey border, with the A243 Leatherhead Road running past the park. From our base in SE1, the drive takes fifty minutes to an hour on a clear run, almost all of it on the A3.
Minibus hire Chessington for school trips to the park
Chessington runs education programmes alongside the rides, with zoo talks, animal encounters and learning sessions on habitats, conservation and the science of rollercoasters. School groups usually visit at the end of the summer term or in the spring, when the park is quieter on weekdays.
The park has a coach and minibus drop-off near the main entrance, and the driver will drop there, then wait in the coach park or return at the time the teacher gives. Give us the pupil numbers, the number of adults and the date, and you'll get a written confirmation back to attach to the trip paperwork.
Minibus hire Chessington schools book from central London usually leaves at about half past eight to arrive for the gates opening. A typical school day at the park runs from opening until about three, and teachers often ask for the return to leave half an hour before the official finish, so the class is back at the gate for parents.
Family days and birthday groups
For families, youth groups and birthday parties, a minibus for the day means everyone arrives together, nobody has to drive home tired, and there's room in the back for bags, buggies and spare clothes for the water rides. Groups from across London and Surrey book us for the run.
The park opens from spring to autumn, with special events at Halloween and on summer evenings. On sunny weekends and in school holidays, the queue for the car park on the A243 can stretch back a long way, and a minibus using the coach drop-off avoids much of it. Tell us when you want to leave, and the driver will be at the coach park in good time.
Halloween evenings are popular with youth groups and older teenagers, and the park stays open after dark on selected dates. The return on those nights is later than a normal day, so we'll agree a pickup after the last ride closes.
Resort stays and the hotels
The resort's two themed hotels, the Safari Hotel and the Azteca Hotel, and its glamping site host families on short breaks. Groups staying over book us for the run in on the first day and the run home at the end, often with a stop on the way.
Local schools and the green belt
Chessington's own primary schools and the schools of Hook and Tolworth book us for regular runs, fixtures and trips. The green belt around Chessington has walks at Horton Country Park and Epsom Common, a short drive south, and Chessington's garden centre and farm shops suit a senior group outing. Bocketts Farm, a working farm near Fetcham a short drive south, is a gentler alternative to the theme park for nursery groups, with animals to feed, pig racing in the holidays and a big barn for lunch when it rains. The driver drops in the farm car park and the run back to Chessington is quick, about fifteen minutes.
Families in Chessington book us for weddings, christenings and birthdays, with guests taken to venues across Kingston, Epsom and Surrey.
Airport runs from Chessington
Heathrow is about thirty to forty minutes from Chessington outside the rush hour, via the A3 and the M25. Gatwick is about thirty-five minutes, via the M25. Families heading on holiday book us for the run from the door with room for the cases.
The A243 and park traffic
The A243 Leatherhead Road is the only main road to the park, and on busy days the traffic heading in, and the queue for the car park, can back up towards the A3 at Hook and towards Malden Rushett. The Hook junction on the A3 is slow at peak times. On park days, we'll plan an early arrival and use the coach entrance. For local pickups, the residential roads are wide and pickups are straightforward.
For minibus hire in Chessington, call 020 7183 0567.