Serviced Apartments in Kent

Discover the best activities and attractions Kent has to offer, and find out what makes this city a vibrant and exciting place to live or visit.

Leeds Castle
Leeds Castle, set on islands in a lake near Maidstone, is one of England’s most picturesque historic sites, offering formal gardens, parkland, events and family attractions. As a major tourist draw in Kent it supports the local economy through visitor spending on admissions, hospitality, guided tours and on-site events (weddings, concerts, seasonal festivals), and sustains jobs in conservation, hospitality and groundskeeping. Its combination of history, landscaped gardens and year‑round programming makes it popular with families, heritage tourists and event organisers, while its conservation and education work benefit local schools and community groups.

Canterbury Cathedral & Historic Quarter
Canterbury Cathedral, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, anchors Kent’s rich religious and medieval heritage and sits at the heart of the city’s historic quarter, which includes museums, independent shops and cafes. The cathedral drives cultural tourism, pilgrimage and educational visits, generating spend for local hotels, restaurants and retail, and supports jobs in tourism, conservation, education and church services. Its special status, regular concerts, exhibitions and academic links make Canterbury a cultural hub that sustains the wider city centre economy and community activities.

Turner Contemporary (Margate)
Turner Contemporary is a high‑profile contemporary art gallery on Margate’s seafront, named after J.M.W. Turner and known for ambitious temporary exhibitions and community arts programming. Since opening it has been a catalyst for seaside regeneration, attracting visitors to Margate, boosting hospitality and creative-sector businesses, and creating cultural employment and learning opportunities for local schools and artists. Its location and programme have helped reposition the town as a cultural destination, supporting galleries, cafes and boutique accommodation in the area.

Bluewater Shopping Centre (Dartford)
Bluewater is one of the UK’s largest out‑of‑town shopping and leisure centres, offering a broad mix of high‑street and designer retail, restaurants, cinemas and family entertainment. As a major regional retail hub it generates significant employment across retail, hospitality and facilities management, and draws spending from a wide catchment that benefits surrounding towns and transport services. Its scale and mix of leisure and shopping make it a one‑stop destination for consumers and a key contributor to the local economy and supply chains.

Whitstable & the Whitstable Oyster Festival
Whitstable is famed for its seafood—especially oysters—and for a lively independent dining and arts scene; the annual Whitstable Oyster Festival celebrates that heritage with music, food markets and community events. The town’s fishing industry, restaurants and independent shops rely on both year‑round visitors and festival footfall, supporting local livelihoods, small suppliers and marine heritage projects. The festival and Whitstable’s culinary reputation boost tourism in the wider east Kent coast, promote local produce, and strengthen community identity and cultural tourism.

Explore the diverse transport options available in Kent, from efficient public transportation systems to convenient road networks. Whether you're commuting to work or exploring the city, this section will give you an overall look at the available transportation systems.

Public Transit System
- National Rail (Southeastern & Thameslink services) - Extensive commuter and regional rail linking Kent towns (Dover, Folkestone, Canterbury, Ashford, Maidstone, Medway towns, Tunbridge Wells, Thanet) with London termini (St Pancras, Victoria, Charing Cross, Cannon Street, London Bridge and others) and with frequent local inter-town services.
- High Speed (HS1 / Southeastern Javelin services) - Domestic high-speed trains on HS1 between Ashford International / Ebbsfleet and London St Pancras, cutting journey times for commuters and long-distance travellers.
- Eurostar & Eurotunnel (international links) - International rail and vehicle links via Ebbsfleet International (Eurostar stops) and Eurotunnel Le Shuttle from Folkestone for vehicles; Ashford International retains international-capable facilities and regular rail connections to Eurostar hubs.
- Ferry services (Port of Dover & other ports) - Cross-Channel ferries from Dover (regular services to Calais and Dunkirk) and vehicle/passenger ferry provision from other Kent ports; important for both passenger travel and freight.
- Local and regional buses - A network of local bus operators (including Arriva, Stagecoach and smaller local operators) serving towns and rural areas; frequent urban services in Medway, Maidstone, Canterbury and Thanet and inter-urban routes linking to rail hubs.
- Fastrack Bus Rapid Transit (Dartford / Gravesend / Ebbsfleet / Bluewater) - High-frequency, partly segregated bus rapid transit connecting key employment, retail and rail hubs in north-west Kent (Dartford, Gravesend, Ebbsfleet and Bluewater).
- Park & Ride and town-based shuttle services - Park-and-ride sites in several towns (for example Canterbury and Maidstone) and shuttle services that reduce town-centre congestion and link to mainline stations.
- Local taxi, private-hire and community transport - Licensed taxis and app-based private-hire services throughout Kent plus community transport schemes for rural and vulnerable users.

Major Highways
- M20 - Primary motorway link between London and Folkestone/Ashford; principal route to the Channel Tunnel and Dover area.
- M2 - East–west motorway serving Medway, sitting between London and the east Kent coast (serves Rochester, Canterbury area indirectly).
- M25 - London orbital motorway that clips north-west Kent and provides the main route around London, including access to the Dartford Crossing.
- M26 - Short connector linking the M25 to the M20, useful for traffic between the orbital and Channel routes.
- A2 - Historic London–Dover trunk road running through north Kent (Dartford, Rochester, Canterbury) and used as a major alternative to the M2/M20 for some journeys.
- A20 - Parallel to the M20; important for local traffic and access to Ashford and Dover approaches.
- A21 - Key route linking London with Hastings via Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, important for western Kent access.
- A299 / A256 (Thanet Way and east Kent routes) - Principal trunk roads serving the Isle of Thanet and east Kent coast, linking Ramsgate, Margate and Broadstairs to the rest of Kent and the motorway network.

Cycling Infrastructure
- Cycle network and lanes - Kent offers a mix of on-road cycle lanes and segregated / traffic-free paths, supported by National Cycle Network routes (including parts of NCN 1 and NCN 2), local signed routes (e.g., the Viking Coastal Trail in Thanet), town cycleway schemes (Canterbury, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells and Medway), and growing investment in safe links to rail stations and park-and-ride sites.

Recent and Upcoming Improvements
- Lower Thames Crossing - Major proposed new road crossing east of the existing Dartford Crossing designed to relieve congestion on the M25/Dartford Crossing corridor and improve cross-river connectivity; progressed through planning with phased construction intended in the 2020s.
- Dover Western Docks Revival & port access upgrades - Large-scale port and road access improvement works at Dover to increase capacity and streamline freight/passenger flows between the port and the national road network.
- Rail station and service upgrades (Ebbsfleet, Ashford, accessibility works) - Investments in station accessibility under national schemes, capacity improvements at key stations (Ebbsfleet and Ashford), and ongoing timetable/rolling-stock upgrades to improve frequency, reliability and journey times.
- Smart motorway and junction improvements (M20 / M2 / A2 corridors) - Road capacity and safety schemes, including targeted junction improvements and smart motorway technology on some corridors to manage peak flows and reduce congestion.
- Fastrack and bus priority expansions - Extensions and improvements to Fastrack and other bus priority measures to boost bus reliability, connect new developments (e.g., Ebbsfleet Garden City) and encourage modal shift from cars.
- Active travel and cycle infrastructure investments - Local authority schemes and developer-funded works expanding cycle lanes, safer routes to schools, and improved cycle–rail integration to support commuting by bike.
- Freight and logistics capacity enhancements - Upgrades to freight routes, port rail freight links and hinterland road access to cater for growth in freight movements through Kent’s Channel ports and the Channel Tunnel.