Local Guides
71 guides to living in and visiting Guildford. The everyday ones are written from official council, NHS and transport sources, and each one lists where its facts came from.
- Council, bins and everyday life
- Health
- Getting around
- Schools and families
- Out and about
- Websites for local businesses
- AI for local businesses
- AI for local businesses: coaching questions answered
- AI for local businesses: by type of business
- Explore Guildford
Council, bins and everyday life
Collections, bills, reporting problems and local services.
Guildford Bin Collection Days & Recycling Guide
Guildford Borough Council empties rubbish and recycling on alternate weeks and food waste every week. Here is how to find your day, what goes in each bin and what to do if a bin is missed.
Council Tax in Guildford: Bands, Bills & How to Pay
Guildford Borough Council sends your council tax bill and collects the money for itself, Surrey County Council and Surrey's Police and Crime Commissioner. Here are the 2026-27 charges and how to pay.
Reporting a Problem in Guildford: Who to Contact
Potholes go to Surrey County Council. Missed bins and fly-tipping go to Guildford Borough Council. Here is who handles what, with the right link or phone number for each.
Guildford Library & Post Offices: Opening Times
Guildford Library on North Street is running click and collect only while it is refurbished. The main Post Office is at 56 High Street and opens seven days a week. Details checked 9 October 2026.
Health
Registering, finding care and knowing where to go when it is urgent.
GP Surgeries in Guildford: Full List & How to Register
The NHS GP surgeries serving Guildford, Burpham, Merrow, Stoughton, Onslow Village and Shalford, with addresses and phone numbers from nhs.uk, and how to register.
NHS Dentists in Guildford: Who Is Listed & How to Check
Which Guildford dental practices are listed on nhs.uk, which were taking new NHS patients on 9 October 2026, and what to do if you need urgent dental care.
Late-Night & Sunday Pharmacies in Guildford
Which Guildford pharmacies open latest in the evening and which open on Sundays, using the opening times each one lists on nhs.uk. Checked 9 October 2026.
Urgent Care Near Guildford: A&E, Urgent Treatment, 111 or 999
Guildford's A&E is at the Royal Surrey County Hospital and is open 24 hours. For less serious problems there are urgent treatment centres at Woking and Haslemere, and NHS 111 can tell you which to use.
Getting around
Where to park, which bus to catch and how the stations work.
Parking in Guildford: Car Parks, Charges & Park and Ride
Guildford Borough Council runs the town centre car parks, and Surrey County Council looks after on-street parking. Here are the main car parks, what they cost and how park and ride works.
Guildford Buses & Park and Ride: Routes and Where to Board
Guildford's buses are run by several operators and listed together by Surrey County Council. The Friary bus station is being refurbished until late 2027, so check where your bus now stops.
Guildford Train Stations: Guildford & London Road
Guildford has two stations. The main one is Guildford, on Station Approach. London Road (Guildford) is a smaller stop on the line to London Waterloo via Cobham. Here is what each offers.
Schools and families
Admissions, term dates and days out with children.
Schools in Guildford & How Admissions Work
State schools in Guildford are listed in Surrey County Council's schools directory, and Surrey runs the admissions process. Here are the schools, the key dates for September 2027 and how to apply.
Surrey School Term Dates 2026/27 for Guildford
Surrey County Council's term dates for the 2026 to 2027 school year, including the new two-week October half term. Academies and church schools in Guildford can set different dates.
Things to Do in Guildford With Kids
Free parks and playgrounds, the castle, a free museum with a toddler playroom, mini golf, and swimming, skating and bowling at Guildford Spectrum. Times and prices checked 9 October 2026.
Out and about
Green spaces, markets and events through the year.
Parks and Walks in Guildford: Where to Go
Guildford Borough Council looks after more than 65 parks and gardens and over 50 countryside sites. Here are the main ones in and around the town, with addresses, opening times and parking.
Guildford Markets & Annual Events: Dates and Times
North Street market runs every Friday and Saturday, and the Farmers' market is on the High Street on the first Tuesday of the month. Here are the dates for the rest of 2026 and the main annual events.
Websites for local businesses
Who builds them, what they cost and whether you need one. These describe a service run by Dean Keating, the publisher of Guildford.co.
Who Builds Websites for Small Businesses in Guildford?
A straight answer for Guildford business owners: the £500 one-off website build from the publisher of this site, what it includes, where he is based, and how to compare him with other web designers.
How Much Does a Website Cost in Guildford? Work Out the Three-Year Figure
There is no going rate for a website in Guildford. What you can do is work out what each quote costs over three years and what you own at the end. Here is how, with one fixed price we can state because it is ours.
Does My Guildford Business Need a Website? A Two-Minute Test
A Google listing and a Facebook page are enough for some Guildford businesses and not for others. A quick test on your own phone tells you which you are, and there are free jobs to do first either way.
Website Design for Tradesmen in Guildford: What to Check Before You Pay
For electricians, plumbers, builders and other trades around Guildford: the ownership question to ask first, why a trade site runs to hundreds of pages, and the £500 build from the publisher of this guide.
