Gerrards Cross to London City Airport Taxi

Reaching the Royal Docks from Gerrards Cross

London City is the odd one among the five, because the M25 barely features. The airport sits in the Royal Docks in east London and is reached from the A13, with the A406 North Circular giving a second way onto the A1020 and the dock roads that lead to the terminal. From Gerrards Cross that means the A40 heading east through Denham and on towards London, and which corridor makes sense is a decision taken on the day rather than fixed in advance, because it turns on the hour you are travelling more than the distance. At the airport, vehicles reach the terminal from the west over Connaught Bridge and from the east by Redgrave Bridge and Albert Road, and there is one terminal building, so nothing has to be chosen at the end. Two charges are worth knowing about before you set off. The airport is inside the London-wide ULEZ, so a non-compliant vehicle pays the daily charge, and it sits outside the Congestion Charge zone, which you only meet if a route takes you through central London. The forecourt now carries a drop-off charge and the permitted stop is short, which is why an arrivals meet happens inside the terminal rather than at the kerb.

The passenger profile here is narrower than the other four and mostly business. London City sits around six miles from the City of London, which is the point of it, and the people booking it from Gerrards Cross are the ones whose alternative is a train to Marylebone followed by a cross-London leg with a laptop bag and a case. That is the argument for a car on this particular route, even for passengers who use the rail service from Station Approach on an ordinary London day. We collect at Chalfont Park and at home addresses right across SL9, often at an hour that suits a first flight rather than the person catching it. Firms that send the same people out repeatedly tend to put it on a business account, so each trip becomes one line on a monthly invoice instead of a receipt to chase, and the same drivers cover shorter local trips in between, which is why the car taking you to the Docklands is usually a familiar one. Send the flight number with the booking and the return collection is timed against the aircraft.

How much time should I allow at London City from Gerrards Cross?

Less than at the bigger airports, but check your airline first. London City opens check-in two hours before a flight and says you can usually get from kerb to plane in minutes. The terminal has 15 gates over two storeys, and the airport's own FAQ puts the average time through security at around five minutes. What it does not publish is a single closing time, because each airline sets its own.

So the sum for a Gerrards Cross departure is simple: your airline's cut-off, plus the 70–95 minute drive, plus a margin for the time of day. We work that out with you when you book. Our Gerrards Cross airport transfers guide compares City with the other London airports, and the London City business guide focuses on day trips.

By train, the trip is Chiltern to Marylebone, the Bakerloo line to Baker Street, the Jubilee line to Canning Town and then the DLR. It works for light travellers outside the rush hour. With a case and an early flight, most people prefer a business account car or a one-off booking.