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Message
Getting from Heathrow to LCY for flight connection
Posted on 12/15/25 at 9:26 am
Posted on 12/15/25 at 9:26 am
British Air cancelled our connecting fight out of Heathrow for a trip we have planned in a few months, and the best substitute flight option is out of London City Airport. We have a four hour layover. No checked bags. There are three of us.
It looks like we could take a train with a few connections, or we can hire a car or Uber. Train is cheaper but not worried about the money and would rather relax in a car than navigating the train. My primary concern is making the connection.
Anyone have experience with this transfer? If hiring a car is best, would you schedule one ahead of time or just catch an Uber when arrive?
It looks like we could take a train with a few connections, or we can hire a car or Uber. Train is cheaper but not worried about the money and would rather relax in a car than navigating the train. My primary concern is making the connection.
Anyone have experience with this transfer? If hiring a car is best, would you schedule one ahead of time or just catch an Uber when arrive?
8
Posted on 12/15/25 at 10:07 am to vistajay
Heathrow and LCY are about 30 miles apart on completely opposite sides of London. Trains or Uber must go right through the city. I'd guess Uber would be 2 hours and trains 1 hour with luck. You don't say if your destination is in the UK or EU. If it's the EU you'll lose some time dealing with new digital border system just being rolled out now. The more the US inconveniences British travelers, the more they will inconvenience US.
Posted on 12/15/25 at 10:55 am to Tree_Fall
Destination is EU. Thanks. Sounds like train is the way to go, unless we end up not taking the LCY flight to avoid an airport transfer.
Posted on 12/15/25 at 11:17 am to vistajay
45-60 Minutes - Debark, clear customs, claim your bag
75-90 Minutes - Train from LHR to LCY
30-45 Minutes - Check in and security at LCY
Elizabeth to Stratford, Docklands to LCY
Doable, but you only have 30-45 minutes to play with. Depends on your flight into LHR being on time.
75-90 Minutes - Train from LHR to LCY
30-45 Minutes - Check in and security at LCY
Elizabeth to Stratford, Docklands to LCY
Doable, but you only have 30-45 minutes to play with. Depends on your flight into LHR being on time.
Posted on 12/15/25 at 11:20 am to vistajay
You might look into flying via Dublin. It's a nice airport, and Republic of Ireland is still in the EU making your next leg on to Europe essentially domestic. A flight from US to Dublin is about 300 miles less than to London...not a huge time difference but noticeably shorter.
Posted on 12/15/25 at 11:25 am to vistajay
Is there not a bus or a direct route? I would think there maybe, as this isn't that uncommon.
Posted on 12/15/25 at 11:46 am to vistajay
Posted on 12/15/25 at 2:16 pm to Tree_Fall
Ireland is in the EU but not part of Schengen. Still have to clear passport control both ways.
Posted on 12/15/25 at 5:34 pm to vistajay
I would think that the train would be significantly faster, and you wouldn't risk getting stuck in traffic.
I really like LCY. It's a very pleasant little airport.
I really like LCY. It's a very pleasant little airport.
Posted on 12/15/25 at 6:10 pm to TheDeathValley
quote:
45-60 Minutes - Debark, clear customs, claim your bag
If I didn't check a bag like the OP it would have been a lot quicker than this. They have E gates now. I couldn't even use them due to having kids with me and it was still only 5 minutes at passport control (since everyone over 10 or whatever could use the E gates that had qualifying passports).
This post was edited on 12/15/25 at 6:14 pm
Posted on 12/16/25 at 8:27 am to Teddy Ruxpin
quote:
If I didn't check a bag like the OP it would have been a lot quicker than this. They have E gates now. I couldn't even use them due to having kids with me and it was still only 5 minutes at passport control (since everyone over 10 or whatever could use the E gates that had qualifying passports).
I fly through LHR pretty frequently, 6-7 times a year. The e-gates are nice and I agree that it is down to 10 min max, but it is easily 15 minutes to get from the plane to customs and another 15+ to get a bag. I think 45-60 minutes is fair estimate to land and leave LHR.
Posted on 12/16/25 at 9:53 am to TheDeathValley
quote:
I fly through LHR pretty frequently, 6-7 times a year. The e-gates are nice and I agree that it is down to 10 min max, but it is easily 15 minutes to get from the plane to customs and another 15+ to get a bag. I think 45-60 minutes is fair estimate to land and leave LHR
Ya, i thought about editing that because I think some people think about the whole thing including walking and getting a cab and some people just want to know how long the passport line is. Plus, he said checked bag in his estimate which was really the longest and possibly most variable part, and OP doesn't have one. Waiting on our bag was probably 20 minutes of the process by itself.
I agree the jet bridge of my flight was a mile long
Another variable is if I recall the factors correctly and why I used a cab to the city. There is a train from the airport but it leaves every 20 minutes I think and then you have to transfer off it. So if you miss that train you now have a long wait vs a cab, and I believe still have to transfer trains at some point. It really can cut down on the train advantage.
This post was edited on 12/16/25 at 10:00 am
Posted on 12/16/25 at 12:14 pm to vistajay
British Airways is part of the OneWorld transatlantic joint venture along with Aer Lingus, American, Finnair, and Iberia. With a segment cancelled, they should allow you to rebook. What are your travel dates and routing?
Posted on 12/16/25 at 12:38 pm to H2O Tiger
Our segment from Heathrow to Zurich was cancelled. We were considering another BA flight out of LCY, but getting from Heathrow to LCY even with four hours gave us pause. We ended up booking another BA flight from Heathrow to Basil, which will work for us. And yes, BA allowed us to rebook.
Appreciate all the help!
Appreciate all the help!
Posted on 12/19/25 at 5:11 am to vistajay
Four hours is tight for that transfer, especially with traffic. Heathrow to London City can take 60-90 minutes depending on when you land. Train involves the Tube to Bank then DLR, which is manageable but adds stress if trains are delayed. I'd book a car ahead of time rather than gambling on Uber availability when you land. I used Transfeero for a similar airport transfer, you can see the price upfront on their website when you enter your pickup and dropoff points, so no surprise costs. Driver tracked my flight and knew the fastest routes. Worth the peace of mind when you're racing a connection.
Posted on 12/19/25 at 7:43 am to vistajay
Take the train from Heathrow into London Paddington Station, then hop in a taxi or Uber to take you to from Paddington to London City. You're going to bypass all the traffic coming into London by taking the train, and you'll be going against the traffic in the taxi to LCY.
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