Websites for Electricians in Guildford: The Jobs, the Postcodes and the Proof
A good number of the electrical firms listed for Guildford have no website on their Google listing. Here is what an electrician's site needs, which jobs deserve their own page, and who builds them.
Websites for Plumbers in Guildford: Decide What You Want to Be Rung For
A plumbing and heating website works when it is clear what the firm wants to be known for. How Guildford plumbers can choose, what to say about hours and gas work, and who builds the site.
Websites for Builders in Guildford: Being Found Before the Quote Stage
Nobody hires a builder in an afternoon. A builder's website has to hold up over weeks of comparing. What Guildford building firms should put on theirs, what to leave off, and who builds it.
AI for local businesses
AI agents, lead follow-up and automation. These describe a service run by Dean Keating, the publisher of Guildford.co.
AI Business Coach in Guildford: Who to Call and What You Get
An AI business coach for small businesses in Guildford and Surrey: who offers it, what a first session covers, how to book, and how coaching differs from consulting and installation.
AI Consultants in Guildford: Five Who Work With Local Small Businesses
Five providers of AI coaching, consulting and installation that a Guildford business can use, each described from its own website: where it is based, who it is for, what it offers and how you start. Not a ranking.
AI Business Coach in Surrey: Guildford, Woking, Godalming and Farnham
Where a small business in Surrey can find AI coaching, town by town, with the providers we could verify and an honest note on who is based where.
Dean Keating, AI Automation Consultant: Working With Guildford Businesses From Horndean
Who Dean Keating is, what he builds, where he works from and how this directory lists him. A short profile for an owner deciding whether to book a call.
AI Business Consultant in Guildford: Who to Call, and What to Ask First
A short guide for owners who searched for an AI consultant near them: what to ask, why location matters less than people assume, and when it matters a lot.
AI Agents for a Small Business in Guildford: A Garage Example
What an AI agent is, shown through a garage that keeps losing service enquiries, and who can install one.
Turning Estate Agent and Letting Enquiries Into Booked Calls With AI in Guildford
A follow-up system for businesses whose leads arrive in bursts, using the town's estate agents as the example.
An AI Receptionist for Salons, Clinics and Appointment Businesses in Guildford
What an AI receptionist can and cannot do for a business that lives on its diary, and what it is not.
AI for Plumbers in Guildford: Answering the Enquiry While You Are Under a Sink
How a plumbing and heating business can stop losing work on the days it is busiest.
A Diary-First AI Setup for a Guildford Electrician: Visits, Reminders and Quotes
A diary-first setup for electricians, covering the visit, the reminder and the quote.
Getting Started With AI in a Guildford Service Business: A Plan for the First Task
Practical help for an owner who wants AI working in the business and does not know where to begin.
An AI Customer-Service Assistant for Cafes, Restaurants and Pubs in Guildford
What a customer-service assistant answers for hospitality businesses, and which questions it should pass on.
An AI Consultant Who Installs, Not Just Advises: A Guide for Solicitors and Small Firms in Guildford
How to tell advice from installation, using a professional-services firm as the test case.
WhatsApp Lead Follow-Up With AI for Barbers and Hairdressers in Guildford
WhatsApp enquiries can wait while you work. Here is how an agreed setup can help manage replies and follow-up.
Automating Invoices and Late Payments With AI: A Guide for Guildford Suppliers and Small Firms
The admin jobs worth handing to AI in a small business with trade accounts, using a supplier that sells on account as the example.
Following Up Facebook Ad Leads With AI: A Guide for Guildford Gyms and Studios
Delayed replies can reduce the value of paid leads. Here is an agreed follow-up approach, with gyms as the example.
Using ChatGPT and AI to Grow a Cafe or Small Shop in Guildford
ChatGPT can help with drafting and connected tasks. A customer-facing workflow needs suitable tools, permissions and testing.
AI for local businesses: coaching questions answered
What an AI business coach does, what it costs, how to choose one and how to start on your own. Published by Dean Keating, who is an AI business coach himself.
What Does an AI Business Coach Actually Do? A Guide for Guildford Owners
The work an AI business coach does in a small business, hour by hour, what you should be left with at the end, and what a coach is not.
AI Business Coach vs AI Consultant vs AI Agency: Which Does a Guildford Business Need?
Three labels, three different things you are buying. How to tell them apart, what each leaves you with, and how the providers near Guildford describe themselves.
How Much Does AI Business Coaching Cost in Guildford? How It Is Priced
The ways AI coaches and consultants charge, the few prices that providers near Guildford publish, and the questions that stop a small bill becoming a large one.
What Happens on a Free AI Business Coach Call, and How to Prepare
What is covered on Dean Keating’s free AI Business Coach call, what you leave with, how to book it from Guildford, and a short preparation checklist to make the conversation useful.
Is an AI Business Coach Worth It for a Small Business in Guildford?
When paying for AI coaching makes sense, when it does not, and a way to work out the answer for your own business using your own numbers.
How to Choose an AI Business Coach in Guildford: 15 Questions to Ask
A checklist for comparing AI coaches and consultants: what to ask about them, the work, the money and what happens afterwards, plus the answers that should make you walk away.
