Every way to get from London City Airport into London — compared by speed, price and how easy each is with luggage. Then route the whole journey offline with CityNav.
Open CityNav Free → See London transit coverageLondon City is a single small terminal in the Docklands, aimed at business travellers with quick, compact processing. Its own DLR station sits right outside the door.
| Option | Duration | Price | Frequency / Hours | Luggage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🚈 DLR (Docklands Light Railway) | ~22 min to Bank | from £3.90 (contactless, off-peak) | every 8-10 min roughly 05:30-00:30 |
good — step-free, but compact carriages |
| 🚆 DLR + Elizabeth line | ~30-40 min | from £5-£8 (contactless) | frequent roughly 05:30-00:30 |
good — mostly step-free |
| 🚕 Taxi / Uber | ~25-45 min | from £30-£50 | on demand 24/7 |
excellent — door to door |
→ Bank / Canary Wharf / Tower Gateway
Luggage: good — step-free, but compact carriages
→ West End / Paddington (change at Custom House or Canary Wharf)
Luggage: good — mostly step-free
→ Central London
Luggage: excellent — door to door
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The DLR is from about £3.90 off-peak with contactless. A taxi is roughly £30-£50 depending on destination and traffic.
The DLR reaches Bank in about 22 minutes; changing to the Elizabeth line gets you to the West End in around 30-40 minutes.
The DLR — it's also the fastest, so there's rarely a reason to take anything else unless you have heavy luggage.
The DLR is step-free but carriages are compact; for lots of bags a taxi is easy and comparatively cheap given how central the airport is.
The DLR runs until roughly 00:30. After that, take a taxi or Uber — journeys into the City are short.
Yes — just tap in and out on the DLR with a contactless card or phone; it's the same as Oyster and caps daily.
Data last checked: 2026-08-14 · Sources: TfL, DLR, London City Airport. Fares are approximate and can change.