London City to Canary Wharf

How does the drive work?

From the airport, the car heads west on the A1020 and the A1261 Aspen Way, and turns onto the Canary Wharf estate at one of its roundabouts. Our route data puts it at about four miles, and on most days it takes a quarter of an hour. In the morning rush, the approach to the estate can queue, and 18 minutes or a little more is realistic.

Car or DLR and Jubilee line?

The rail route is the DLR from London City to Canning Town and the Jubilee line to Canary Wharf, or the DLR with a change for the Canary Wharf branch. With a small bag, it is quick and inexpensive, and many regular travellers use it.

The car is better with luggage, with colleagues, or when you want to go straight to a specific building entrance rather than walk from the station through the estate’s malls and walkways with a case. It also avoids the change at Canning Town, which at busy times is crowded.

Where does the car drop you on the estate?

Canary Wharf’s roads are managed by the estate, and many office towers are reached by car from a lower-level service road or a ramp rather than the main entrance at ground level. Tell us the building and the entrance your reception uses for cars. For the residential towers around the estate, give us the block name; most have a concierge. For the hotels, the chauffeur will use the hotel’s set-down point.

Can you get me back to the airport quickly after a meeting?

Yes. Many Canary Wharf visitors fly in for the day, with a meeting in the middle and a return flight in the afternoon. Because the airport is so close, you can leave the office later than for any other airport. For a short-haul flight with hand luggage, a pickup about an hour before departure is often enough, but check your airline’s check-in deadline, which may be earlier than you expect.

If the meeting runs over, message the chauffeur. They will wait, and we will tell you honestly if the flight is at risk.

Staying at a Canary Wharf hotel?

The hotels on the estate and along the river are a few minutes from the airport. The chauffeur will take you from arrivals to the hotel entrance, and if your room is not ready, the hotel will hold your luggage while you go to your first meeting.

What about the first flights of the morning?

London City’s first departures leave from about 06:30 on weekdays, and many are timed for business travellers to reach a European city for a morning meeting. From a Canary Wharf apartment, a pickup at about 05:30 is usually comfortable for a flight with hand luggage. At that hour, the roads are empty, and the drive takes about ten minutes.

Arriving at the weekend?

The estate is much quieter at weekends, with offices closed and fewer people on the roads, and the drive from the airport can take under ten minutes. Some office entrances are closed at weekends, so if you are going to work on a Saturday, check which entrance is open and tell us. For residents returning from a weekend away, the chauffeur will take you straight to your building.

Coming home from a holiday with the family?

Many families who live in the towers around Canary Wharf use London City for holidays to European destinations. Arriving home with children and luggage is simple: the chauffeur meets you at the arrivals exit, the car seats are fitted in advance if you tell us the children’s ages, and a quarter of an hour later you are at your building’s entrance. The V-Class suits a family of four with suitcases and a pushchair.

Is there a Congestion Charge?

No. Both the airport and Canary Wharf are well outside the zone, and the route between them does not enter it.

Where will the chauffeur meet you?

Just past the arrivals exit at London City, holding a board with your name. The chauffeur follows your flight and adjusts to delays. The car park is a short walk away, and the drive to the estate starts immediately.

Booking on a firm’s account?

Firms on the estate often book this journey many times a month. An account allows monthly invoicing with cost codes, and we can keep a note of each traveller’s building and entrance, so the chauffeur goes straight to the right door every time. London City’s £8 drop-off charge is included on journeys to the airport.