Getting Around Tilbury
Tilbury is a port town in Thurrock, Essex, on the Thames downstream from the Dartford Crossing. The Port of Tilbury, run by Forth Ports, handles cargo and is also home to the London International Cruise Terminal on Ferry Road. It is London's only deep-water, purpose-built cruise facility: it takes ships up to 350 metres long and handles turnarounds of up to 2,500 passengers.
The cruise terminal is 2 miles from the town centre, 15–20 minutes by car. By road, the port is reached from junction 30 of the M25 and then the A13 heading east. Tilbury Fort, an artillery fort on the river, stands close by.
Tilbury Town station is served by c2c trains to Fenchurch Street. Add the train and its arrival time to the booking, and the car is scheduled for that arrival. For the terminal or a gate inside the port, send the full address with your booking; the confirmation then tells you where the car will stop. On a day spent between the docks and offices in Thurrock, a car reserved by the hour helps: one chauffeur and one vehicle stay with you for the time you reserve.
Airport Transfers to Tilbury
If you fly in before you sail, the closest choice is London City Airport, 21 miles away, 50 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes, and London Southend Airport 22 miles, 45 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes. Stansted Airport is 42 miles, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes; its single terminal is being extended, with work under way since 2025. Gatwick is 48 miles, 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes, and Luton Airport 59 miles, 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. The right one depends on your airline and route.
Book with your flight number. When your plane lands, your chauffeur checks the flight status and times the pick-up to when you actually land, and your booking confirmation shows where to meet the chauffeur. For a departure from Tilbury, what counts is the length of the drive, not the time on the clock: on the morning a cruise ends, leave room for leaving the ship and collecting bags before you choose your flight. Journey times vary with traffic and weather. You set the pick-up time yourself, and the confirmation shows it.
Long-Distance & Multi-City Travel from Tilbury
Grays is 3 miles, 15–20 minutes; it is the borough's principal town. The passenger ferry across the river has not run since 2024, so the trip goes round by the Dartford Crossing: Gravesend is 20 miles by road, 40–55 minutes.
Kent is the natural extension of a cruise. Canterbury is 55 miles, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes, and Dover, with its castle and its own cruise terminal, 71 miles, 1 hour 35 minutes to 2 hours 5 minutes.
Southampton, the other big cruise port in the south, is 116 miles, 2 hours 25 minutes to 3 hours 10 minutes. A transfer between two ports keeps your cases in the same vehicle from one quay to the next.
Groups & Event Travel in Tilbury
Cruise groups are the main reason to move people in numbers here: a family sailing together, a club booked on the same voyage, or friends meeting at the terminal from different parts of the country.
When you book for other people, all their transfers can be kept in one account, each with its own booking and confirmation. If the party flies in on several flights, every arrival gets a transfer of its own. For the whole group, a Sprinter van carries up to 12 people with their bags, and bigger groups go by coach, with up to 56 seats; the vehicle is matched to the load, which on a long voyage means plenty of suitcases. 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.
Local vehicles and drivers are booked up early on embarkation days. If your plans go beyond a standard booking, write to support with the dates, addresses, number of passengers, flights and luggage, and the team will arrange it.
