Away-day guide
The Valley, south-east London.
About the place
Away days in London are always popular. Why is this? It can’t be London prices. It has to be what you can do before and after the game. The sheer amount of food and drink options gives you endless possibilities.
The Valley is in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, which is about 20 minutes to the South East of central London, near the River Thames.
It’s a proper old stadium — with a unique look and lots of history.
Away fans are housed in the Jimmy Seed Stand, which is on the south side of the ground.
Club info
Section 02
Official visitors’ guide: charltonafc.com/fans/visitors-guide-away-supporters
By train
The nearest overground train station is Charlton, just a 3-minute walk from the ground, with direct services from Cannon Street, Charing Cross and London Bridge.
By London Underground
The nearest underground stations are:
You can get a bus to Charlton from either station. North Greenwich also has a taxi rank.
By bus
If you’re heading to The Valley via North Greenwich, these buses will take you close to the ground: SL11, 161, 180, 422, 486.
From Woolwich, these buses will drop you close to the ground: SL11, 161, 177, 180.
On the TfL website, you can use Bus Spider Maps to see all routes in an area and where each bus stops.
By boat
Boat?! Absolutely. The Thames Clipper is a brilliant way to get across the city. We’ve done it twice now and wouldn’t do it any other way.
It’s more expensive than the Tube, and it takes longer — so if you’re short on time, stick with the Underground. But if you want to build a mini highlight reel into your day, treat the boat as part of the experience rather than just a way of getting from A to B.
You’ve got a choice of indoor or outdoor seating, and there’s a café/bar on board. And if you go all the way to North Greenwich, once you’re past Tower Bridge they open it up a bit… the boat shifts.
Services run daily from early morning until late evening. You can check timetables and the route map here: thamesclippers.com/plan-your-journey/route-map
Section 03
Parking options
A lot of the roads around The Valley have parking restrictions, so it’s not easy to park nearby. Some fans choose to drive down to the outskirts of London and get the train in.
If you are planning to drive to The Valley, here is guidance from the club’s website:
For daytime games there are still plenty of places to park if you don’t mind a walk. For example:
Free parking
The roads to the south of Charlton Park (e.g. Canberra Road, Charlton Park Lane, Hornfair Road, Marlborough Lane) are not in a controlled zone so available places there are free.
Free parking still exists in Heathwood Gardens and Kinveachy Gardens despite the fact that they are shown on the Royal Borough of Greenwich map to be in the controlled zone. During the 2023/24 season there were still places available in those roads 20 minutes before kick-off, but please note that parking there does require walking up the steep hill of Thorntree Road after the game.
There are about a dozen free parking places on Thorntree Road itself (opposite the animal park) although these are usually filled very early on.
Further towards Woolwich parking is not restricted in roads such as Woodland Terrace and Maryon Road.
If you are concerned about the walk uphill after the game there are some free spaces to be found in the Charlton Riverside area. There are places at the river end of Eastmoor Street and Westmoor Street and in Holgate Street, although watch out for yellow lines which are not always clearly marked.
Paid parking
One way to find pre-bookable parking is on the JustPark website.
These places are predominantly private individuals renting out their driveways for the afternoon and prices vary considerably. JustPark also offers the opportunity to pre-book parking in the ASDA car park on Bugsby’s Way (about a 15-minute walk to The Valley) at £9 for a full day.
The Thames Barrier Car Park charges £2.50. At present there is a sign which says the car park closes at 7pm but double check before you park as this may be subject to change.
There are a number of paid places at the river end of Anchor and Hope Lane. Payment is by phone only.
Disabled parking
Disabled away supporters can arrange two complimentary car parking spaces in the West Stand car park — these are organised through your club’s DLO, who will liaise with Charlton’s DLO.
If no parking is available, disabled supporters can be dropped off at the Jimmy Seed Stand entrance (Entrance No. 4, on Valley Grove). Drivers should drop off by 2:15pm for a 3pm kick-off, 7pm for a 7:45pm kick-off, and 11:45am for a 12:30pm kick-off, then park away from the ground. A one-way system is in place on matchdays; follow stewards’ instructions. After the game, collection can be arranged from the same point once post-match traffic has dispersed.
Blue badge parking
Having a blue badge does not entitle you to park in the controlled parking zones in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, but you can park on single or double yellow lines elsewhere for up to three hours as long as you are not causing an obstruction.
Matchday road closures
The immediate roads around The Valley close 45 minutes before kick-off, and again at full-time.
