Get more out of Bluewater

Advantages: Free parking, great for parents
Disadvantages: Unbearably busy at weekends and bank holidays

...My wife is the ultimate Hyacinth Bucket. Lakeside is no longer good enough for her and every week we visit "Blue". That's 52 times per annum at a minimum. :( Luckily I have a day off during the week and can avoid the busy periods. Here's some tips for a better shopping experience: 1) If you are arriving from the North via the QE2 bridge/Dartford Crossing then consider taking the first exit immediately after the tolls and follow the A226 towards Greenhithe. This will bring you into Bluewater via a plethora of roundabouts and avoid the queues on the A2. Note: You really need to be in the left hand toll lanes to use this route as the exit is about 100m after the tollbooths. 2) From the A2, the first curving slip road exit into Bluewater is the busiest. It brings you towards the large open air car park outside Marks and Spencers...

dietcokeplease 06.07.2004 · Read review
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Review of Bluewater (Kent)

Take me and my credit card to Bluewater - NOW

Advantages: Very shop you could ever want
Disadvantages: And a few you might not

...I?ve been to Bluewater Shopping Centre today in Kent and now have no money so I am writing a review on it here on Ciao to try and generate some much needed funds lol. Bluewater is a big shopping centre located in the village of Greenhithe, Kent, which is actually 1 mile from junction 2 of the M25. A word of warning here, the road signs to this place are sparse. I am generally quite good at reading road signs but coming over the Dartford Bridge the signs are few and far between. Fortunately my friends and I had been before so no problems there then but the first time I came to Bluewater I did get lost. To make it easier you get off the M25 at Junction 2 (just after the Dartford Bridge) and follow the signs to Canterbury. A few miles down the dual carriageway you will sign posted to leave the dual carriageway and Bluewater is there...

couscous 20.06.2004 · Read review
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Review of Bluewater (Kent)

  A Grand Day Out

Advantages: Everything in one place. Caters for all budgets and tastes.
Disadvantages: You can spend the whole day there.....

...No doubt about it, I love to shop and whilst Oxford Street is brilliant with its range of shops it's also very crowded, you need to get the Underground there which can be a bit hit or miss at the best of times, and if its raining shuffling along Oxford Street against the tidal flow of tourists with massive rucksacks just isn't my idea of a Great Day Out. I was never brave enough to drive to Bluewater in my old Amazing Vibrating Micra. It rattled at 30mph and got a right old shake on at 60mph so much so that I had a fear that the door / exhaust / bumpers might fall off en route (although I always arrived at my destination with a smile on my face). Added to the fact it was so darn noisy you had to shout at your passenger it was never going to be an option. After buying myself a new shiny car I booked the day off work and drove...

Amazingwoo 26.10.2005 · Read review
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Review of Bluewater (Kent)

  FOOTLOCKER, BLUEWATER

Advantages: Like a kid in a candystore
Disadvantages: Slightly pricey, but expected

...Bluewater Shopping Centre purposefully knowing Footlocker had a store on the premises. It was certainly worth the car journey... Building up the anticipation for the store visit was exciting, and it wouldn't be far past all the other big-name designer shops (Lacoste, Fred Perry) that we would come across the shop selling clothes of similar appeal at a lower cost. Located straight opposite was a First Sport store, which is basically a JD Sports, and whilst this was useful so that you could journey across from the shops back and forth -- we ended up doing this all day. Unfortunately, after searching for a large JD's all my life I finally found one that dwarfed the size of Footlocker. Footlocker was a very narrow experience, with the space working you down towards the checkout desk. Unlike some stores it was not cluttered and gave off...

nathaninnit 09.07.2008 · Read review
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Review of Footlocker (Shop)

You Won't Find Any Pound Shops Here

Advantages: Great variety of shops, great day out
Disadvantages: Busy at weekends, many of the shops are designer names and expensive

...Lucky ol' me - I live within 25 minutes driving distance of two of the finest shopping centres in the land - Lakeside, and Bluewater! Not so lucky for my purse, however! For this opinion I will concentrate on the latter as it is my favourite of the two. If you've never been to Bluewater Shopping Centre, then you are really missing something!! It was designed in a triangular shape, with a huge department store at each apex; House of Fraser, John Lewis and a massive Marks and Spencers (if you think M&S have gone down the pan recently, then take a look in here - it may restore your faith). So; when you enter, if you carry on walking in the same direction you will eventually end up where you started; though it will take you several hours to do so if you are into serious shopping! The inside of Bluewater is bright, shiny and modern...

