Hot Air Balloon Rides & Experiences

Contrary to popular belief, the height of summer isn't necessarily the 'best' time of year to go hot air ballooning.There's often a haze in the midday sun of summer, so a fresh spring or crisp autumn morning might reward you with incredible clear panoramas. In essence, if the weather conditions are favourable, any time of year is great for a balloon ride.

Sometimes the basket can lean or tip over as you are landing, but you will have all been briefed on what to do during the landing. The main thing to note is it can be a touchdown in a field recently vacated by cattle, so watch your step as you get out of the basket!

The distance you'll cover on a balloon flight is very much determined by the wind direction and speed, along with the pilot's use of the burners. It's worth noting a balloon cannot be steered, so you'll be letting the wind take you. In general, you can expect to be floating along serenely for around eight miles.

The altitude you reach on your balloon ride is very much wind and weather related. You can be floating up and away at anything from 500 to 4000ft. Whatever height you'll be flying at, it's breathtaking to look down on the world below in miniature.

The air is most stable in the early morning and early evening. For this reason, launches are up to two hours after daylight and two hours before sunset. Of course, that means the times change throughout the season according to daylight hours. To give you an example, morning flights might meet at 6am in the late spring time around May.

Yes! Helping unpack, unfold and get the balloon inflated is all very much part of the whole hot air balloon experience for many people. And you can assist at the end of your ride too!

Given the fact that you might end up landing in a muddy field, it's best to dress as though you were going for a country walk when going on a balloon flight. Ladies are best off in trousers, as you'll have to climb into the basket, so no heels either. Make sure you don't bring a big bag with you, as space in each compartment of the basket is snug. A hat or cap is useful too.

Flight paths can't be plotted in advance as it's all down to the wind, so an operator will not be able to guarantee that they will fly over your house.

Hot air balloon experiences are very much weather dependent, but it doesn't need to be a bright sunshine day. The operator will make the final call on whether you'll be flying on the day, so even if it's overcast, if conditions are favourable for flying, your take off will be confirmed.

Friends and family can join you at the take off site to join in the ambiance and wave you off. Following the balloon in a vehicle is not advised by the operators. All passengers will be transported back to the original launch site at the end of the experience.

There are different sizes of basket available. The larger ones are divided into multiple compartments that can accommodate up to six passengers each, so you will be part of a group for your flight.

We do indeed. Booking a private balloon ride gives you exclusive use of the balloon. That means you can also discuss with the pilot where you'd like to take off from (within the usual constraints). An exclusive balloon flight for two is the ultimate romantic gesture and the perfect moment to pop *that* question, or celebrate a major milestone in your life.

Once you've got your Into The Blue hot air balloon ride voucher, you can set about getting your date booked in. For popular dates such as weekends, you should allow around four to six weeks. Otherwise a couple weeks is usually sufficient if you are flexible on dates. Don't forget, ballooning is very much weather dependent and if your flight is cancelled, you will be able to reschedule with the operator.

You need to be fit enough to be able to get into the basket, which usually stands around 1.1m high. Minimum age is eight and the child needs to be at least 4ft 6" (1.4m) tall. The maximum weight is 18stone. For any other restrictions please see each individual ballooning voucher page.

On a hot air balloon flight you are usually airborne for around an hour. Hot air ballooning is not an exact science and the length of the rides depends on things like the number of passengers, the weather conditions and in particular, the wind.

They say hot air ballooning should never be rushed.Expect to spend around four hours enjoying the integrality of your hot air balloon experience. As well as the ride itself, there's the pre-fight briefing, the time spent unpacking, inflating, deflating and packing up the balloon. And of course, there's always time for a celebratory glass of something bubbly after your flight too!

Your pilot will have landing sites in mind, but in essence it's the wind that will take you! As for where the basket will actually land, it can often be in fields which can be muddy, so you'll need to be prepared.

Each balloon operator has a roster of launch sites in their area that they can use. The choice of take off location very much depends on the wind direction on the day of your flight, so can be decided at the last minute. That means you will sometimes be taken from your initial meeting point to the actual launch site.

Yes - as long as you are responsible for it at all times. A wrist or neck strap might be advisable. Hopefully you'll get some stunning photos!

There are literally hundreds of launch sites around the UK, as each operator uses several take off sites. Here are the locations available with Into the Blue for hot air balloon rides:

• Bristol
• Bath
• Somerset
• Oxfordshire