Last Updated on 22 November, 2023
London City Airport is London’s most centrally-located airport. London city airport is located on the DLR line marked with a red dot on the train map below in addition to tips for getting from London City Airport to Chelsea.
DLR/Tube/Bus
The first option is a combination of the Docklands Light Railway trains, the tube and red inner-city buses. The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is a driverless light metro line serving the Docklands area of London and connected to its tube system.
The trains are spacious and modern and provide access to beautiful scenery especially around the River Thames and its tourist sights.
You can grab the DLR from London City Airport westbound, all the way to Canning Town station. From there, swap platforms for the westbound Jubilee (grey) Line towards Westminster.
Stay on for 8 stops, around 16 minutes, until you reach Westminster station. From Westminster Station, you have a few options, depending on where you want to get to.
- Option 1: Swap platforms at Westminster for the Circle (yellow) or District (green) Lines towards Sloane Square. This trip takes 5 minutes over 3 stops before you get off at Sloane Square. From there, you can take the 19, 22, or 319 red inner-city buses from bus stop H for 5 stops, before getting off at Carlyle Square in Chelsea.
- Option 2: Swap platforms at Westminster for the Circle (yellow) or District (green) Lines towards South Kensington. Stay on for 4 stops, then get off at South Kensington in Chelsea.
Coach / Bus
Coaches do not run directly from the London City Airport, but the National Express coaches are accessible Canary Wharf and Bank, train stations that are close by. However, getting to Canary Wharf or Bank requires taking the DLR or a taxi.
Following that, coaches will not stop directly in Chelsea but instead in London Victoria, and the trip from London Victoria to Chelsea requires taking the 211, 11 or 170 red inner-city buses.
For the 211, get off at Sydney Street Chelsea Old Town Hall (Stop KH). For the 11 get off at Chelsea Old Town Hall (Stop KC). Finally, for the 170 get off at the National Army Museum bus stop.
The ticket for a coach costs around £5-£7 and adding the charges for the DLR or taxi and the buses brings the cost up to around or over £15 pounds. As a result this alternative is not advisable, as it is much simpler to stay on the DLR then swap for a tube line train into central London.
In order to travel on the London Underground system as well as the bus system, you can use an Oyster Card, buy a paper underground ticket or travel pass or use a contactless payment card.
If you use the last option, the system will simply calculate your fare and take the payment from your bank account at the end of the day. DLR trains operate on the same payment system as the London Underground.
Black Cab/Uber
Black cab services from London City Airport to will get you to Chelsea in 55 minutes, and cost around £60. Note that this is only 5 minutes faster than the DLR, Tube and Bus option but far more expensive.
It could potentially be a good alternative if you have a lot of luggage and do not want to transfer from one train to another, but it might not be worth the cost. Instead, consider Uber if you would like a taxi as it is the more affordable option for the same timeframe, with the price estimated at around £25.
Car Rental
While it is possible to rent a car at London City Airport, as the airport provides access to a few car rental companies, this is highly unadvisable as parking tends to be both expensive and scarce in central London and it can be incredibly difficult to get around. The best transport option would be to use public transport.
