London City Airport hotels

London City Airport is an international airport located in the Royal Docks, just 6 miles from the city centre, making it one of the easiest and most accessible airports to reach from the capital.

There’s just one, two-storey passenger terminal at London City, with gates all reachable within 30 minutes of the terminal entrance.

London City Airport is open to all kinds of travellers. However, the close proximity to central London and speed of check in makes this a particularly popular option for business travellers flying in and out of the city.

London City Airport is closed overnight, but opens at 5.30am. Passengers can’t check in any earlier than two hours before their flight time.

London City Airport closes at 10pm, with no further passengers allowed into the terminal.

A range of airlines service London City Airport, to a variety of destinations. You’ll be able to fly in and out using any of the following airlines: 

• Air Antwerp
• Alitalia
• Aer Lingus
• British Airways
• KLM
• Lufthansa
• Luxair
• British Airways operated by SUN-AIR
• Swiss International Airlines
• LOT Polish Airlines

Depending on where you’re heading in the city, you can expect to take between 20 minutes and an hour to reach your destination. The tourist sites of Westminster are around a 30 minute taxi journey west of the airport, or would take about 45 minutes by public transport. The business area of Canary Wharf is just 10 minutes by taxi or 20 minutes on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).

By Train and Underground
London City Airport has its own Zone 3 stop on the DLR, just opposite the airport entrance, making it well connected to a range of train and tube options, such as Canning Town and Stratford. Trains to the city leave from London City Airport every 10to 15 minutes. If you’re a new visitor to London, consider picking up an Oyster card from the train station, as this will make travelling on public transport throughout the city much easier.

By Bus
Two bus lines service London City Airport: the 473, which goes to Stratford via Plaistow and North Woolwich, and the 474, which goes to Canning Town, Manor Park and East Ham.

By Taxi
You can take a London Black taxi into the city from just outside the terminal building. If the light is on, then it’s available. Some guide prices you can expect (depending on time of day and traffic) include: 

• £35 to Buckingham Palace, Covent Garden and Oxford Street
• £10 to the Excel Exhibition Centre
• £14 to Canary Wharf

By Car
If you’re driving to London City Airport, use the postcode E16 2PX in your Sat Nav or GPS for the terminal building or E16 2PB for the car park. Blue badge holders can park free onsite for up to 30 minutes. All other parkers can pay £3.50 for up to 10 minutes or £8 for between 10-20 minutes when dropping off or picking up. For all other parking there are both long and short stay car parks on site.

Fortunately, London City Airport is located outside the congestion zone, so any drivers travelling from outside the city won’t have to pay the fare.

Many travellers to and from London City Airport need to travel directly to Heathrow Airport for the next leg of their journey – this is about 28.5 miles across London to the west. Unfortunately there is no direct shuttle or coach service between the two, but you could try the following transport options:

By Car
When leaving London City Airport, take the A1261 west towards the city, then the A1203 and the A3211 to Duke of Wellington Place. From here you can follow the A4 and M4 all the way to Heathrow Airport. The journey should take around an hour and a half, depending on traffic.

By Taxi
It’s best to pre-book if you wish to travel between the two airports by taxi. You can expect prices starting from between £50 - £60 upwards, for a journey of around an hour and a half. Metered taxis are available in front of the terminal, but are likely to be more expensive.

By Underground and Train
There are several route options available by train and tube, so it may be worth checking based on your individual timings. However, one recommended route is to take the DLR from London City Airport to Bank, the central line from Bank to Holborn and then the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow. 
 

Travellers are able to check in hold baggage from two hours before their flight is due to depart. While London City Airport prides itself on speedy processing, it’s worth giving yourself no less than an hour to check in, go through security checks and get to your gate.

No, there’s no fast track security available at London City Airport. The only way to avoid queuing in line and speed up your journey is by booking the first class lounge – then you’ll be collected from the terminal and driven straight to the lounge where you’ll be checked in for departure.

Whilst it’s unlikely to be as busy as some of the region’s larger airports, London City Airport can still be crowded at times, depending on when you’re travelling. Leave yourself at least an hour to get through check-in and security, to avoid disappointment.

You’ll find a range of popular coffee shop chains at London City Airport, which will serve a range of hot and cold food such as sandwiches and salads. For longer sit-down meals, you’ll find a selection of restaurants serving everything from burgers to pancakes.

There’s one lounge at London City Airport – the First Class Lounge. It’s a little pricier than regular airport lounges, but includes collection from the terminal or airport car park straight to the lounge in the Private Jet Centre for refreshments. When it’s time for your flight, an escort will take you straight to the aircraft ready for departure.

You can either show your boarding pass on your phone or collect it from a self-service kiosk at the airport (although you’ll need your booking reference).

It certainly does. All of the usual cosmetics, alcohol and confectionery brands are available at Aelia Duty Free, in the Departures area once you’ve gone through security. There’s also a range of British products and souvenirs available. 

