LCY Car Hire

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Compare LCY Airport Car Hire

London City Airport (LCY) is situated at the Royal Docks in the London Borough of Newham, around 7km east of the City of London and 6km east of Canary Wharf, which makes it the most convenient choice for business travellers heading to these financial areas.

LCY is the fifth-busiest airport serving London by passenger numbers and the 14th busiest across the UK ̶ it processes over 5 million passengers annually.

It serves 45 exciting destinations, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, Edinburgh, Malaga, Nice, New York and Prague, so it’s particularly well connected for a reasonably small air hub.

You can drive into the centre of London from here in around half an hour (depending on traffic) via the A1203 and A3211 and you can reach Manchester from LCY in around 4 hours via the M1 and M6.

With Enjoy Car Hire, you can choose the perfect car at London City Airport to completely satisfy the requirements of your itinerary and travel party. For instance, if you’re on a solo trip or travelling with a partner and want a nippy ride to roll around the city streets and park easily, the Toyota Aygo fits the bill perfectly, while a four-door Ford Focus seats five comfortably while still being compact enough to manoeuvre easily. Alternatively, a Volvo V-60 seats five with ease and also has ample room in the boot for all the cases required for a longer road trip, while a Ford Galaxy seats 7 and is sturdy enough to take a large party all the way to the Scottish Highlands in fine style.

In order to provide you with complete peace of mind, we only partner with tried and tested car hire partners such as Hertz and Green Motion Car and Van Rental, and car rental packages typically include components like free cancellation up to 48 hours before the start of the agreed rental period, third party liability, 24 hour assistance and theft protection.

Booking your car is child’s play ̶ just drop your details in our search box and in a split second you’ll be served up with several brilliant deals to compare.

Ready for the lowdown on driving in LCY and the eclectic attractions of London and south east England? Let’s hit the road!

Driving in and around London City Airport

The official London City Airport site has useful information on getting to and from LCY, but you can be in London city centre in around a half hour, the rest of the south east is on your doorstep and cultural powerhouse cities of Manchester and Liverpool are a few hours’ drive to the north via reliable motorways.

Driving (and parking) in London can be tricky, so if your vehicle comes fitted with a Satnav, switch it on to keep yourself right, and Capital FM’s travel news is always worth checking out.

Please be aware that there’s now a speed limit of 32 km/h in several areas of central London, but the usual speed limits are 48 km/h in built-up areas, 96 km/h on single carriageways, 112 km/h on dual carriageways and 112 km/h on motorways.

You should also be aware that there’s a congestion charge zone within the London Inner Ring Road area – this covers the City of London’s financial centre, and the West End, which is London’s shopping and entertainment centre. The congestion charge is £11.50 a day at the moment, and the zone is active between 7am and 6pm Monday-Friday but it doesn’t apply at with weekends. You can set up auto payment at a discounted rate on the Transport for London website and also find more detailed information on the charge.

The Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) applies in the same area as the congestion zone, and it’s enforced every day of the year except Christmas Day – for your purposes, it means that vehicles driving here have to meet a minimum standard for exhaust emissions, but your LCY car hire provider will be well aware of these rules, so your choice of car should be compliant as standard.

For your information, a Low Emissions Zone (LEZ) also applies to the entirety of Greater London, but this shouldn’t concern you as it applies only to trucks and coaches.

Read the Highway Code from cover to cover before you arrive in London – these are the strict rules for road safety in Britain you’ll feel much more confident driving in the capital once you’re aware of them. In the meantime, here are a few more tips:

  • You must always drive on the left in London (and everywhere else in the UK)
  • You’re permitted to drive in London with many non-UK driver’s licenses – check whether your paperwork meets requirements on this official website.
  • Passengers and drivers must wear seatbelts by law and children have to either use car seats or a different type of restraint that’s appropriate for their size and age.
  • Don’t stop on official red routes – these are denoted by a blue circle sign with a red cross, accompanied by double or single red lines on the road itself.
  • London roads are peppered by bus lanes operating in and outside the city centre – they operate at prearranged hours and this is indicated clearly throughout the route by distinctive blue signs. Use the bus lane by mistake and you’ll face a hefty£130 fine.
  • With a general push for low-emission transport in urban areas, cycling is popular in London, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself regularly sharing the road with cyclists. If you’re unsure of the rules, simply give the bike the same amount of space you would allow for a car and keep an eye on the rider indicating with hand signals when they intend to turn off onto a side street.
  • Parking can be a headache here until you get used to it, but if you’ll find a suitable space if you take your time. The operational hours in a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) will be clearly signposted and you can park in the spaces indicated by dashed white lines once you’ve bought a ticket from the Pay & Display machine.

The challenges of driving in London are similar to getting behind the wheel in any major city, but stay alert, drive with caution, observe the speed limit and you’ll have a safe and enjoyable time.

Guide to London and South East England for LCY

There are countless cultural activities and historical sites in London ̶ it’s a bustling multicultural metropolis where you’ll meet and mingle with residents and visitors from all over the world.

But the south east of England has much to recommend it too and if your itinerary permits, you should take time to explore this attractive UK region. Here are a few highlights in London and the south east:

  • The London Eye is an iconic cantilevered observation wheel set on the south bank of the Thames river and when you hop onboard, you’ll enjoy amazing panoramic views across the capital ̶ get on board as the sun starts to set and it’s one of the city’s most romantic experiences. This isn’t a fairground ride, so it doesn’t move quickly, but that said if you’re afraid of heights it’s probably best avoided.
  • Brixton is a bustling area in the London Borough of Lambeth that’s a heartland for the city’s BAME population and you’ll find lots of Caribbean-influenced shops, restaurants and stalls here. Pick up anything from fresh fruits and clothing at the stalls on Electric Avenue (the subject of the famous Eddy Grant hit) or pop into Healthy Eaters Jamaican café for the spiciest jerk chicken or stew beef this side of Kingston!
  • At Madame Tussauds you can take selfies with waxwork reproductions of the Queen and celebrities like Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran that are so realistic you might start to wonder whether you can see them breathing ̶ fantastic fun!
  • A little further afield, Fishers Adventure Farm Park in the wonderful West Sussex countryside is an inspirational day out for kids of all ages. There’s an exciting indoor soft play area, adrenaline-fuelled outdoor activity area, and the opportunity to meet awesome animals like sheep, horses, Highland Cows, goats and Llamas up close.

As you can see, London City Airport is a great gateway to the attractions and amenities of London, the south east and the rest of the UK.

With Enjoy Car Hire, you can order your LCY car in a couple of clicks and hit the road in hassle-free style on arrival.

Got a Question? Chat with our UK support team

Online chat help is open 08:30am to 17:00 weekdays. Email: [email protected]

FAQs about car hire at London City Airport LCY

Most frequently asked questions about hiring a car at London City Airport

The distance between London City Airport and London city centre is 8.7 miles (14 km)

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