At Adventure Balloons we specialise in hot air ballooning but what makes us stand out above the rest is that we don’t hand out rides like a conveyer belt. Our passion for ballooning drives us to enjoy providing our customers with unique experiences every time. Making you happy really does make us happy and so we always strive to tailor each flight to the individual. After 27 years of running passenger hot air balloon rides, we’re more in love with the ‘sport’ than we ever have been! There’s nothing as wonderful to us, than seeing the expressions and reactions from our passengers when we take them up on their first hot air balloon ride; it’s magic!

However it’s not just our dedication to customer satisfaction that makes us so popular; we have looked at every corner of our business so that we can bring you the very best in every area of your experience, from your researching, your choice of location and date to the booking process itself. Take a look at the features we have available for you.

Running Out Of Time? – Simply choose a voucher design from our range to arrive at the email of your choice in seconds! When you have selected your voucher type and design complete with your personal message. This facility is available 24 hours a day!

Birthday Surprise? – We have just the thing; take a look at our specialist HAPPY BIRTHDAY Balloons available for 2-4 people and for parties of 16! They’re over 100 feet high and we’re the only ballooning company to have them in the country!

Buy & Fly Now! – If you have a voucher, all you have to do is enter your location and the amount of spaces you require and we’ll give you available dates over the next 30 days! However if you do not have an Adventure Balloons Voucher you can find out available dates before you book too! Again, just select the location that you wish to fly from and the number of passenger spaces you require and you will then see all flights matching your requirements over the next 30 plus days.

Easy peasy! If you’d like to discuss the flight, book over the phone, ask questions and generally have some human contact, do feel free to call us, we’re always happy to help – 01252 844222.

Does the thought of seeing the earth and the land from another perspective entice you?

Are you eager to look down on the world like a bird with a complete and unhindered view of it all?

Does the thought of hot air ballooning excite you?

Then join the club; here at Adventure Balloons we have a real passion for hot air ballooning which is still very much alive and kicking after 27 years in the business! We are the largest company in the country offering UK balloon flights and now even operate specialist ‘Happy Birthday’ balloons! Our complete fleet has capacities which range from four to sixteen people so that we can create the perfect intimate and romantic affair, or a lively airborne party to celebrate a pivotal day!

We fly from various locations around London and the Home Counties and after many years experience it seems clear that our passengers seem to prefer to fly over a location which is familiar to them. It makes perfect sense when you think about it; say you grew up in the area, worked, or went to school there, you know the place well – on foot – however you want to see it from about and experience its true beauty! So why not take a look at our locations page to see if we cover the location of your choice? If not, why not give us a call and we can point you in the direction of one of the Balloons Over Britain hot air balloon flights member companies who fly in your location. All Balloons Over Britain members must past strict guidelines in order to carry the status and are fully certified with many years of experience and love for ballooning.

To book with us is simple, simple decide where you would like to fly and then whether you’d like to book quickly online or call on 01252 844222 to speak to a member of the team. When ordering online you can choose to have your order sent instantly by e-mail or by post and can even take a look at flight availability to get an idea of when you can take your flight! Flights start from as little as £89 per person and you have the choice of sunset or sunrise flight, weekday or weekend.

We fly people of all ages from as young as 7 to as old as 120! As long as children meet the right height requirements and you are fit and able to stand and climb over the basket, it would be our pleasure to give you this wonderful experience. Take a look at our FAQ for a complete guide to what to expect and what you need to know, along with a list of medical exemptions. However if you have any questions and you’d like to speak to a member of our team, please feel free to call our offices on the already mentioned telephone number.

Bon Voyage!

Are you thinking about booking a hot air balloon flight over our beloved capital city? Well I’m not surprised; with so much to offer in the way of architecture, historical buildings and cutting edge developments, London is sure to offer many surprises from 3’000 feet in the air! Well here at Adventure Balloons we’re proud to include London on our list of balloon flight locations.

However latest discussions with the Department of Transport have made it clear that security arrangements both at our launch sites and in London’s airspace required for the Queens Diamond Jubilee Celebrations and the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics will preclude our Central London Hot Air Balloon Rides for all of the 2012 season. Worry not however, you can purchase vouchers for London balloon flights in 2013 from November 2012! What better plan for an extra special Christmas gift! Forward planning is always a good idea for grand gestures such as this, and with plenty of notice you’ll certainly raise the funds in time!

Vouchers start from as little as £89 per person and if a 2013 London hot air balloon flight is what you’re looking for and you need to budget for it now, then why not call our offices to find out exactly how much it would cost on the date/time of your choice? Make sure you give us details of how many people will be flying, whether you’re looking for a sunrise booking or a sunset, and whether you’re after a weekday or weekend flight. With just a little put by each month, you could have Christmas 2012 completely sorted!

