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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Gillingham, Kent
Gillingham
Use Gillingham station for the 45–65 min train to London, but sleep in Rochester or Chatham: one night here at most.
Gillingham is one of the three Medway Towns, with Rochester and Chatham, on the River Medway in north Kent. It is a working town with a football club, a military-engineering museum and a dry ski slope, not a sightseeing base. Trains reach London in 45–65 minutes, so most travellers sleep in Rochester or Chatham and pass through Gillingham, or use it as a cheap bed for a London or Kent trip.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Local name
- Gillingham
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (cold, wet, short days)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £45–70 excl. bed · Mid £70–120 excl. bed · High £120+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 · NHS non-urgent 111 · Police non-urgent 101
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | £3–4.50 |
| Fish and chips | £9–14 |
| Pub main meal | £12–18 |
| Pint of draught beer | £4.50–6 |
| Bus ride in the Medway Towns | £2–3 |
| Train Gillingham → London, off-peak return | £25–40 |
| Royal Engineers Museum, adult annual ticket | £17.50 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LGW · London Gatwick
- About 1 h 15 min by train to Gillingham via London or Redhill.
- STN · London Stansted
- About 1 h 45 min by train via London.
- LHR · London Heathrow
- About 2 h by train via central London.
- LCY · London City
- About 1 h 15 min by train via London.
Typical fares
- Gillingham → London Charing Cross
- about 60–65 min, off-peak return £25–40
- Gillingham → London St Pancras, Javelin
- about 45 min, supplement applies
- Gillingham → Rochester
- 5–10 min by train or bus
Get around
Local buses run under Arriva Medway Towns and Nu-Venture; the three towns are close enough to link by train or bus in 5–15 minutes. Gillingham station is the main rail stop for the area, with Southeastern services to London Charing Cross and Victoria, and the Javelin high-speed service from St Pancras. A car helps for the ski slope and out-of-town hotels; parking in the centre is limited.
See and do
Known for
- Royal Engineers Museum
- Gillingham FC (the Gills)
- Medway Towns riverside
- Fast trains to London
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rochester | Train or bus from Gillingham, 5–10 min | About 20 min |
| Chatham | Train or bus from Gillingham, 5–10 min | About 20 min |
| Canterbury | Train via Faversham or the A2 by car, about 32 mi (51 km)Train via Faversham or the A2 by car, about 32 mi (32 mi) | About 1 h |
| London | Southeastern to Charing Cross or Victoria, or Javelin from St Pancras | 45–65 min by train |
| Dover | Train via Faversham or the A2 by car | About 1 h 15 min |
| Margate | Train via Faversham, check the connection | About 1 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Gillingham station and High Street
- Cheapest beds and the fastest walk to the London train; the High Street is pedestrianised between the station and the library.
- Rochester and Chatham
- Better base for sights, food and the riverside; 5–10 min by train or bus from Gillingham.
- Gillingham Business Park (ME8)
- Chain hotels with parking; only useful with a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Excuse me / Sorry |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Please | Please |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where is the toilet? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- Buy a ticket to Gillingham in Kent, not Gillingham in Dorset: the two are often confused at ticket machines.
- The Javelin high-speed service from St Pancras carries a supplement unless you start outside the London area; check before you board.
- The Royal Engineers Museum closes on Mondays; check opening days before you travel.
- Late-night trains from London thin out after about 23:00; check the last service back.
Gillingham is a normal working town and is safe by day; the centre can feel rough after dark around the High Street and station, so keep to lit streets and use licensed taxis.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Gillingham, Kent yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Royal Engineers Museum
- Gillingham FC (the Gills)
- Medway Towns riverside
- Fast trains to London
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Kent: www.visitkent.co.uk/
- National Rail — Gillingham (Kent): www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/glm/details.html
- Southeastern Railway: www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/
- Royal Engineers Museum: www.re-museum.co.uk/
- Gillingham FC: www.gillinghamfootballclub.com/
- Arriva Medway Towns: www.arrivabus.co.uk/kent-and-surrey/bus-travel-in-medway
- Wikivoyage: Gillingham (Kent), revision 5270409 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5270409
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Gillingham, KentGillingham
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Gillingham; most are in London. The US Embassy is in London (check the address).
English is the only language you need here.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/gillingham-kent). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.