Airport Transfers from London City Airport (LCY) to Tilbury

1-12 passengers For business
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One-Way Transfer
A one-way transfer covers one journey between two addresses: the terminal to the cruise ship on Ferry Road, the airport to a hotel in Thurrock the night before sailing, or a berth in the cargo port to London City after a crew change. Once you have landed, the chauffeur tracks your flight and plans the pick-up around the real landing time; for a departure, you set the pick-up time yourself, and the confirmation shows it.
Round-Trip Service
Round-Trip Service books both directions in one reservation: London City to the ship on the day you embark, and the quay back to the Royal Docks on the morning the ship returns. Give both voyage dates and the ship's name when you book, and check that your return flight is not on a Saturday afternoon. With both directions in one booking, the return is secured from the start; you set both pick-up times yourself, and the confirmation lists them.
Hourly Service
Hourly service keeps one chauffeur and one vehicle with you for a set number of hours. When you book, you set the start at LCY, the final address and the hours you need, and you add the day's plan to the reservation so the chauffeur has it before your flight lands. It suits an arrival day with appointments, not a straight run to one hotel.

London City Airport to Tilbury: Route and Drive Time

Tilbury is a port town in Thurrock, on the Essex shore, east of the Dartford Crossing. The transfer from the terminal is 21 miles, normally 50 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes, east along the A13 from the Royal Docks and then down towards the river.

For passengers sailing from here, the destination is Ferry Road and the London International Cruise Terminal, part of the Port of Tilbury. It lies 2 miles from the town centre, 15–20 minutes, so tell us whether you are going to the ship, to a hotel in Thurrock the night before, or to an office inside the cargo port. Journey times vary with traffic and weather.

London City Airport to Tilbury: Route and Drive Time

Meeting Your Chauffeur at London City Airport

London City is compact: a single terminal, with collections for booked cars handled in the Short Stay car park. When you travel with cruise cases, allow time at baggage reclaim before you walk out to the car park.

The chauffeur tracks your flight and plans the pick-up around the real landing time. Your booking confirmation tells you where to meet, and the exact spot follows the airport's own pick-up rules.

By public transport, Tilbury is awkward to reach from the docks: you would ride into the City and then take a c2c train from Fenchurch Street to Tilbury Town, still some distance from the ship. A car takes you and the luggage from the terminal to the quay in one trip.

Meeting Your Chauffeur at London City Airport

Arriving at Your Address in Tilbury

Forth Ports describes the terminal as the only deep-water, purpose-built cruise facility serving London; ships of up to 350 metres berth there, and a single turnaround can involve 2,500 passengers. Send the full address with your booking; the confirmation then tells you where the car will stop. For the ship, give the cruise line and the boarding time.

If you are staying overnight before sailing, give the hotel name. Business visitors to the cargo port should add the berth, company and gate in the address. Tilbury Fort, an artillery fort on the riverside close to the terminal, can be visited before boarding as a separate ride.

Arriving at Your Address in Tilbury

From Tilbury Back to London City Airport

On the morning a cruise ends, the drive itself takes 50 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes to the docks; on top of that, add the time it takes to disembark and reclaim your cases before the car leaves the quay. You set the pick-up time yourself, and the confirmation shows it.

London City has one terminal, and it closes at 12:30 on Saturdays. If your ship returns on a Saturday morning, an early-afternoon flight from London City is not possible; choose a Sunday flight or another airport.

For crew changes at the cargo port, put the berth or gate as the pick-up address so the car finds you at the right entrance.

From Tilbury Back to London City Airport
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Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know before booking your airport transfer with Bookinglane.

Flying into London City for a Tilbury cruise, how long is the ride to the ship?

Tilbury town is 21 miles away by road, normally 50 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes; the cruise terminal on Ferry Road is a short drive further. Add the boarding time to the booking.

My plane might be late on embarkation day. What then?

The chauffeur tracks your flight and plans the pick-up around the real landing time. Even so, leave a margin between the scheduled landing and the ship's final boarding time, as the cruise line sets that limit.

Where is the chauffeur when I come out of London City Airport?

Look for the Short Stay car park; the chauffeur collects you from the section set aside for booked vehicles. Your booking confirmation tells you where to meet, and the exact spot follows the airport's own pick-up rules.

Can I take the ferry between Tilbury and Gravesend?

No. Sailings across the river ended in spring 2024 when the subsidy ran out, and by May 2026 Kent County Council had found nobody to take it on. To reach the Kent side, the car uses the Dartford Crossing.

We have four large suitcases each. Will they fit?

Enter the number of bags in the booking form; for golf bags, bikes or other bulky items, tell support so the vehicle is matched to the load. If the cases outnumber the seats, a van is the answer, with room for 12 passengers and their luggage.

What do you need to know about London City Airport in 2026–2027?

Tilbury's 2027 cruise calendar includes Ambassador Cruise Line departures across the year and around 50 Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection voyages from April to October. London City's own 2027 milestone is 40 years of flights.