However if you just can’t contain your excitement and you’d like to book a flight for this year, then why not consider our other locations; Oxford, Reading, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, Watford, Tring, London, Basingstoke, Hartley Wintney, Guildford, Farnham, Godalming, West Meon, Micheldever, Alton, Winchester, Kent, Sussex and Essex.

What’s more, you can even book one of our exclusive ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY’ balloons (available in 2-4 persons or 16 persons for larger party flights) which are available on most of our balloon flights in Berkshire, Hampshire, Lincolnshire, Oxford, Surrey and York in 2012.

For more information simply visit the site or call us on 01252 844222.

Having just promised my own 10 year old a Hot air Balloon flight for her 11^th birthday this year I can safely say, judging by her reaction, that it is simply the best present a person could ever ask for. In fact, did you know that according independent research Hot Air Balloon Flights consistently fall in the “Top Ten Things” people have always wanted to do?

Let’s face it, a balloon isn’t exactly the best mode of transport, so if you actually need to get somewhere, maybe you should look at hiring a car. However, if adventure or an ‘out of this world’ experience is what you’re looking for then Hot Air Ballooning is just the thing! There are few things in life that can compare to the pure thrill and exhilaration of a ride in a balloon, regardless of your age! The unique sensation of being airborne in a balloon, 3’000 feet in the air with a 360° view will please anyone whether you’re 8 or 108 years of age! We have never failed to achieve a ‘gasp’ reaction from our passengers as they gaze down at the earth below, a panoramic, bird’s eye view.

Giving a balloon flight gift voucher for a birthday present would make the most amazing surprise for anyone, young or old and here at Adventure Balloons we have options which can make the whole event even more memorable!

• Have you considered purchasing our Balloon Flight Gift Box? Your loved one can then un-wrap a box containing a DVD or video and surprise gift, along with your Balloon Flight Gift Voucher, brochure and 20 page map pack.
• Book our exclusive “Happy Birthday” balloon, the only flights operator in the UK to have them!

Since 2000 we have operated a 2-4 person balloon for exclusive birthday groups and due to an overwhelming response to customer requests we have now added two new 16 person happy birthday balloons to our fleet so that all our passengers can fly in a happy birthday balloon. These additions mean that you can now book our Happy Birthday balloons for party bookings!

When booking a date for your flight, just check with our staff for available dates to fly in these balloons at no extra charge. (Available on most of our balloon flights in Berkshire, Hampshire, Lincolnshire, Oxford, Surrey and York in 2012). 01252 844222

Welcome back from us all at Adventure Balloons and a Happy New Year. We hope you’ve all had a wonderful Christmas and an exciting New Year. Many of us have begun the year with big plans and a sense of things to come. Many of us have been very vocal about the hard times of the previous year and are looking at 2012 as the year to break the cycle, the year for positivity and great things. And what better way to bring in 2012 that with a magical hot air balloon ride?!

Imagine rising up into the sky, the sense that the world is falling away from you, the feeling it would symbolise to you; leaving the past behind you. Once up, you’ll drift along with the wind, appreciating a 360° view of the world, from a completely different angle. You’ll look at the land and this New Year from a different perspective, with hope, positivity and a wonderful feeling of absolute calm. There’s nothing like being 3’000 foot in the air to give you perspective!

We tailor every balloon flight to the individual and always welcome the knowledge of each flyers occasion and the reason for their flight. This way we can pull out all the stops to enhance your flight, allowing you to enjoy it to the max. So when booking your flight, let us know what made you decide to fly. You could be looking for an exhilarating way to bring in the Year, a fun experience, a thrill with friends. Maybe you’re after a birthday flight with a big group of you and a party atmosphere, but on the other hand, you might be longing for a solo flight of complete peace where you can gather your thoughts and enjoy the beauty of our world. We get our thrill from seeing our customer’s enjoyment and feel a sense of achievement with every happy customer. So help us to help you get the most from your day with us.

Remember, no flight is complete without a celebratory glass of champagne, complements of us, of course!

For more information, to check date availability or to book your flight, simply visit us at www.adventureballoons.co.uk or call us on 01252 844222.

Organise your ‘pick-me-up’ treat now and you can start the New Year with the knowledge that you have something very wonderful to look forward to. You can book as far ahead in the next 12 months as you like, pick a date which means something to you, or simply celebrate a birthday, Valentine’s day, an anniversary in style. Here at Adventure Balloons we pride ourselves on providing the most unbeatable service tailoring each flight to the individual, creating a moment that will stay with you a lifetime.

