Luxury and long-distance travel from the University of Kent and Blean: graduation, London and the ports

Graduation day at Canterbury Cathedral

Kent's Canterbury ceremonies take place in the Cathedral; the November 2026 ones are on 19 and 20 November. The university's advice to guests explains why a car with a driver helps: there is no parking within the Cathedral grounds, guests typically start queuing about 90 minutes before the ceremony, seating opens an hour before, and the ceremony itself lasts about 90 minutes.

An executive saloon can bring the family in from a hotel or from the campus, set them down at an agreed point in the city in good time for the queue, and come back for them afterwards. Graduates meet their guests by the War Horse sculpture once it is over, which makes a natural place to plan the rest of the day from.

A car and driver by the hour or the day

For days with several parts, a ceremony, a lunch, a photograph on the campus with the Cathedral in the background, then a train or a flight, the car and driver can be kept by the hour or for the whole day instead of booked as separate trips.

The same arrangement suits a parents' visit: collected at Heathrow, a stop at the hotel, an afternoon on campus, dinner in the city. Tell us the plan when you book and the driver stays with you.

Long-distance journeys home after the final term

The summer term ends on 18 June 2027, and for many students that is the end of living in Canterbury. A long-distance car to another UK city takes the boxes, the bike bag and the people in one go, and the fare is fixed in advance for the whole vehicle.

Choose the car by the load: an estate takes 3 to 4 large cases with up to 4 passengers; an MPV up to 6 passengers with 4 or more cases. If you want a break on the way, put it in the booking; unbooked stops can be added to the fare. The route starts on the A2 and the M2 out of Canterbury.

London for the day

A visa appointment, a job interview, a West End show for a parent's birthday: London is a long day from the campus by train if you have bags or an awkward return time. An executive car seats up to 4 and can wait for you by the hour, or simply take you in and bring you back at the agreed time.

For flights from London City after a day in town, the airport is reached from the A2 through the Blackwall Tunnel; tolls on the journey can be added to the fare where they apply.

Cruise and ferry ports from the campus and Blean

Dover has two dedicated cruise terminals at its Western Docks, and Southampton five: the QE II and Ocean terminals in the Eastern Docks, and Mayflower, Horizon and City in the Western Docks. Give the terminal when you book. Ferries from Dover sail to Calais and Dunkirk.

Two people's luggage for a fortnight at sea fills a saloon quickly, so an estate or an MPV is often the comfortable choice. The fixed fare stays the same whatever the traffic on the way to the port.

Special occasions in Blean, Rough Common and Tyler Hill

Luxury transport is not only for the campus. Families in the three villages book an executive car for a wedding, an anniversary dinner in London or a milestone birthday, with the driver collecting from home and bringing everyone back at the end of the evening.

Tell us the timings, the number of guests and any stops, and the fare is fixed for the car before you confirm. For a long evening, booking the car and driver by the hour is usually simpler than two separate journeys.

Eurostar and St Pancras

Eurostar trains to Paris, Brussels and Lille leave from London St Pancras. With heavy luggage, or a party of four, a car from the campus or the villages to St Pancras can be easier than a high-speed train from Canterbury West and a walk across the station. Give the train time so the pickup leaves room for check-in.

Choosing the car for the occasion

Executive: up to 4 passengers and 2 to 3 large cases, for graduation, London and business. Saloon: up to 4 and 2 large cases. Estate: up to 4 and 3 to 4 large cases. MPV: up to 6 passengers and 4 or more cases, for families and big moves.

Every driver holds a private hire driver's licence from a local authority, which requires an enhanced DBS check, and every vehicle is council-licensed, inspected and insured for hire and reward.