Taxi from Excel London to London City AirportFrom £38 Fixed · No CCZ · 5–10 Min · 24/7 from 03:00
Book a fixed-price Excel London airport transfer to London City Airport from £38. Gatwick Taxi Transfer covers every E16 address — Excel Centre itself, Custom House, Royal Docks, Canning Town, Silvertown, North Woolwich and Beckton. At 1.5 miles from LCY, Excel is the closest major venue to any London airport. No CCZ. LCY £8 pre-settled. Named driver by text the evening before. Available from 03:00 daily — the only option before DLR starts at 05:30.
Updated
- Excel E16 £38 · Custom House £39 · Royal Docks £40 · Silvertown £41
- Canning Town £42 · N.Woolwich £43 · Beckton £46 · Exec from £66
- Estate from £42 · MPV6 from £49 · 8-seat from £88
- LCY £8 pre-cleared · No CCZ · Named driver by text · 03:00 start
- Excel West/East/ICC entrance · Hotel pickup · VAT receipt
No CCZ · LCY £8 cleared · Named driver · TfL licensed
Choose Your Vehicle — Excel London to London City Airport
All E16 addresses covered. No CCZ. LCY £8 ANPR pre-settled on all vehicles. ULEZ £0. Excel West Entrance, East Entrance, ICC Capital Hall and all four Excel hotels served. From £38 saloon to £96 8-seat minibus.
Saloon — Excel to LCY
The fastest door-to-terminal option for Excel London delegates. Excel is just 1.5 miles from LCY — a saloon gets there in 5–10 minutes off-peak. Up to 4 passengers, 2 cases. Confirmed from £38 (Excel E16 1XL). LCY £8 pre-settled. No CCZ charge. Driver name and plate by text the night before.
Book Saloon — from £38
Estate Car — Excel to LCY
For exhibitors travelling with display materials, samples or presentation equipment. Three large cases fit in the boot alongside four passengers. Exhibition crews heading from Excel teardown to an evening LCY flight choose the estate when gear is the priority. From £42 at Excel E16.
Book Estate — from £42
MPV 5-Seat — Excel to LCY
Conference delegations of five from a single Excel event session — one vehicle rather than five separate journeys. At £47 from Excel split five ways: £9.40 per head. Often the same cost or less than five individual DLR journeys, with door-to-terminal convenience and no luggage restrictions.
Book MPV5 — from £47
Executive Taxi — Excel to LCY
Mercedes E-Class or V-Class for conference speakers, exhibition directors and VIP delegates. Named pickup at any Excel hotel entrance — Aloft, DoubleTree, Moxy or Ibis Styles. Leather interior, chilled water. Corporate accounts available for recurring Excel event schedules. From £66.
Book Executive — from £66.webp)
MPV 6 & 7-Seat — Excel to LCY
The vehicle of choice when conference delegations or trade show teams need to travel together. Six or seven passengers, five bags, one pickup from any Excel entrance. From £49 for six, splitting to £8.17 per head — consistently below DLR plus luggage logistics.
Book MPV 6/7 — from £49.webp)
8-Seat Minibus — Excel to LCY
Full exhibition crews, corporate event groups and large delegations. Eight passengers in one vehicle from any Excel entrance or hotel to LCY terminal. At £88 split eight ways: £11 per head. One invoice for the event organiser, one pickup coordination, no separate receipts to chase.