You can enjoy an hour’s flight in any of the following locations; Oxford, Reading, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, Watford, Tring, London, Basingstoke, Hartley Wintney, Guildford, Farnham, Godalming, West Meon, Micheldever, Alton, Winchester, Kent, Sussex and Essex. But that’s not where it ends; so that you can make a ‘day of it’ we encourage all passengers to help set up the balloon and take it down again so that they get a real feel for what’s involved in ballooning and how it all works. You will enjoy a champagne toast and finally a flight certificate to commemorate the day and give you a token to remember it by, as if the memory isn’t enough!

We also give you the opportunity to purchase your in flight photo which you can hang on your wall with pride or tuck away in the photo album ready to show your friends and loved ones, along with giving them the exciting story of your day with us. Adventure Balloons were in fact one of the first balloon companies to provide in flight photography for passengers on balloon flights and in 2007 we purchased the world’s top selling digital camera, the Canon EOS400D. We use this camera on all of our balloons to give our customers the highest quality of photography.

For those of you who are more technically minded we are using an f1.8 20mm prime lens to provide better quality images than the standard Canon 18-55mm lens. This way we can guarantee the most professional photograph we can be proud to hand over to our passengers.

If you would like to know more, or would like to make a booking you can do so on our website, or alternatively, you can call us on 01252 844222!

Being the true leaders that we are, in 1993 Adventure Balloons updated their hot air balloon baskets by incorporating new seats for additional comfort and safety. However it was only from 2007 that the Civil Aviation Authority recognised this major contribution to balloon flights safety and so went on to recommended that other balloon rides operators in the country should follow suit in order to avoid foot, ankle and general lower limb injuries to passengers upon landing which can sometimes come down with a bit of a ‘bump’. Trust Adventure Balloons to start a trend, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Also incorporated into this newly designed basket as required by the CAA, is measures to support the head in case of a bumpy landing. We have also added large stainless steel footwells to avoid passengers slipping on entry and exit from the basket and then no other than the “Bladerunner” landing system which was of course developed by our very own Kim Hull.

“We are proud of our passenger safety record since fitting seats to our balloons in 1993 and pleased that the CAA has finally realised the great benefit of fitting them and look forward to other balloon operators using them” says Chief Pilot Kim Hull.

2007’s addition to our superb fleet of exceptional balloons included the featured 16 passenger balloon from no other but the Lindstrand Factory where we can be absolutely sure of the highest quality and standards. You will see the above discussed additions featured in the mentioned balloon pictured above. We take pride in the complete enjoyment and comfort our passengers receive when flying with us, this is clear to see from the picture!

For bookings and more information visit the site, or simply call us 01252 844222.

With so many balloon flights companies to choose from, what is it about Adventure Balloons that makes us so popular and why should we be your first choice? Let’s face it, if you’re booking a balloon flight that’s going to take you 3,000 foot in the air, you’ll want to check out the companies policies, track records, testimonials, reliability and more. We expect this and in fact recommend it, and are 100% confident you’ll be happy with what you find here at Adventure Balloons.  Before you browse through our site, we’ve listed in today’s article the benefits to using our company so that you can decide whether or not you’d like to visit the site or call our team.

• Fast Bookings – Not only can you call us to book your flight, but you can easily book online too where you will even be given the option to choose your voucher design. Vouchers ordered online for e-mail delivery will arrive instantly!
• Check Date Availability – Unlike many other balloon flights companies, you can check our flights schedule so that you can see how often we fly from each of our locations (Berkshire, Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lincolnshire, London, Oxford, Surrey, Sussex and York)
• Low Prices - Book vouchers from as little as £89 – the best value balloon flight in the UK!
• Birthday Balloons – Enjoy special birthday flights in our one-of-a-kind Birthday hot air balloon which features our Adventure Balloons colours and a giant ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY’ message!
• Great Reputation – Many Adventure Balloons customers come from personal recommendation – check out our customer testimonials to see why!
• Flexible – Adventure Balloons is also able to cater for any special requirements you may have.
• Various Capacities – We have several balloons with capacities ranging from 4-16 passengers!

Adventure Balloons became so popular and renowned for their quality of service and eagerness to please that the only way left for them to continue growing was to create the group Balloons Over Britain. Balloons Over Britain has 10 member companies each offering flights in different locations across the UK. With over 70 different launch sites across Britain, and from Adventure Balloons humble beginnings, it has to be asked…why go anywhere else? So if Adventure Balloons do not cover the location you were after, take a look over at Balloons Over Britain where you will find a member company that does.

