Getting from London City Airport to Central London

To get from London City Airport to London by train you can use the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) network. This efficient railway system offers convenient and fast services, with direct connections to the London Underground (Tube) and Overground at interchange stations including Woolwich Arsenal (for the Elizabeth Line), Canning Town, Stratford, and Bank.

DLR trains run from London City Airport to Central London approximately every 10 minutes, depending on your destination. The whole journey should take around an hour, as you will probably need to make at least one change to reach your destination.

The cost of your train journey largely depends on your final destination and how many zones you’re traveling through. For example, a single DLR train ticket from City Airport (Zone 3) to the Bank DLR station in Central London (Zone 1) costs £6.70 (€8).

You can buy tickets at the DLR station at City Airport from the ticket desks or from the ticket machines. You can also buy an Oyster card from the ticket desk at DLR station, which gives you a discount on fares.

Not only is the DLR train cheap, but it’s also relatively fast, so if you’re traveling on a budget and don’t have a lot of luggage, this is a great transfer option for you. Moreover, once you arrive at the Bank DLR train station, which is located in one of the main financial/business areas of London, you have access to 3 major central tube lines and you can use the same ticket you bought at the airport.

That said, the Tube and Overground train networks can be quite overwhelming, especially if you have to walk between stations to change lines. Once you reach your final stop, you’ll still have to walk to get to your hotel. If you’re visiting London for the first time, to avoid the stress and hassle, we recommend pre-booking a private transfer in advance so that you can relax and enjoy the sights as you’re driven directly to your hotel.