London City Airport to the City of London

Car or DLR to Bank?

The DLR runs from the airport station directly to Bank without a change, and for a single traveller with a small bag heading to an office near Bank, Monument or Cannon Street, it is quick and inexpensive. We would not try to talk you out of it.

The car is better when you have luggage for a longer stay, when several colleagues are travelling together, when your office is on the western or northern side of the City, some distance from Bank, or when you want to take calls in private. It also saves the walk from Bank station, which has long passages and escalators, to your office with a case.

How long does the drive take?

About 25 minutes off-peak and around 36 minutes in the weekday rush, via the A1020, the A13 and the Highway or Commercial Road into the City. The approach through Aldgate is usually the slowest part. At weekends, when the City is quiet, the drive can take under 20 minutes.

Where does the car drop you?

At the entrance your office uses for taxis and couriers. Several City streets and junctions, including the Bank junction, are restricted to buses and cycles for much of the working day, and some courts and lanes are closed to vehicles. Tell us the building and the entrance, and the chauffeur will go straight there.

For the insurance market around Lime Street and Leadenhall Street, and for the towers on Bishopsgate, most buildings have a set-down point on a side street; the chauffeur will know it.

How late can you leave for a return flight?

Later than for any other London airport. For a short-haul flight with hand luggage, many City travellers leave the office about 75 to 90 minutes before departure. Check your airline’s check-in deadline, which is sometimes earlier than people expect, and allow more in the evening rush, when the eastbound roads out of the City are slow.

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

Does the Congestion Charge apply?

Yes, during charging hours. The City is inside the zone, so an arrival or a pickup between 07:00 and 18:00 on a weekday, or between 12:00 and 18:00 at weekends and on bank holidays, incurs the £18 daily charge. It is included in your fixed price whenever it applies.

Arriving on a domestic flight?

London City has flights from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast and other UK cities, as well as from Europe. Domestic passengers do not pass through immigration, so from the aircraft to the car can take only a few minutes. For a Scottish or Northern Irish colleague coming down for a meeting, the whole journey from landing to the office can be under 40 minutes.

Staying at a City hotel?

The City has a growing number of hotels, from the large ones near Liverpool Street and Tower Hill to smaller boutique hotels around St Paul’s and Farringdon. For a visitor arriving for a week of meetings, a car from London City to the hotel entrance is simple, and many hotels will hold luggage if you arrive before your room is ready. The chauffeur can drop the bags at the hotel and take you on to your first meeting, if you give us both addresses.

Arriving at the weekend or in the evening?

The City changes completely outside working hours. At weekends and in the evenings, the streets are quiet, many restaurants and shops close, and the drive from the airport is quick, often under 20 minutes. Some office buildings open only one entrance at weekends, so if you are going to work on a Saturday, tell us which door will be open. The Congestion Charge applies at weekends only between 12:00 and 18:00.

Travelling on a firm’s account?

Many City firms book this journey regularly. An account allows monthly invoicing with cost codes or matter numbers, and we can keep each traveller’s preferred car and office entrance on file, so every journey runs the same way.

Where will the chauffeur meet you?

Just past the arrivals exit at London City, holding a board with your name or your firm’s name. The chauffeur follows your flight and adjusts to delays. The walk to the car park is short.

What does the price include?

The journey, the parking at the airport while the chauffeur waits, the Congestion Charge when it applies, and London City’s £8 drop-off charge on journeys to the airport. It does not change if your flight is late or the traffic is heavy.