If anyone was going to cross the English Channel in a Hot Air Balloon it had to be Adventure Balloons and my how patient we were! Being the only UK balloon flights company to possess a ‘Happy Birthday’ balloon, of course we had to choose this for the trip!

We exceedingly patiently waited on standby from the beginning of October 2010 for the first Channel Crossing by hot air balloon since 2005! But low-and-behold, October and early November simply didn’t provide the North Westerly winds required to blow us to France by the shortest route (from Dover to somewhere close to Calais). In a normal passenger flight scenario, we leave room for enough gas to get us through an approximate hour flight. Making the crossing did not entail the addition of any passengers and so we obviously had more room for gas, however a crossing with a speed or direction in excess of 2 hours would be tricky and could even result in a rather unfortunate wet dip if the fuel ran out. Obviously not wanting to take this risk, we had to wait it out until the ideal weather conditions arose.

As you can imagine, the organisation and preparation required for an event such as this is quite staggering! It was all hands on deck! Another Balloons Over Britain member company Airborne Balloons (http://www.airborneballoons.co.uk/cross_channel.php) organised the event, leaving the matter of getting the balloon ‘ship shape’ in our hands. This involved the addition of further fuel tanks without compromising on space, radios, cameras, sandwiches and of course the essential ingredient, chocolate. We also had to organise immersion suits and a self inflating 4 person life raft (just in case) which was hired from http://www.aerosafe.co.uk/index.html. To save space the life raft was attached to the outside of the basket as was one of the fuel tanks!

Our hopes were raised on Monday April 4^th when weather conditions appeared spot on; however it wasn’t until a few days later that the event went ahead. At five o’clock in the morning we arrived in the dark at Lydden Hill Motor Racing circuit for the mass ascent and an attempt on the world record for the greatest number of balloons flying the channel! Palletways sponsored the event and were very hopeful. At 6am we had our safety briefing which was shortly followed by the very much anticipated balloon take off at 7:15am. Our balloon, carrying probably the youngest person to ever fly over the channel by balloon, then flew over Dover Castle, overtook the ferry as we sped along at speeds of up to 30knots at 1,000 feet (nearly twice the speed we could safely fly passengers) and having flown over Calais Harbour we landed at Calais Airport at 8.45am, covering about 25 miles in a hour and a half!

What an achievement and what a memorable morning it was!

If you’re reading this then I’m guessing you’re toying with the idea of hot air ballooning. Many people purchase a hot air ballooning trip for themselves as a sort ‘life ambition gift’. Most of us dream of hot air ballooning one day and sadly a great deal of those will never actually fulfil the goal; it gets put off and put off until frankly, it’s just too late. Those of us who take the leap and join the world of ballooning then realise just why so many of us Brits dream of taking to the skies in this way. It is an experience like no other, exhilarating, breathtaking, relaxing, inspirational, euphoric, tranquil and emotional even. Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?

Ballooning is also a gift given to others. This could be as a birthday present, anniversary surprise, congratulations or reward gift, a romantic gesture, a Christmas present; for many their doesn’t have to be a reason! To receive those ‘golden’ tickets that will allow you the life time chance of taking to the skies in a hot air balloon, is in itself an exciting thing. Just picture the look on their face when they realise what’s in store for them!

At Adventure Balloons we cover various flight locations across Britain, for example Oxford, Reading, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, Watford, Tring, London, Basingstoke, Hartley Wintney, Guildford, Farnham, Godalming, West Meon, Alton, Winchester, Kent, Sussex and Essex.

Our south Hampshire area is one of our most popular spots. Flying from Anstey Park in Alton, from West Meon, from Micheldever near the railway station and from the City of Winchester, there’s plenty of ‘flight paths’ to choose from. However do bear in mind, the exact course you end up taking is completely wind dependent! Our customers commonly see the impressive Winchester Cathedral and are in awe of its staggering beauty from above! Be seduced by the rolling Hampshire countryside, the River Test, the pretty little villages such as Laverstoke, Whitchurch, and the Candovers. You can often see the large estates of Leckford on the River Test where Waitrose produce a lot of their food, the Mid Hants Steam Railway that runs from Alton to Alresford, and many a time we’ve had the rather unusual experience of seeing a glider circling around Lasham airfield, or microlights flying from Popham airfield.

Book your chance to fly in a hot air balloon with Adventure Balloons and you will receieve a 12 month voucher which will entitle you to select your date from anytime (depending on which voucher you buy) over the 12 months following purchase! Book online or call us on 01252 844222.