Book 8-Seat — from £88Excel London to London City Airport — All Fares
All fares fixed at booking. No CCZ charge — E16 is outside the Congestion Charge Zone. LCY £8 ANPR pre-settled on all bookings. ULEZ £0. Verified .
| Area | Postcode | Saloon | Estate | MPV5 | MPV6 | MPV7 | Executive | 8-Seat | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excel Centre / ICC | E16 1XL |
£38 | £42 | £47 | £49 | £51 | £66 | £88 | Book → |
| Custom House | E16 3QD |
£39 | £43 | £48 | £50 | £52 | £67 | £89 | Book → |
| Royal Docks / Pontoon Dock | E16 1DR |
£40 | £44 | £49 | £51 | £53 | £68 | £90 | Book → |
| Silvertown / Thameside | E16 2EZ |
£41 | £45 | £50 | £52 | £54 | £69 | £91 | Book → |
| Canning Town | E16 1SL |
£42 | £46 | £51 | £53 | £55 | £70 | £92 | Book → |
| North Woolwich / Albert Dock | E16 2EX |
£43 | £47 | £52 | £54 | £56 | £71 | £93 | Book → |
| Beckton | E6 5NA |
£46 | £50 | £55 | £57 | £59 | £74 | £96 | Book → |
← Swipe the table sideways to see every vehicle class →
Per-head cost from Excel
One passenger pays the full £38. Two sharing come to £19 each, four to £9.50. Six in the MPV6 works out at £8.17 a head, and eight in the minibus at £11. From four delegates upward with bags, the group booking generally lands below DLR once luggage handling is counted.
No CCZ on any E16 booking
Excel London sits outside the Congestion Charge Zone, so no charge applies at any hour on any day of the week. The figure confirmed when you book is the figure settled at the kerb — nothing added for the zone, nothing added for the airport barrier.
Journey time by event status
Ordinary days run 5–10 minutes. Move-in and teardown at World Travel Market, DSEI or Grand Designs push that to 15–20 with venue exit queues. Before 06:00 the run drops to 5–7 minutes; after 19:00, 5–8.
Every Excel Area to London City Airport — All 7 Routes
Seven E16 and E6 areas covered to LCY at verified fixed fares. No CCZ on any route. LCY £8 pre-settled.
Taxi from Excel Centre / ICC to London City Airport
The Excel Centre itself — the main exhibition halls, ICC London and the West and East entrances on Western Gateway and Eastern Gateway. At 1.5 miles from London City Airport, Excel is the closest major venue to any London airport. A taxi from the West Entrance to LCY terminal takes 5–8 minutes off-peak via Royal Albert Way. During DSEI or World Travel Market, build in an extra 10 minutes for venue exit queues.
Taxi from Custom House to London City Airport
Custom House E16 is the DLR station immediately adjacent to Excel London, serving the northern side of the exhibition centre and the cluster of hotels along Freemasons Road. The area generates heavy taxi demand when early-morning LCY flights depart before DLR service begins at 05:30. A pre-booked taxi from Custom House covers 1.8 miles in 6–10 minutes off-peak.
Taxi from Royal Docks / Pontoon Dock to London City Airport
Royal Docks E16 and Pontoon Dock cover the waterfront development east of Excel — Pontoon Dock DLR station, the Travelodge and Premier Inn cluster and the residential blocks along Royal Wharf. At 2 miles from London City Airport the run takes 7–12 minutes. This area holds the overflow accommodation when the four Excel hotels sell out during a major show.
Taxi from Silvertown / Thameside to London City Airport
Silvertown E16 and the Thameside stretch cover the south side of the Royal Docks between Excel and the river — Gallions Reach DLR, the Emirates Air Line terminus and the growing residential and hotel development along the Thames waterfront. At 2.2 miles from LCY a taxi from Silvertown reaches the terminal in 7–12 minutes.
Taxi from Canning Town to London City Airport
Canning Town E16 is the Jubilee line and DLR interchange hub immediately north of Excel, serving both the exhibition centre and the wider Newham area. At 2.5 miles from LCY the journey runs 8–14 minutes. Canning Town is where a good deal of Excel event crew and contractor accommodation sits, priced below the waterfront hotels.
Taxi from North Woolwich / Albert Dock to London City Airport
North Woolwich E16 and Albert Dock sit on the south bank of the Royal Docks, east of Excel towards Woolwich. The area serves the residential development around Albert Island and the new DLR extension footprint. At 2.8 miles from London City Airport a taxi from North Woolwich reaches LCY in 9–15 minutes via Royal Albert Way.
