Trains from London City Airport
London City Airport is London’s only central airport. If you need to get from there to outside of London, then getting the train can be cheaper and more convenient than other forms of transport. The airport is in the Royal Docks area of the River Thames, just 3.1 miles east of the Canary Wharf business district in Central London.
London City Airport is also on the Docklands Light Rail (DLR) line. This links directly to the London Underground, so it’s easy to get from London City Airport to towns and cities within mainland UK. London Waterloo, London Bridge and Stratford International are three of the closest train stations to the airport. To get to these stations, you can take the DLR to Canning Town and then the Jubilee London Underground Line.
Read on to learn more about buying train tickets, timetables and possible connections.
Getting from London City Airport to London by train
Using Trainline, you can purchase cheap train tickets to London from anywhere in the UK. This means you won’t have to pay for taxis and airport parking, so you’ll have more to spend on your holiday. If you want to find the cheapest fares, then we recommend that you book tickets well in advance of travelling. You can use National Railcards to save 1/3 off adult fares and 60% off kids’ fares.
London City Airport is just opposite London City Airport station on the Docklands Light Rail (DLR) line. DLR trains run from London City Airport to Canning Town station every 4 to 10 minutes. They operate from around 5:30am to around 12:45am, Monday to Saturday, and around 7:00am to just after 11:45pm on Sundays. The journey takes 6 minutes.
From Canning Town, you can get take the Jubilee London Underground Line to London Waterloo, London Bridge or Stratford International. As a guide, journeys from London City Airport to London Waterloo currently cost £2.80 off peak with an Oyster travel card or contactless card, or £3.40 in peak times (as of July 2023). From central London, you then have access to the entire UK rail network that allows you to reach major towns and cities within mainland UK.
For example, South Western Railway, Southern and Southeastern train companies operate direct trains from London Waterloo, London Bridge and Stratford International to major stations across Southeast and South England. These include Ashford, Weymouth, Guildford, Exeter, Reading, Hastings, Dover, Brighton, Sutton and Eastbourne.
If your flight is arriving late, you can book a room at the Travelodge hotel, just 10 minutes’ walk from London City Airport.
Useful travel tips
We want to make travel easier for you, which is why we’ve compiled a selection of useful travel tips to help you on your way.
Off-peak fares
Learn more about peak and off-peak fares, and how they can affect the cost of your journey.
Seat reservations
Need information about seating? Read our guide to find out more about what's available.
Interrail
Planning to travel Europe by train soon? Read our handy guide on how to save with an Interrail Pass.
Things to do in London
If you’re coming back from your holiday and travelling outside of London, you might want to take some time to explore the capital. If so, we recommend you take the Jubilee Line from Canning Town to Westminster. If you have a lot of luggage, you can stop off at London Waterloo on the way to make use of the station’s luggage storage facilities. You’ll find these just outside Exit 6 to Southbank.
London Waterloo also has plenty of places to eat and drink, such as Burger King, Starbucks, Bagel Factory, McDonald’s and Mi Casa Burritos. From Westminster station, you can visit Big Ben, the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and the River Thames.
It’s an hour’s leisurely walk from Westminster to the Tower of London. If you cross the Thames and then follow the river north then east, you’ll pass the National Theatre, Millennium Bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London Bridge and Tower Bridge. The Tower of London is just after that.
We recommend that you buy an Oyster travel card from any London Underground station. This will give you cheap access to London’s public transport network.