Ashford has a fine bus network run by Stagecoach

The famous Bus number which some residents tried to have banned!!

Getting around Ashford, Kent by Car, Bus or other.

If your intentions are not to visit the Town Centre, the road system in Ashford isn't that bad.
The M20 runs east to west straight through the town and this links to the M25 and the Continent.

Travelling by car north and south isn't so easy, you have the A2042 which takes you down to Hastings (32 miles) and north to Canterbury (15 miles). Both these roads can become very congested at times. You'd be lucky to get from Ashford Town Centre to Canterbury City Centre in under 40 minutes on a good day.

The Town Centre to be honest is a nightmare. The Council in their wisdom have recently changed the one way ring road into a two way ring road.
The positives are that some trips are shorter by half but the negative is that it takes twice as long.
They say this is in preparation for the new Shopping Centre opening in 2008, but I can't see it working.
It has however stopped Boy Racers using it as a general race track.

There seems to be ample parking facilities in the Town, but the pricing is a mixture of high and low, thus making your journey longer after finding the cheapest one is full! Same in most places I guess.

BUSES
Stagecoach offer a good range of routes in and around Ashford.
On the longer trips ie Canterbury, Maidstone, Faversham and Hastings, sitting on the top deck will give you quite scenic routes as you travel around the Villages. You have the flatness and baron Romney Marshes to the south and the North Downs to the north.
National Express Coaches also stop at Ashford and day returns to London are always way below the train fares, The journey time is approx two hours, so about half an hour longer than the quickest train journey

Taxi's and Car Hire
Taxi's in Ashford are situated by the International Railway Station and by the Bus Stops behind the High Street (next to the big awful 1960's designed large Office Block - you can't miss it!).
If you're getting a taxi north side of Ashford, I would suggest always using the Town Centre taxi rank, thus avoiding the long trip around the ring road, watching the meter go up as you do so!

If you travel to Ashford by Train, you can rent a Car at the Railway Station.
For other car rental companies in Ashford, there are the usual big names to choose from.

Cycling
As time moves on, Ashford Council are improving cycling around Ashford. There are now many dedicated Cycle routes and can be viewed here

All in all, I can't with hand on my heart say that driving around town is enjoyable, but going out for drives in the surrounding countryside are and there are many picturesque villages, woods and hills to discover.

Getting around Ashford as quick as possible!

Don't forget that from 1st.April 2008, Free Bus Passes for over 60's and special needs can be used Nationwide!

If driving past Ashford, always check Local Radio. The French have a habit of starting Industrial Disputes which close Calais and Dunkirk down. This leads to 'Operation Stack' and can delay your journey by a long time.
Tips for town centre driving in Ashford
 1. Work out your journey time and double it
2. Say you're parking at the most expensive and furthest away car park - because that's the one you'll end up in
3. Take a packed lunch with you.
4. If cycling, it's best not to.
5. Buy a suitable vehicle. I recommend a Tractor.
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