London City Airport is around 70–95 minutes by car from Gerrards Cross, across London to the Royal Docks. It is small, it is set up for short-haul flying, and it asks passengers to arrive no more than two hours before departure, which is why business travellers from the Chilterns use it for day trips to European cities. This guide covers the road and rail options, the airport's opening hours and rules, and how to plan a same-day return.
- By car, allow 70–95 minutes from Gerrards Cross; by rail via Marylebone, the Jubilee line and the DLR, TfL searches showed 69 to 87 minutes from the station.
- The airport is not open 24 hours: it closes at 13:00 on Saturday and reopens at 10:30 on Sunday.
- Kerbside drop-off costs £8 for five minutes with a 10-minute maximum, so a quick exit matters more here than at most airports.
Why do business travellers use London City?
Because the airport end of the trip is short. Check-in desks open two hours before departure, and London City asks passengers to arrive no more than two hours before their flight; the latest check-in time is set by each airline, so confirm yours (London City Airport, check-in). Airlines at the airport include British Airways, KLM, ITA Airways, Luxair, Air Dolomiti, Aurigny and Loganair (London City Airport), with short-haul routes to European business centres as well as Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It has a single runway of around 1,500 metres and one compact terminal.
How long is the drive from the Chilterns?
London City is the only airport we serve that means driving through London rather than round it. From Gerrards Cross the route runs in on the A40 and out to the Docklands, and our planning times are:
| From | To London City |
|---|---|
| Denham and Iver | 65–95 min |
| Slough | 55–85 min |
| Stoke Poges | 57–82 min |
| Gerrards Cross | 70–95 min |
| Beaconsfield | 63–88 min |
| Chalfont St Peter and Seer Green | 65–90 min |
| Amersham, Little Chalfont and Penn | 70–95 min |
Because the route crosses the city, the range is wider than for a motorway airport, and the rush hour matters in both directions. Early departures are the easy case; an evening return into the Chilterns after 17:00 needs the most slack.
Is the train a realistic alternative?
For London City, yes, more than for any other airport. In TfL Journey Planner searches for a weekday in September 2026, the route from Gerrards Cross was Chiltern Railways to Marylebone, a one-stop hop to Baker Street, the Jubilee line to Canning Town and the DLR to London City Airport station, taking 69 to 87 minutes from Gerrards Cross station. Coming back after a 19:00 landing took around 72 to 78 minutes.
That is close to the car time, and it avoids central London traffic. The trade-off is three changes, a walk between Marylebone and Baker Street if you miss the Bakerloo connection, and a busy Jubilee line in the peaks. For someone with a laptop bag and no hold luggage, the train works; for a tight morning schedule, calls to make, or a team travelling together, a car from the door is easier.
When is London City open?
This catches out weekend travellers. According to London City Airport (correct as of September 2026), the terminal is open:
- Monday to Friday: 04:45 to 22:00.
- Saturday: 04:45 to 13:00.
- Sunday: 10:30 to 22:00.
Passengers cannot stay in the airport outside those hours, so a Sunday-morning start or a Saturday-evening return needs a different airport. To be there when the doors open at 04:45, book a pickup from Gerrards Cross for about 03:15.
What should you know about bags and security?
Two details differ from Heathrow. First, liquids and gels in hand luggage are limited to containers of up to 100ml at London City, while Heathrow now allows up to 2 litres, so do not pack for one and fly from the other. Second, British Airways, KLM and Luxair offer overnight bag drop: you can leave bags from 16:00 the day before for flights departing on or before 10:00 (London City Airport). From the Chilterns that is a long extra trip, so it mainly suits someone already in London the evening before.
What does dropping off and collecting cost?
London City introduced a forecourt drop-off charge in 2026: £8 for up to five minutes, then £1 per minute, with a 10-minute maximum stay. Overstaying brings a £100 charge, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days, and payment is due by midnight the day after (London City drop-off). Collecting someone in the pick-up car park costs £10 for up to 20 minutes and £16.90 for 20 to 30 minutes (London City pick-up), all correct as of September 2026. With a GX Executive booking, the driver deals with the drop-off within a fixed fare agreed before you travel, and on the return tracks your flight and meets you as you come through.
How do you plan a same-day return?
A day trip from the Chilterns via London City works best when the ground legs are booked alongside the flights:
- Outbound: for a 07:30 flight, aim to arrive around 06:00 and book the car from Gerrards Cross for about 04:20, which covers the top of the 70–95 minute range.
- Return: give the flight number, not a pickup time, so the driver adjusts to the actual landing. Allow for the evening peak on the way back west.
- Work in the car: a Mercedes-Benz E-Class or BMW 5 Series gives a quiet space for calls on the way in; for a team of up to seven, the Mercedes-Benz V-Class keeps everyone together.
Companies that fly staff regularly can move these bookings onto a corporate account with one monthly invoice, and our article on how corporate taxi accounts save businesses time explains how that works in practice. For the difference between an executive car and a standard taxi, see executive cars vs ordinary taxis.
Book on the London City Airport transfers page, or compare with the other airports in the airport planning guide.