Bus Travel in the Medway Towns
Discover the Medway Towns by Bus
Visit the home of the Royal Navy
With connections to Charles Dickens, a castle, fort, historic dockyard and cathedral, there is plenty to explore in Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and beyond.
Charles Dickens moved to Rochester when he was just 5 years old and considered it his hometown. Many of the places mentioned in his books still stand today. Take the self-guided trail to visit some of them, including the Six Poor Travellers House and Miss Haversham’s 'home'. Find out more here.
The Rochester Guildhall was built in 1687 and is one of the finest 17th century buildings in Kent. Now a museum, it brilliantly displays a timeline through Medway's history. Just a few doors down is Baggins Book Bazaar, England's largest second-hand bookshop, and on display are thousands of titles on most subjects.
Credit: Visit Kent
Literary history is just the start for Medway; non-literary history is equally as impressive. Rochester Castle proudly sits alongside Rochester Cathedral, England's second oldest cathedral, both surrounded by cobbled streets. The castle is strategically placed to guard an important crossing of the river and has a fascinating history of destruction and rebuild.
Credit: Visit Kent
Outside of Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham are well worth a visit. The Historic Dockyard in Chatham is a great place to explore historic warships and a Cold War submarine or watch ropemakers using techniques that are centuries old.
Credit: Robert Radford
Whilst there, why not tipple in a little gin at Copper Rivet Distillery housed within the dockyard?
Gillingham hosts the Royal Engineers Museum, Kent's largest military museum. Highlights include Chard’s weapons from the Zulu War, a Harrier Jump Jet and an enormous V2 rocket. The collection is so impressive, it has been designated as being of historical and international importance.
Credit: Visit Kent
A little further afield, walk through the beautiful Hoo Peninsula, with the Heron Trail and Saxon Shore Way trails.
The Fenn Bell is Medway’s first zoo with a difference. A visit to The Fenn Bell is a must for all of the family. Not only is it home to a wonderful array of animals, whom have been rescued or transferred from other zoos, it’s also a lovely pub which serves delicious home-cooked food. To get there, just hop on the service 191 from Chatham - the bus stops right outside!
Credit: Visit Kent
The Medway towns sandwiched between the River Medway and the River Thames is a great mix of ancient and modern history, great eateries and exciting things to see and do for all ages.
For amazing one or two day itinerary ideas, check out Visit Kent’s 48-hours in Medway here.
Below is a list of routes to help you get around the Medway Towns. The main routes for the attractions above are:
| Destination | Routes | Bus stop or postcode to use in our Journey Planner |
| Rochester | 140, 141, 190, 191 and 700 | The three main bus stops in Rochester are Rochester Community Hub, Rochester Rail Station and Guildhall Museum. All give access to Rochester High Street with Rochester Rail Station closest to Rochester Castle and Cathedral. |
| The Historic Dockyard Chatham | 1, 2, 101, 116 and 182 | 101 and 182 stop at Dockyard Main Gate - the visitor entrance is a 10-15 minute walk. 1, 2 and 116 stop at Western Avenue - a short walk to the entrance. |
| Royal Engineers Museum | 101, 116 and 182 | 116 stops right outside the entrance with 101 and 182 stopping at King Charles Hotel on Brompton Road, a short 5 minute walk away. |
| Hoo Peninsula | 191 | You can join the route at Hoo Marina. The most frequently served stop is The Five Bells, a 15 minute walk from the walking route. Some buses run to Hoo Marina, a 7 minute walk away. |
Medway zone tickets offer a wide range of unlimited travel options for individuals or families. Buy yours now here.
Bus Services in Medway
1/2/100 Gillingham to Chatham
101 Gillingham to Maidstone
116 Hempstead to Chatham
132/132A Chatham to Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre
133/633 Cliffe to Chatham
140/141 Chatham to Earl Estate
145 146 Chatham to Warren Wood
155 Chatham to Borstal
164 Chatham Grove to Chatham
166 Chatham to Lords Wood
175/176/177 Walderslade to Gillingham
182 Twydall to Chatham
190 Chatham to Gravesend
191 Grain to Chatham
700 Chatham to Bluewater Shopping Centre
Zone maps
Take a look at our zone maps showing bus routes and ticket zone boundaries: