School transfers from Ramsgate for pupils and students: term-time journeys to school, university and the airport

What school transfers from Ramsgate cover

Typical bookings include:

• Boarding pupils travelling between home in Ramsgate, Minster or the villages and school at the start and end of each term.
• Students arriving at Heathrow, Gatwick or another airport for the new term, collected and driven to their school or accommodation.
• University students moving in or out at the start and end of the academic year, with all the luggage that involves.
• School exchange trips to or from the airport.

Who drives, and what we do not provide

The service is a pre-booked car and a licensed driver, as with any other booking. Every driver holds a current private hire driver's licence issued by a local authority, which requires an enhanced DBS check, and every car is a council-licensed private hire vehicle with hire and reward insurance.

We do not provide chaperones or escorts. If a pupil is flying alone, check the airline's own rules for young passengers before you book the flight; those rules are set by the airline.

Term dates and the busiest days on the road

Kent County Council sets the term dates for community and voluntary controlled schools. The governing bodies of foundation and voluntary aided schools set their own, and academies and free schools can decide their own dates too, so the dates that matter are the ones on your school's calendar. Universities publish their own term dates.

The first and last days of term are the ones to book early, because everyone at the same school travels on the same day. The start of the school holidays is also one of the times when the M25 can add 30 to 45 minutes, so for an airport run on that day, build in extra time on top of the typical figures.

Luggage for a term away

A term's worth of belongings rarely fits a saloon, which takes two large cases. The estate carries three to four large cases, and the people carrier four or more, with seats for up to six if two or three students are travelling together. Mention anything awkward when you book, such as a trunk, a musical instrument or sports kit, so that the right car is sent.

Exchange trips work in the same way on a larger scale. A group of up to six with their cases fits in one people carrier; a bigger party can book several cars for the same flight, each with its own fixed fare. Give us the group leader's mobile number as the contact for the day.

What parents arrange, and what to tell us

The booking is usually made by a parent or guardian, who can pay online by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna or Revolut. To make the day run smoothly, include:

• the passenger's full name, as it should appear on the name board;
• a mobile number for the passenger and one for you;
• pickup and drop-off addresses, including the boarding house or hall of residence;
• the flight number and airport for any airport leg;
• who, if anyone, will meet the passenger at the other end;
• for younger children, their ages, so we can fit child seats on request.

Meet and greet when a student lands

For airport collections we track the flight and time the pickup to the actual landing, so a delayed flight costs nothing extra and the car is not sent away. The driver waits in the arrivals hall with a name board and helps with the luggage to the car. After an international flight, 45 minutes of waiting is free from the moment the plane lands.

Ask your son or daughter to switch their phone on as soon as they land and to look for their name on the board as they come through.

Typical journey times from Ramsgate

From an address in Ramsgate, typical drive times to the terminal are:

• Gatwick: 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours.
• Heathrow: 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes.
• Stansted: 1 hour 55 minutes to 2 hours 20 minutes.
• Luton: 2 hours 5 minutes to 2 hours 35 minutes.
• London City: 1 hour 35 minutes to 1 hour 55 minutes.

Booking, changing and cancelling school transfers

The booking system shows a fixed fare for the car before you confirm, and it does not rise for early starts, weekends or bank holidays. Journeys to schools and universities further afield in the UK are booked the same way, as long-distance transfers. If term dates move, cancelling more than 24 hours before pickup costs nothing; between 6 and 24 hours up to 50% of the fare can be charged, and inside 6 hours the full fare may be due.