Stansted, Luton or London City from Margate: routes, charges and timings

Three airports at a glance

Typical times from a Margate address to the terminal, as published, are below. All three routes start the same way, on the A299 Thanet Way or the A28 to the M2 near Faversham.

• London City: 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes, by the A2 and the Blackwall Tunnel
• Stansted: 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes, by the Dartford Crossing and the M11
• Luton: 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes, by the Dartford Crossing and then the M25

Crossing the Thames: Dartford and the Blackwall Tunnel

The Stansted and Luton routes use the Dartford Crossing. The Dart Charge applies to crossings between 6am and 10pm and must be paid by midnight the day after you cross, so a crossing in the small hours, on the way to a dawn flight, falls outside the charging hours.

The London City route goes through the Blackwall Tunnel. Transport for London charges for the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels from 6am to 10pm every day, with a higher peak rate on weekdays for northbound trips from 6am to 10am and southbound trips from 4pm to 7pm. Vehicles not registered for Auto Pay pay the peak rate at all times.

Tolls on the journey can be added to the fare where they apply. Ask when you book how they are handled for your trip.

Margate to Stansted taxi: route, drop-off and pick-up

Stansted describes itself as unique among major airports in running a single terminal, which keeps things simple. The car reaches it from Margate by the Dartford Crossing and the M11 in a typical 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes.

Directly outside the terminal is the Express Set Down area, which is charged. Since 19 March 2026 the lower charge covers stays of up to 15 minutes, and it must be paid online or by phone by midnight the day after your visit. Free drop-off remains available in the Mid Stay car park, with a bus to the terminal.

For arrivals, Stansted only allows pick-ups in the Green and Blue Short Stay car parks, so the driver meets you in arrivals and walks you to the car there.

Luton: the longest of the five runs from Margate

Of the five London airports, Luton is the furthest by time from Margate, at a typical 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes, crossing at Dartford and continuing on the M25.

Luton's Drop Off and Pick Up Zone is charged for the first 12 minutes and then by the minute, with a maximum stay of 30 minutes; payment is online only, by midnight the following day. The free alternative is the Long Stay car park, where passengers can be dropped off for free within two hours, with a shuttle bus that takes around 10 minutes and runs every 20 minutes, day and night.

Leave a little extra margin for Luton, particularly on a Friday, when the M25 can add 30 to 45 minutes.

London City: the shortest drive, through the tunnel

London City is the quickest of the five from Margate, at a typical 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes by the A2 and the Blackwall Tunnel. It suits a flight in the middle of the day especially well, when the tunnel's weekday peak windows are behind you.

Heading out early on a weekday? The northbound peak runs from 6am to 10am, so a 7am departure from Margate will meet it. That affects the tunnel charge, which is separate from the fixed fare for the car, and it can slow the approach, so allow for it.

If someone is meeting you there by public transport instead, the nearest DLR stop is London City Airport DLR station.

Coming back: arrivals at all three airports

The return works the same way wherever you land. Your flight is tracked, the collection is timed to the real landing time at no extra charge, and the driver waits in the arrivals hall with a name board and helps with the cases.

Free waiting is 45 minutes after an international flight and 30 minutes after a domestic one, from the actual landing. The car is parked wherever the airport allows pick-ups, such as the Short Stay car parks at Stansted.

What to give when you book

A few details make these trips run smoothly, especially because each airport has its own layout and rules.

• Your pickup address in CT9, CT8 or CT7, with a note if the car cannot stop outside
• The airport, the flight number and the departure or landing time
• How many passengers and large cases, so the right car is sent: saloon, estate, executive or MPV
• Child seats, with the child's age
• For the return, the flight number again so it can be tracked