Taxi from Beckton to London City Airport
Beckton E6 is the residential area north of the Royal Docks on the A13 corridor, taking in the Beckton DLR terminus, the retail park and the streets running north from the Excel complex. At 4.2 miles from London City Airport, Beckton is the furthest of the seven areas on this page — still only 12–18 minutes to the terminal. Event crew, contractors and budget accommodation guests book here consistently for early LCY departures before the DLR runs.
Excel to LCY — London’s Shortest Airport Taxi
Excel London to London City Airport runs 1.5–2 miles along Royal Albert Way. No airport taxi in the capital is shorter. Off-peak from Excel E16: 5–10 minutes. No CCZ on the route. LCY £8 pre-settled.
Excel London — Airport Taxi Facts for Exhibitors & Delegates
Excel London — the closest venue to LCY
Excel London on Royal Victoria Dock stands a mile and a half from London City Airport — no other major London exhibition venue is closer to any airport. That proximity is why LCY becomes the natural choice for international delegates flying in: DSEI, World Travel Market, BETT, London Book Fair, Grand Designs Live and MCM Comic Con all draw heavy LCY arrivals.
For exhibitors setting up or breaking down, the run is 5–10 minutes door to terminal. Put that against Canary Wharf at 3.5 miles or the City at 7 and the gap is obvious. Excel has the single shortest taxi run to a London airport of any major business venue.
DLR or taxi from Excel — when each one wins
| Factor | DLR | Taxi |
|---|---|---|
| Cost, one person | £1.70–£3.50 | £38 |
| Cost, four people | £6.80–£14 | £38 total |
| Journey time | 3 min, one stop | 5–10 min |
| First service | 05:30 | 03:00 |
| Luggage | Limited | Unlimited |
| Exhibition gear | No | Yes |
| Door pickup | No | Yes |
| Fixed price | No | Yes |
Event-day demand at Excel
Opening morning of World Travel Market, or DSEI move-in day, sends demand from the Excel hotels through the roof before 06:00. Everyone wants the same slot. Reserving the evening before locks the vehicle in before that queue forms.
Which airlines Excel delegates fly
London City runs Edinburgh on BA CityFlyer roughly hourly, plus Amsterdam with KLM and BA, Dublin on Aer Lingus, Zurich with SWISS, Frankfurt on Lufthansa and Paris CDG with Air France. Delegates landing from those European capitals reach Excel in 5–10 minutes.
What LCY looks like on the day
One terminal, one cluster of security lanes, one arrivals exit. Security clears in 10–20 minutes outside peak. Leave Excel at 17:00 after teardown and you are at the terminal by 17:10 — twenty minutes in hand before an 18:00 gate closes.
Major Excel Events — Taxi to LCY Before & After
Excel London hosts over 400 events annually. These are the biggest — each generating high demand for Excel to LCY taxis on opening mornings and closing evenings.
| Event | Month | Type | Excel → LCY | Pre-book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSEI | September | Defence & Security | 5–20 min event day | Eve before essential |
| World Travel Market | November | Travel Industry | 5–15 min | Eve before essential |
| BETT | January | EdTech | 5–12 min | Recommended |
| London Book Fair | April | Publishing | 5–10 min | Recommended |
| Grand Designs Live | May | Home & Design | 5–15 min | Recommended |
| MCM Comic Con | May / October | Pop Culture | 5–20 min event day | Recommended |
| The Gadget Show | March | Consumer Tech | 5–10 min | Standard |
| ICC London conferences | Year-round | Corporate Events | 5–10 min | Standard |
Best way to get from Excel London to LCY
It comes down to how many of you there are, what you are carrying and when you leave. Travelling alone after 05:30 with hand luggage only, the DLR from Custom House is hard to beat — one stop, three minutes, a couple of pounds. Three or four of you with cases, or anything departing before 05:30, and the pre-booked taxi takes over. Split four ways, £38 is £9.50 a head, which lands in the same territory as four DLR fares while adding door-to-terminal service.