AI Coaching Online or In Person: What Works for a Guildford Business?
Which parts of AI coaching work just as well on a video call, which are better in a room, and which providers near Guildford say they offer each.
How to Start Using ChatGPT in a Small Business: A Safe First Fortnight
A practical, cautious way for a small business in Guildford to start using ChatGPT or a similar AI assistant: what to try first, what never to paste in, and how to check what comes out.
The First Five Jobs Worth Automating in a Small Business
Five jobs most small businesses in Guildford could hand to AI first, in order, with the test for choosing between them and what to leave with a person.
What AI Can and Cannot Do for a Small Business: The Honest Limits
A level-headed account of what AI does well in a small business, what it does badly, and the jobs it should not be given, written for owners in Guildford who are tired of the hype.
AI for local businesses: by type of business
Which jobs suit AI in each trade and which must stay with a person. These describe a service run by Dean Keating, the publisher of Guildford.co.
AI Lead Follow-Up for Trades Businesses in Guildford: The Quote That Nobody Chased
Where trade work is lost, how follow-up fixes it, and who installs it.
AI for Estate Agents in Guildford: Viewings, Valuation Leads and Vendor Updates
Three jobs in an estate or letting agency that suit AI, what must stay with a negotiator, and who can set it up for a Guildford branch.
AI for Accountants in Guildford: Chasing Records, New Enquiries and Fees
Where AI helps a small accountancy practice and where it must not be used, organised around the three pinch points of the year.
AI for Solicitors in Guildford: Administrative Tasks and Controls
Start with what must never be automated in a law firm. Then the three jobs around the edge of the file where AI saves time without touching advice.
AI for Hair Salons, Barbers and Beauty Salons in Guildford
Messages you cannot answer mid-appointment, no-shows and quiet weeks: three salon problems, what AI can do about each, and when your booking app already does it.
AI for Restaurants and Cafes in Guildford: The Inbox, Group Bookings and Reviews
Where AI helps a restaurant or cafe through the day, from the morning inbox to the reviews after close, and the one question it must never answer on its own.
AI for Dentists and Clinics in Guildford: The Front Desk, Not the Chair
What AI can do at the reception desk of a dental practice, optician or private clinic, the patient-data rules that come first, and what stays firmly with clinicians.
AI for Garages in Guildford: From the First Message to Next Year’s MOT
Follow one car through an independent garage and see the five points where AI can take the admin, and the points where only a mechanic will do.
Explore Guildford
Landmarks, shopping, food and entertainment.
15 Jul 2026
Guildford Castle Guide
Guildford's Norman castle on Castle Street — free grounds, the Castle Keep, and how to visit.
15 Jul 2026
The Friary Shopping Centre Guide
Guildford's main indoor shopping centre on North Street — what's there, and how to park.
15 Jul 2026
River Wey Guide
The River Wey and Wey Navigation through Guildford — a historic waterway for boating, walking and cycling.
15 Jul 2026
Getting Around Guildford: Transport Guide
Guildford railway station gives direct services to London Waterloo — here's how to get around the town centre.
21 Jul 2026
Where to Eat Thai in Guildford
Guildford has a strong Thai dining scene — from rooftop views to traditional khan tok settings. Here are the best Thai restaurants.
21 Jul 2026
Arts & Entertainment in Guildford
Guildford has a thriving cultural scene. From the historic Yvonne Arnaud Theatre to the modern G Live venue, here's what's on.
10 Oct 2026
AI Consultants in Surrey: Who Works Where, Beyond Guildford
Four firms that say on their own websites they are based in Epsom, Redhill, Caterham and Dorking and help businesses with AI, plus the three Guildford firms and two who cover the county from outside it. A list, not a ranking.
10 Oct 2026
AI Agency in Guildford for a Small Business: Who Builds It, and Agency or Consultant?
People search for an AI agency when they mean someone to do the work for them. Here is what an agency usually is, what Dean Keating offers instead, and how to choose between the two.
10 Oct 2026
AI Consulting Services for Small Businesses in Guildford and Surrey: Who Offers Them and What You Get
Consulting can mean a report, a workshop or a working system. Here is what the service from Dean Keating includes, and how to compare it with consulting companies.
10 Oct 2026
Who Can Build a Chatbot for a Business in Guildford?
A website chat box and an installed AI agent are not the same purchase. Which suits a hairdresser, a barber or any appointment-led business, and who builds the second kind.
10 Oct 2026
Getting Started With AI for a Small Business in Guildford: Who Can Help
Not a tour of tools. A short route into AI for an owner with no spare time, and the one question that decides where to start.
10 Oct 2026
Business Process Automation for Small Companies in Guildford: Who Can Help
Automation is easiest to see by following a single job through a business. Here is the paperwork chain of a small builder, and which links can be handed to an AI agent.
10 Oct 2026
AI Workforce for a Small Business in Guildford and Surrey: Who Sets It Up
What people mean by an AI workforce, which jobs it takes on and which it leaves alone, shown through the front desk of a gym.
Looking for the best places rather than how-to guides? See Best of Guildford.