Hot Air Balloon Flights - United Kingdom
Balloon Experience Information & Directory

Can I fly from any or all of these places ?

Depending on your age, interest-level, and budget, you may be interested in flying your own hot air balloon or in buying a flight with other passengers in a commercially operated hot air balloon (i.e. flying as a paying passenger).

Suppose I had my own Hot Air Balloon ?

If you bought your own hot air balloon and associated equipment, learned to fly it (you have to pass a test), and had some people willing to operate as your ground-crew, then we’re sure you wouldn’t be reading our list of places – you’d be too busy investigating possibilities for yourself !

There would, of course, be some things to take into account such as regulated air-space e.g. around airports, and any other regulations that apply, weather conditions e.g. wind speeds and directions, permission to use take-off site/s, availability of appropriate areas for landing, your personal interests and scenic preferences, and so on. These and other considerations prior to a flight are all very much part of the fun.

The places mentioned on this website are a non-exhaustive collection of ideas - just a modest sample of places that may be fun to see from a hot air balloon ride. Some balloonists travel long distances to fly over interesting places – both at home and abroad. If you’d like to find out more about this, one great way is to visit one of the large (international) Hot Air Balloon Festivals that take place during the summer months. These are popular with many people who love to enjoy hot air ballooning for fun - and to share memorable experiences with friends, family, and other hot air ballooning enthusiasts.

Most people start by…

Buying a ticket for a Hot Air Balloon Flight (as a passenger)

There are a few important considerations to bear in mind so we suggest that you also read our page about booking a hot air balloon flight.

Obviously the locations that you can fly from, or over, when traveling as a passenger in a hot air balloon are always going to be more restricted than if you planned and operated your own hot air balloon flight.
(We assume you are willing to pay around £100s/person for a basic balloon flight, but not enough to hire a hot air balloon, associated equipment, pilot, and crew - to be on stand-by to go to the locations/s of your choice whenever your whim and the weather conditions dictate !)

The flexibility of use of the ticket you buy, and especially the geographical flexibility of where you can use it, depend on who you bought your ticket from. Some Hot Air Balloon operators offer flights over a huge area extending over many counties (not just one or two) - which is excellent ! However, most of the smaller local Hot Air Balloon operators tend to fly only from only their local area (town/villages). This may be because they only have a certain small number of locations from which they can take-off. You’ll know if such a restriction would matter to you, but if you are buying the flight as a gift for someone else then it may not be your preferences that are paramount – but those of the recipient of the gift !
For your own peace of mind, shop around before buying a flight voucher and ask questions. As you may be talking to anything from a large business to a small family or individual concern, don't make assumptions or be concerned about the questions you ask. For example, it's fine to ask about the experience of the pilot, e.g. for how many years has he/she been carrying paying passengers ? Operators with many years in this activity will be pleased to say so.

An easy solution to the problem of ensuring geographical flexibility when buying a hot air balloon flight is to buy the voucher from an Experience Day Company. There are many companies in the UK that sell Hot Air Balloon Flight vouchers that can be redeemed with a wide range of Balloon Flight operators across the country. This means that you can buy the ticket/gift and then let the recipient choose the operator and location that is most convenient or appealing to him/her. Easy ! Experience Day vouchers can be purchased online or from a wide range of shops on the UK High Street.

Wherever in the UK you live and work, the chances are that there are Hot Air Balloon flights available in your area during the summer months. This activity depends on the weather and other factors (e.g. local aviation restrictions, livestock, etc.). For maximum flexibility, especially if buying the flight as a gift, we recommend buying your flight voucher from a large established organization that offers a wide range of choice of dates and locations.

Of course, if you own your own Hot Air Balloon then you can fly from even more locations of your choice – both in the UK and elsewhere !!!

Have you heard of the company before ?

How long have they been operating ?

How flexible is the ticket ?

Are you restricted to one small area of the UK ... or can you choose from sites Nationwide ?

For how many years has your pilot been flying commercially ?