Dizz 04.06.2001 · Read review
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Review of Bluewater (Kent)

Shop till you drop and beyond

Advantages: Suits every type of shopper
Disadvantages: So many shops so little time

...This opinion is probably a bit useless for many readers as it is specific to Kent, but if anyone is travelling to France by car, let me tell you of the best shopping mall you can visit before making the final drive down to Folkestone or Dover. It is called BLUEWATER!! Now, some people will never like shopping malls, with loads of people and screaming kids, but this opinion is not for them. This opinion is for people who enjoy the art of shopping (window or otherwise), and to give my impression of this strange shopping experience. Background info: Gravesend is set on the Thames estuary. It is an industrial town with a very diverse community. Pocahontas is buried there having been brought to Britain and then dying of a cold, but unfortunately for the town hit badly by the eighties recession, Disney chose not to mention...

orlando 18.04.2003 (07.05.2006) · Read review
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Review of Bluewater (Kent)

  Blow All Your Credit Cards In 1 Place!

Advantages: Free Parking, All the Shops You Could Want, Leisure Facilities
Disadvantages: Easy To Spend a Fortune

...I can still remember the day they started building the shopping centre located in Greenhithe in Kent. It was a massive empty chalk quarry which you would look at and think how they are ever going to build the type of centre they were advertising in there. However although it took some time, they managed it and built the best shopping centre in this area. I have been a massive fan of Bluewater since the day it opened; in fact because I only lived about 10 minutes away also went to be nosey on opening day! How sad is that? Anyway, since that day I always prefer to go there for any shopping needs that I might have. When you first enter the centre from the car parks you walk into a large Welcome Hall, this is basically a large area with TV screen showing you things about Bluewater including opening times etc. In these areas you...

Andy0304 22.10.2004 · Read review
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Review of Bluewater (Kent)

There must be something for you

Advantages: many choices.
Disadvantages: too crowded.

...Last Sunday I visited Bluewater and I really enjoyed it. Bluewater is a very big shopping mall which located in Kent. The size of Bluewater is almost as a small village. It has attracted more and more people from and outside the UK since 1999. The building of Bluewater is a triangular shape with big glass ceilings. There are many sculptures with different themes on the inside walls. There are over 300 different shops in Bluewater. The big three shops are Marks and Spencer, House of Fraser and John Lewis. After I visited this M&S I changed my idea about it. Before I heard and also I thought M&S is more suitable for over middle aged customers from middle class. But this M&S in Bluewater seems very popular with all ages of customers. There are always long queues waiting for you when you want to try in the fitting rooms...

happysh2009 19.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of Bluewater Shopping Center

not just a shopping center - a day out!

Advantages: easy to park, loads of shops and restaurants
Disadvantages: quite far away

...My experience: As a man I'm designed to hate shopping, however the Bluewater Shopping Centre has made the whole experience so easy and pain-free, I've actually started to quite like it! I had never been before and must admit I was rather intrigued to see what it was like as I had heard many people talk highly of it in the past. Living in London I found it hard to justify driving around the M25 purely to go shopping for the day, but as soon as I arrived I realised why I had driven so far. To start with there were 13,000 car parking spaces - no need to worry about where you are going to park the car and with well over 320 shops the place basically has everything you could ever want; almost all the top high street retailers and department stores. If this isn't quite enough for you it also houses a thirteen screen multiplex cinema...

beanie8844 11.03.2008 · Read review
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Review of Bluewater Shopping Center

Blue-ming Marvellous

Advantages: More shops than you can shake a stick (or credit card) at
Disadvantages: See advantages

...Why have I not written a review of Bluewater before? I only live 10 minutes away and go there all the time, for shopping, for the cinema, for the restaurants, for a decent coffee and doughnut from Krispy Kreme, for a multitude of reasons.... so for goodness sake why have I not written a, what should be a relatively easy, review for the place?!? Well I guess partly because other people have done such a good job, a couple of Diamonds kinda puts you off trying to add something special, something new, or something even more exciting. But I've resolved myself to try - so here goes..... This little piece (for that is what I intend it to be) isn't going to go through the statistics or transport links. Neither shall I try and name the countless wonderful shops, boutiques, stalls or sales desks that Bluewater has to offer. Instead I...

philwalsham 28.06.2007 (27.06.2007) · Read review
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Review of Bluewater (Kent)