Post-match traffic
The main roads around The Valley get very busy after games. London traffic is unpredictable at the best of times — add a matchday into the mix and delays are a given. Expect congestion on Woolwich Road, Shooters Hill Road, and the South Circular (A205). It probably goes without saying, but parking a little further out gives you the trade-off of missing some of the traffic.
Worth considering
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) covers the entire Greater London area. It operates 24/7 (except Christmas Day).
If your vehicle doesn’t meet the required emission standards, you’ll have to pay £12.50 per day to drive within the zone. You can pay by midnight on the third day following the journey or up to 90 days in advance.
Check your vehicle, view the zone map, and pay the charge at: tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone
Section 04
Closer to the stadium
North Greenwich
If you’re heading anywhere near North Greenwich, stop in at the O2. It’s got a wide selection of food and drink options on the ground floor. Upstairs is shopping, if you like that kind of thing. The O2 also has Toca Social — you can eat, drink and play immersive football games. You need to book ahead as it gets busy.
Just a couple of miles away
Just a couple of miles away, Greenwich is a genuine London highlight and well worth arriving early for. The open-air street food market on Cutty Sark Street runs every Friday to Sunday from mid-March to late November — grab something from one of the food stalls and eat it in the riverside setting of Cutty Sark Gardens. Open 10:00am–5:30pm on Fridays, 10:00am–6:30pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
A short walk from London Bridge station
If you’re travelling via London Bridge, Borough Market is one of London’s great food destinations and just a short walk from the station. One of the oldest and most celebrated markets in the country, it’s packed with independent traders selling everything from artisan bread and cheese to street food from around the world. It’s a brilliant place to graze before heading to the ground — just be aware it’s closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Inside the ground
Worth knowing
As soon as you go through the turnstiles, you’ll see people queuing for food and drink at a kiosk on the left.
There are more options on the other side of the stand! Like nearly everyone else, we just joined the first queue we saw. Read more about how I queued for 25 minutes, because my son had eaten salty chips and was now so thirsty that we HAD to buy water, in the Our Visits section below.
Section 05
Away fans are housed in the Jimmy Seed Stand, which is on the south side of the ground. The entrance is on Valley Grove.
The away end feels compact at Charlton. It’s a bit of a shed, with two tiers and a walkway that divides the upper and lower sections.
When we went, it was a sell-out, so we could only get seats near the front and to the side, near the left corner flag. I had an electronic sign next to my head, flashing messages on rotation. The sign also blocked the view of the corner taker, but not the corner spot. I don’t think that’s technically a restricted view, but if you like watching corner takers preparing to take a corner, would avoid.
After the game, everyone is funnelled through the same exit. So, if you’ve taken a large following, expect a bottleneck as 3,000 people shuffle slowly towards freedom.
Section 06
We parked at Stanmore Tube station (right by the M1) and took the Jubilee line into Westminster. From there, we jumped on the Uber Thames Clipper and headed down the river to North Greenwich for the O2 — taking in the sights and arriving in style.
We had lunch at the O2 and, with the weather on our side, decided to walk along the Thames Path to the ground. The walk took about 40 minutes, but we didn’t mind — we even managed a bit of Thames “beach” action along the way.
At the ground, we’d already scoped out the away end on Valley Grove. We wanted a drink, so joined a huge queue at the kiosk. After 20 minutes, we gave up and headed to our seats, planning to try again once the game had started.
Just before kick-off, my son was desperate for a drink, so we decided to brave it again. That’s when I overheard someone mention another bar on the other side of the stand with no queue.
We went over — no queue, but it was beer only. I asked a steward where we could get water, and he pointed us up some steps. Up there, we found a whole additional area with food and drink vendors.
Next time, we go straight there and save ourselves 45 minutes. Madness really — hundreds of people stood in that original queue with no idea there was a better option.
After the game, all 3,000 away fans were funnelled through a single narrow exit. The kids needed food, but there wasn’t much obvious nearby, and they were too tired for the 40-minute walk back to North Greenwich.
Instead, we jumped on the 161 bus, which took us straight back to the O2. From there, we caught the Thames Clipper again — this time with London lit up — which was a great way to round off the day.
Back on the Tube, onto the M1, and home without any fuss. Parking at Stanmore even meant a quick stop at Tesco Express to grab water and fruit for the journey back — no need for a motorway stop.
This was clearly a popular away day, with the full allocation sold out. The kiosk discovery alone would save most fans a lot of time. Plenty will already plan around the O2, but the boat? That felt like a bit of a hidden gem — I didn’t spot another football fan on either leg.
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Reviewed by Andy · 2 weeks ago