You can travel to a wide variety of domestic and international destinations from London City Airport – mostly short haul, but with options to travel to New York as well. You can travel to and from any of the following locations:

• Amsterdam (AMS)
• Antwerp (ANR)
• Berlin (TXL)
• Billund (BLL)
• Budapest (BUD)
• Chambery (CMF)
• Dublin (DUB)
• Dusseldorf (DUS)
• Edinburgh (EDI)
• Faro (FAO)
• Florence (FLR)
• Frankfurt (FRA)
• Geneva (GVA)
• Glasgow (GLA)
• Granada (GRX)
• Ibiza (IBZ)
• Isle Of Man (IOM)
• Luxembourg (LUX)
• Mahon (MAH)
• Malaga (AGP)
• Manchester (MAN)
• Milan (LIN)
• Mykonos (JMK)
• New York (JFK)
• Nice (NCE)
• Prague (PRG)
• Rome (FCO)
• Rotterdam (RTM)
• Santorini (JTR)
• Skiathos (JSI)
• Split (SPU)
• Venice (VCE)
• Vilnius (VNO)
• Warsaw (WAW)
• Zurich (ZRH)

Flex – Pay now or on arrival, fully refundable with free cancellation up to 1pm on the day of arrival. Our most flexible rate – you can cancel and get a full refund up to 1pm on the day of arrival. You can also amend your booking at the same hotel up to 1pm on the day of arrival (additional room rate charges may apply depending on your new stay date).

Semi-Flex – Pay now, fully refundable with free cancellation up to three full days before arrival. Fairly flexible rate – you can cancel and get a full refund up to three full days before arrival. No refunds after that date. You can also amend your booking date at the same hotel up to 1pm on the day of arrival (additional room rate charges may apply depending on your new stay date).

Advance – Pay now, fully refundable with free cancellation up to 28 full days before arrival, free to amend thereafter until the day of arrival. Fairly flexible rate – you can cancel and get a full refund up to 28 full days before arrival. No refunds after that date. You can also amend your booking date at the same hotel up to 1pm on the day of arrival (additional room rate charges may apply depending on your new stay date).

Standard – Pay now, non-refundable. Free to amend booking at the same hotel up to 1pm on the day of arrival. Slightly flexible rate – you won’t be able to cancel and get a full refund, but you can amend your booking at the same hotel up to 1pm on the day of arrival (additional room rate charges may apply depending on your new stay date).

Non-Flex – Pay now. No amends or refunds. Our least flexible rate – you won’t be able to cancel or amend your stay after booking.

Our standard check-in time is 3pm. For an additional fee*, you can start your stay sooner with early check-in from 11am. Add early check-in to your stay while making your booking, or afterwards by managing your stay in your Premier Inn account. Early check-in is subject to availability and not available at all Premier Inn hotels. 

Checkout is by 12 noon on your departure date. If luggage storage is available, our teams will be happy to store any bags for you if you’d like to check out before 12pm.

*Prices and times will vary depending on date and location. 

For an additional fee*, you can start your stay sooner with early check-in from 11am. Add early check-in to your stay while making your booking, or afterwards by managing your stay in your Premier Inn account. Early check-in is subject to availability and not available at all Premier Inn hotels. 

*Prices and times will vary depending on date and location. 

In 2020 we launched Premier Inn CleanProtect™, our rigorous, daily cleaning method that’s used throughout our UK & Ireland hotels. Developed in partnership with Diversey, a global leader in cleaning and hygiene products for the healthcare and hospitality industries, our promise seeks to give you extra peace of mind so you can always book and stay with confidence.

Check-in - minimising contact at reception and providing hand sanitiser in most public areas for peace of mind. 

Bed linen and towels - laundering all our linen and towels at over 60°C to thermally disinfect them, so you can enjoy a great night’s sleep. We’ve also placed spare pillows in a zip-up bag, for extra peace of mind.

Equipping our teams - providing our team members with all the equipment and sanitisers they need, as well as always operating in the safest way possible for our teams and guests.

A generous serving of safety - you can relax knowing that enhanced cleaning measures are in place throughout our restaurants. Tables are cleaned between visits and contactless payment is in place too, so you can dine safely and comfortably with us every time.

Clean on request - if you'd like your room cleaned during your stay with us, just let us know at reception and use the handy door hanger on the back of your door by 12pm each day.

Most Premier Inns have specially-adapted rooms allowing easier access for customers with disabilities. If there is no specially-adapted room available at the hotel of your choice, we will be happy to offer you alternative accommodation at a nearby Premier Inn. If you have difficulty walking, but do not need a specially-adapted room, please feel free to request a room near reception on the ground floor for easy access. 

If you'd like get in touch, you can reach out to our specialist team via email at pi.accessible@whitbread.com or call us on 0333 0919 817 between 9am and 5pm Monday-Friday (calls charged at local rate).

Unfortunately, with the exception of trained assistance dogs, we don't allow pets to stay at our hotels.