Car Hire at London City Airport (LCY)

Part of our guide to car hire in London.

How to Find Your Car Hire Desk at London City Airport (LCY)

• Book through eCarBookers first: Your booking confirmation from eCarBookers locks in your price and your vehicle class before you arrive. You pay the balance at the desk on collection, and the terms confirmed at booking are the terms you receive. Always confirm your hire in advance to guarantee your price from the moment you collect the keys.
• Where the airport is: London City Airport is in the Royal Docks, east London, on Hartmann Road in the London Borough of Newham. Its own Docklands Light Railway station, London City Airport, sits at the terminal.
• Where the desk is: Green Motion lists its branch on Dockside Road, E16, at the London Regatta Centre, and describes it as a short distance from the terminal rather than inside it. Customers flying in are asked to call the branch for a private shuttle and to wait in the short-term car park waiting area, allowing up to 15 minutes. Customers arriving by DLR are directed to Royal Albert station, where the office is opposite the Travelodge. The exact meeting point and contact number for your hire are shown on your booking voucher, which is the definitive source, so check it before you travel and follow it on arrival.
• Opening hours: The listings show the branch open Monday to Wednesday from 08:00 to 17:00, Thursday and Friday from 08:00 to 19:00 and Saturday from 08:00 to 13:00, with Sunday closed. Choose a flight that lands comfortably inside those hours, and confirm them in your booking confirmation.
• Arriving by DLR: The Docklands Light Railway connects London City Airport with Canary Wharf, Bank and the wider network, and the branch lies on the Royal Docks side of the line.
• What to bring: The main driver should carry a valid driving licence, photo identification and a credit card in their own name with a limit high enough to cover the excess hold. Printed copies of your documents and your booking voucher are the safest choice, as one listing states that mobile copies are not accepted. Visitors from outside the UK should also carry their passport and, where required, an international driving permit.

Pick-Up, Drop-Off, and Refuelling at London City Airport (LCY)

• Returning the car: Return the car within the branch's opening hours shown in your booking confirmation, and confirm the drop-off instructions with the supplier at collection. One listing states that there is no key box at the branch, so plan your return for a time when the office is open.
• Nearest petrol stations: BP Newham Way Connect (Newham Way, E16 1QX) is listed as open 24 hours a day, and Shell Silvertown (279-289 North Woolwich Road, E16 2BB) is listed as open 06:00 to 22:00 every day. Refuel before you return the car, and allow time to do so before the branch closes.
• Fuel policy: Confirm the fuel type shown on your booking confirmation before you refuel, and ask at collection which fuel policy applies to your hire, so that you return the car as the supplier expects.
• Before you drive away: Photograph the vehicle thoroughly at collection and again at return, including all four sides, the wheels, the windscreen and the interior. Dated photographs give you a clear record of the condition you received.
• Ultra Low Emission Zone: The airport and the branch lie in the London Borough of Newham, and the ULEZ covers all London boroughs. It operates 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day, and the M25 itself is not included. Petrol cars must meet Euro 4 and diesel cars Euro 6, and a vehicle that does not meet the standard pays £12.50 per day. Check the registration at tfl.gov.uk and ask the supplier at collection to confirm that your car meets the standard. The central London Congestion Charge is a separate scheme and does not apply at the branch.
• Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels: Both river crossings near the Royal Docks carry a user charge for cars. From 21 September 2026 it is £4.20 at peak times, northbound from 06:00 to 10:00 and southbound from 16:00 to 19:00 on weekdays, and £1.55 off-peak, from 06:00 to 22:00 at other times. Check how the charge is handled on your hire car with the supplier at collection, and confirm the current rates at tfl.gov.uk.

Top Car Hire Agencies at London City Airport (LCY)

Car hire at London City Airport (LCY) is available through Green Motion.

Every booking through eCarBookers shows the excess amount and full price before you confirm, and the balance is paid on arrival at the desk. Optional extras — such as additional drivers, supplemental tyre and glass cover, child seats, or out-of-hours fees — may be available at the desk if required.

Getting from London City Airport (LCY) to Key Destinations

• Canary Wharf — about 3.9 miles west, in roughly 12 minutes depending on traffic. The DLR is quicker for the Docklands, so many visitors keep the car for the journeys beyond London.
• Oxford Street — about 11 miles west, in roughly 34 minutes. The route enters the Congestion Charge zone in central London, where a daily charge of £15 applies, so plan the car for onward travel rather than the West End.
• Southend-on-Sea — about 36.8 miles east, in roughly 49 minutes. The Essex seaside town is the nearest coast to the airport by road.
• Canterbury — about 57.8 miles south-east, in roughly 1 hour 7 minutes. The cathedral city suits a day trip into Kent, and the Dartford Crossing, if you use it, is charged separately.

The Dart Charge applies at the Dartford Crossing on the M25 from 6am to 10pm, with cars paying £3.50 pay-as-you-go or £2.80 with a Dart Charge account, and payment is due by midnight the day after you cross. Ask the supplier at collection how the charge is handled on your vehicle.

How Payment Works for Car Hire at London City Airport (LCY)

Payment is made in two steps. A rental prepayment confirms your booking online, with Instant Confirmation from the supplier. You then pay the balance directly to the supplier on arrival, when you collect the car.

The price and vehicle class shown at booking are the terms you receive at the desk. Because the full rental amount is not charged at the time of booking, you keep flexibility if your plans change, and cancellation is free.

The supplier may place an excess hold on the main driver's credit card at collection, so check that the card in the driver's name has enough available limit. The amount is shown in your booking confirmation.