Book Your Gatwick to London City Transfer
Airportbee runs fixed-price, licensed transfers between Gatwick and London City Airport, with your driver tracking your inbound flight so pickup happens when you actually land. This page is specifically about London City Airport (LCY) in the Royal Docks — if you’re actually looking to get from Gatwick into central London rather than to the airport, the directions and journey are quite different, and worth checking separately before you book.
Get a Fixed Quote — Gatwick to London City →
Quick facts
- Distance: around 35 miles direct; the road route via the M23, M25 and A2 (crossing the Thames via the Blackwall or Silvertown Tunnel) is typically 45–50 miles
- Typical journey time: 70–100 minutes in normal traffic, longer if the river crossings are congested
- No direct train — reaching London City from Gatwick by rail means routing through central London
- London City has a weekend flight curfew — no flights land or depart between roughly 12:30pm Saturday and 12:30pm Sunday
- Pickup terminals: Gatwick North or South Terminal
- Drop-off: London City Airport terminal (single terminal)
Crossing the Thames: Blackwall or Silvertown
Getting from Gatwick to London City means crossing the Thames, and there are now two ways to do that by road on this side of London. The Blackwall Tunnel on the A2 is the older, more direct route, but it’s narrow, prone to regular maintenance closures, and has height and weight restrictions. Since 2025, the newer Silvertown Tunnel runs alongside it and gives drivers a second option when Blackwall is blocked or heavily congested — both crossings now carry a toll, included in Airportbee’s fixed fare either way. An experienced driver will use whichever crossing is running more freely on the day rather than defaulting to one automatically.
By road, Gatwick and London City are around 35 miles apart direct, or 45–50 miles via the standard route: the M23 and M25, then the A2 towards the river crossing and on to the Royal Docks. Journey time is typically 70–100 minutes in normal conditions, though this remains one of the harder journeys on Airportbee’s network to predict precisely, since river-crossing conditions can change faster than motorway traffic usually does.
London City’s Weekend Curfew
This applies regardless of which airport you’re travelling from, but it’s worth knowing before you book either leg of a trip: London City Airport doesn’t operate flights between roughly 12:30pm on Saturday and 12:30pm on Sunday, under a long-standing noise curfew, plus an overnight curfew during the week and a first departure around 06:30. If you’re planning a weekend connection through Gatwick and London City, it’s worth checking your London City flight time against the airport’s current operating hours before you finalise anything.
Getting There Without a Car
There’s no direct train between Gatwick and London City — the practical rail options all route through central London first (typically via London Bridge or Victoria, then onward by Underground or DLR), which adds a change and generally makes this one of the less convenient public-transport journeys in Airportbee’s network, rather than a genuine shortcut the way it can be on some shorter routes. For anyone without heavy luggage and time to spare, it’s still possible, but it isn’t the one-seat option some travellers might expect.
Pickup at Gatwick
Gatwick has two terminals — North and South — so confirm which one your flight lands at when you book. With Meet & Greet, your driver monitors your flight and adjusts to your actual landing time. Once you’ve cleared baggage reclaim, you’ll get an Arrival SMS with your driver’s contact details, and they’ll meet you inside the terminal at the point confirmed in your booking email. Meet & Greet at Gatwick costs £9, with the first 5 minutes of waiting free before the standard charge applies. See the full Gatwick Airport transfers guide for more.
Drop-off at London City
London City has a single, compact terminal, so there’s no terminal choice to make, and the walk from gate to arrivals is short. Premium Meet & Greet is available for £17, with your driver waiting inside arrivals, and — as an express-pickup airport — you get 10 minutes of free waiting rather than the standard 5. The express drop-off charge here is £3.50, the lowest of any airport in Airportbee’s network. See the full London City Airport transfers guide for more.
Connecting Between Separately Booked Flights
Because Gatwick and London City have no shared airline network, any same-day connection between the two is a self-transfer — clear immigration if arriving internationally, collect your baggage, travel by road, then check in and clear security again. Given how unpredictable the Blackwall Tunnel can be compared with a straightforward motorway journey, it’s worth building in more margin here than the road time alone suggests. If your inbound Gatwick flight runs late, flight monitoring means your driver adjusts to your actual landing time automatically, so a delay doesn’t mean a missed pickup — though as with every route, Airportbee can’t guarantee a separately ticketed onward flight.
Fixed Price, Confirmed Before You Travel
Airportbee runs fixed fares for every booking channel — phone, app, live chat, email or online — so the price you’re quoted is the price you pay, regardless of traffic or tunnel conditions on the day. Get your live fixed quote through the booking engine below.
Get Your Fixed Gatwick to London City Quote →
Choosing Your Vehicle
A Saloon covers most solo and business journeys on this route. Families or anyone with more luggage should look at an Estate or 6-Seater; groups can use the 8-Seater. For a business transfer where comfort matters more than boot space, the Executive option is available.
Why Book Airportbee
- Fixed price agreed before you travel — Blackwall Tunnel conditions on the day don’t change what you pay
- Flight monitoring on your Gatwick landing and your booking details
- Meet & Greet available at both Gatwick and London City
- Fully licensed, TfL-authorised vehicles and PCO-certified drivers
- 24/7 booking and support, 365 days a year
Gatwick to London City FAQs
Is this page about London City Airport or getting to central London?
This page covers transfers to London City Airport (LCY) in the Royal Docks specifically. If you’re heading into central London from Gatwick rather than to the airport, that’s a different route with different directions.
How far is Gatwick from London City Airport?
Around 35 miles direct. By road, via the M23, M25 and A2 through the Blackwall Tunnel, it’s typically 45–50 miles.
How long does it take to get from Gatwick to London City?
Usually 70–100 minutes in normal traffic. The Thames crossing — Blackwall or the newer Silvertown Tunnel — is the main source of unpredictability on this route; delays or closures there can add more than typical M25 traffic would elsewhere.
Is there a direct train from Gatwick to London City?
No. Rail options route through central London first, adding at least one change, which makes it a less convenient public-transport journey than some shorter Airportbee routes.
Does London City Airport fly on weekends?
Not in the early-to-mid part of Saturday afternoon — London City operates under a curfew with no flights between roughly 12:30pm Saturday and 12:30pm Sunday.
Does London City Airport have more than one terminal?
No. London City has a single, compact terminal.
How much does a transfer from Gatwick to London City cost?
Airportbee runs fixed fares agreed before you travel, so the price doesn’t change with traffic or tunnel conditions on the day. Get a live quote through the booking engine for your exact route and vehicle.
What happens if my flight into Gatwick is delayed?
Airportbee tracks your flight and adjusts your pickup to your actual landing time, so a delay doesn’t mean a missed pickup.
Book your fixed-price Gatwick to London City transfer today — flight-monitored, door-to-door, no surprises at the terminal.