How to Book a Taxi from Excel London to London City Airport
Fixed Fare, No CCZ, LCY £8 Cleared — Every E16 Address
Corporate Taxi Accounts — Excel Events & Exhibition Teams
Exhibition contractors, event management companies and trade association teams attending Excel events throughout the year use Gatwick Taxi Transfer corporate accounts for consistent, invoiced transport to LCY.
Return Taxi from London City Airport to Excel — from £38
Same fixed fare both directions. Driver in the single arrivals hall with a name card. Forty-five minutes from actual touchdown. Built for incoming delegates and exhibitors.
The moment your aircraft pushes back at its origin, the flight is on our board. A late KLM out of Amsterdam or a slow BA CityFlyer from Edinburgh is absorbed automatically — the driver is in position before you park.
London City has a single arrivals concourse, which removes the usual guessing game. Your driver stands just beyond the gate with a card. A twenty-minute hold-up at the belt still leaves the full waiting window intact.
Royal Albert Way runs straight back to any Excel entrance or hotel. A delegate landing for a conference can be at the registration desk under twenty minutes from wheels-down, bags included.
Excel London to London City Airport — FAQ
Excel to LCY — What Event Organisers & Regulars Know
Why this is the cheapest LCY run in London
Distance decides it. No other major exhibition or conference venue in London sits a mile and a half from an airport. Canary Wharf is 3.5 miles at £42, Docklands 3 miles at £42, Shoreditch 6.5 miles at £43. Excel starts lower because the journey is shorter, not because anything is being cut.
Teardown is the pinch point, not opening day
Breakdown at Excel usually wraps mid-afternoon into evening, and everybody with a Friday-night Edinburgh, Amsterdam or Zurich flight calls for a car in the same two-hour window — 16:00 to 18:00 on the closing day. Booking the previous evening, or the week before for DSEI and World Travel Market, gets you allocated before that rush.
Which door each Excel hotel uses
Aloft London Excel takes its main entrance on Western Gateway. DoubleTree by Hilton is also on Western Gateway, closer to Excel West. Moxy sits on the same side. Ibis Styles is round on Festoon Way, which catches people out. Name the hotel at checkout and the driver has the right door on file the night before — no ringing reception, no standing on the wrong side of the building.
Canning Town, the budget bed option
Crew and contractors tend to stay north of the venue where rooms cost less than the waterfront. Canning Town is a Jubilee and DLR interchange, but neither is running for the earliest LCY departures. At 2.5 miles and £42 the pre-booked car is the only ground option before 05:30 from these addresses.
Beckton sits at the outer edge
North of the docks on the A13, Beckton picks up build crew and contractors staying near the DLR terminus. It is the furthest of the seven areas at 4.2 miles, though that still means 12–18 minutes to the terminal for £46. Same story as Canning Town before dawn: no rail, so the booked car is it.
How payment and VAT work
Card at the time of booking — Visa, Mastercard or Amex. The VAT invoice emails itself after the journey completes and drops cleanly into Concur, SAP or whatever expense system you run. Account holders get one consolidated monthly statement instead. Everything is in sterling; there is no card reader in the vehicle and no cash needed.
Other London City Airport Taxi Routes
Residential and business areas across east and central London, each with its own page of verified fares.
This page covers Excel London as a venue — the halls, the entrances, the four on-site hotels and the event calendar that drives demand. For residential pickups across Silvertown, Royal Wharf, Pontoon Dock and the wider Royal Docks regeneration area, the Royal Docks page carries the full E16 postcode breakdown.
Book Your Excel to LCY Taxi — From £38 Fixed
A mile and a half, five to ten minutes off-peak, from £38 with the airport levy already inside it. No congestion charge from E16. Driver named by text the evening before. Cars are out from 03:00, which is two and a half hours before the first DLR of the day.