London City Airport (LCY)

Last verified: October 2026 · Confirmed by travelers this month: 0

The answer

DLR from inside the terminal to Bank in about 22 minutes — £3.30 off-peak (£3.90 peak) with Oyster or contactless, the same way you pay on the Underground.

It is the only London airport with a station attached to the building, it sits in TfL Zone 3 so there is no airport fare supplement, and trains leave roughly every 8–10 minutes.

Tight budget? Buses 473/474 stop a minute from the terminal at £1.75 (Hopper fare) for links around East London — rising to £1.85 on 1 November 2026.
Late night or a group? Black cabs queue outside and app cars run typically £18–£45 into the centre — ranges only, see the source note.

🚈 Every way out — real prices

DLR to Bank BEST FOR MOST

£3.30–£3.90

The London City Airport DLR station is inside the terminal, step-free by lift from the concourse. Trains run typically every 8–10 minutes; the direct Bank branch takes about 22 minutes (Central, Northern, Waterloo & City lines; Elizabeth line within walking distance at Monument/Liverpool Street). Change at Canning Town for the Jubilee line towards Canary Wharf and Westminster, or at Prince Regent for the Custom House Elizabeth line link. Oyster and contactless valid at normal Zone 3→1 fares.

Buses 473 / 474

£1.75

The bus stop is beside the drop-off area, about a 1-minute walk from the terminal. Route 474 heads to Canning Town, Beckton and Manor Park; 473 to Stratford, Silvertown and North Woolwich. Hopper fare: £1.75 buys unlimited bus rides within an hour — TfL has published an increase to £1.85 from 1 November 2026.

Black cab (official rank)

metered ~£22–£45

Metered black cabs wait on the official rank outside the terminal; a typical City-bound fare lands around £22–£38 with a higher tariff late at night (fare-estimates sources — the airport publishes no fixed table). Since spring 2026 London taxis pay a regulated meter adjustment to the airport instead of the £8 forecourt charge.

Uber / Bolt

app quote ~£18–£35

Both apps operate from the terminal area; pricing is dynamic and surges after a wave of arrivals. There is no official price list — the app quote before you confirm is the binding number.

Being dropped off at the forecourt

£8

From 6 January 2026 the terminal forecourt is chargeable: £8 for 0–5 minutes, then £1 per minute, maximum 10-minute stay. No barriers or machines — ANPR reads your plate and you pay online (dropoff.londoncityairport.com) by midnight the day after. Blue Badge holders can register for 10 minutes free.

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⚠️ The traps (walk past these)

The forecourt stopped being free — £8 for 5 minutes

London City was the last major London airport offering free drop-off until 6 January 2026. Now £8 covers five minutes and £1 more per minute to a 10-minute hard stop; payment is online by midnight the day after your visit — settle it late and you face additional fees.

Do this: keep the stop under 5 minutes and pay the plate online the same day

Every bus quote you read is about to be £0.10 wrong

TfL's official page shows adult bus pay-as-you-go at £1.75 with a 'Fares from 1 November 2026' section listing £1.85. Guides quoting £1.65 or promising the old price in November are stale.

Do this: budget £1.85 per Hopper hour from 1 November 2026

There is no Underground station at the airport

Only the DLR touches the terminal; reaching the Tube means interchanging (Bank, or the Jubilee at Canning Town). 'Walk to the nearest tube' advice describes a 30-minute riverside trudge.

Do this: board the DLR in the building and change to the Underground two stops later

Peak-hour tap costs more and packs tighter

Weekday touch-ins 06:30–09:30 and 16:00–19:00 pay the £3.90 peak single instead of £3.30 — and the Bank branch at 08:00 is shoulder-to-shoulder commuters around a suitcase.

Do this: if your flight allows, travel just off peak; multi-hop days are fine because fares cap at £10.50 across Zones 1–3

Phone and card are two different passengers

Contactless requires the same card or device for touch-in and touch-out; using your phone in and your physical card out (or a flat battery) logs an incomplete journey at the maximum fare.

Do this: pick one payment method before you tap and keep it in your hand until you touch out

💡 Know before you walk

Zones 1–3 daily cap is £10.50 — two DLR hops plus central travel in one day stops charging there.
The whole journey is step-free: lifts at the airport DLR station and at Bank.
To Canary Wharf or Westminster, change at Canning Town for the Jubilee line rather than riding to Bank first.
The airport operates roughly 05:30–23:00 with limited night slots — a last DLR around 00:30 comfortably covers every scheduled flight.
Contactless journey charges appear later via a TfL account, not the station gate — check contactless.tfl.gov.uk for the exact fares charged.

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📄 Take it offline

One-page PDF — download before you fly. Works with zero signal.

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London City Airport (LCY)

🚈 Every way out — real prices

⚠️ The traps (walk past these)

💡 Know before you walk

Report a change — 4 taps