ExCeL London Taxi from Dartford and Kent
Exhibitor badges say 'hall access from 07:00', the DLR does not start early enough to get a stand built by then, and your display boards will not fit on it anyway. Taxi On The Go runs fixed-fare private hire from Dartford, Bexley and Gravesend to ExCeL London on Royal Victoria Dock – from £38 for a saloon – for exhibitors, delegates, contractors and show visitors. See the fares page for other journeys.
Taxi On The Go takes exhibitors and visitors from Kent to ExCeL London at a price agreed beforehand, Royal Victoria Dock E16 1XL: from £38 from Dartford, £34 from Bexleyheath, £30 from Erith and £48 from Gravesend for a saloon, one way, 30–50 minutes via the Blackwall or Silvertown tunnel. We drop at the West or East Entrance depending on your hall, carry exhibition kit in estates and MPVs, and link ExCeL with London City Airport from £12. Reserve online, message us on WhatsApp or phone 020 8888 9988.
ExCeL London taxi fares
Standard saloon guide prices to or from ExCeL, one way, tunnel and ULEZ built in. Exhibitors with a stand's worth of boxes should ask for an estate or MPV, roughly a quarter more.
| Between ExCeL and | Saloon (from) | Journey |
|---|---|---|
| London City Airport E16 | £12 | 8–15 min |
| Erith DA8 | £30 | 25–40 min |
| Bexleyheath / Welling DA6 / DA7 / DA16 | £34 | 28–45 min |
| Sidcup DA14 / DA15 | £36 | 30–48 min |
| Dartford DA1 / DA2 | £38 | 30–50 min |
| Bluewater / Greenhithe DA9 | £42 | 32–55 min |
| Swanley BR8 | £42 | 35–55 min |
| Gravesend DA11 / DA12 | £48 | 40–60 min |
| 6-seat MPV Dartford | £48 | 30–50 min |
| 8-seat minibus Dartford | £57 | 30–50 min |
Guide prices, saloon, one way, ULEZ included. Business invoicing available for exhibitors and contractors. No booking fee, no charge for paying by card.
Blackwall or Silvertown: how we cross to the Royal Docks from Kent
ExCeL sits on the north bank between the Royal Victoria and Royal Albert docks, so from Kent the question is only which tunnel. The traditional line is the A2 to the A102, through the Blackwall Tunnel northbound, then the A13 east and down Connaught Bridge onto Western Gateway. Since the Silvertown Tunnel opened alongside it, the driver has a second bore that surfaces closer to the docks; both are tolled and we include the charge in the fare.
From Dartford it is 14 miles and 30 to 50 minutes. Erith and Belvedere are nearer and can go via the A206. The awkward window is 7am to 9:30am on a weekday, when the tunnel approaches back up along the A102 – exactly when show-day traffic is heading the same way. Two ways round it:
- Go earlier – set-up crews leaving Dartford at 5:30am are at the loading bays by 6am with the roads to themselves.
- Go the long way – over the Dartford Crossing, A13 westbound, in from the Canning Town side. Longer in miles, sometimes shorter in minutes.
Either way the fare is the one you were quoted. Heading home after a 6pm close, expect the reverse queue at Blackwall and allow the top of the range.
Tell us the hall number and we drop at the right end of the building
ExCeL is half a mile long. Halls S1 to S9 and N1 to N9 run along its length, with the West Entrance by Custom House DLR at one end and the East Entrance by Prince Regent DLR at the other. Walk in at the wrong end and you have a ten-minute trek along the central boulevard, which matters with a pop-up banner and two sample cases.
What to tell us
- The hall or the show – low-numbered halls and most public shows use the West Entrance; higher-numbered halls, the ICC auditorium and the conference suites tend to be East.
- Exhibitor or visitor – exhibitors on build days may need a loading bay rather than a foyer; give us the bay reference from your exhibitor manual.
- Time of arrival – on the opening morning of a big public show the approach roads are marshalled; the driver follows the stewards and confirms where you are.
Pickup afterwards
Both entrances have a taxi and private hire pickup area. Say which one when you book the return and the driver waits there; you get the car registration by text so you can find it among the others. A wait-and-return for a half-day visit is quoted as a single figure.
Public shows, trade weeks, conferences and the crews who build them
Public shows
Comic Con, the boat show, home and garden events, the wedding and baby shows. Weekend crowds, cosplay costumes that will not go on a train, and families with pushchairs. Child seats are free; an MPV takes four adults plus everything they bought.
Trade exhibitions
World Travel Market, dental, pharma and tech shows, medical congresses. Delegates fly into City Airport, stay in the Royal Docks hotels and need a car back to Kent or on to Heathrow at the end of the week. Invoices go to the company.
Conferences and the ICC
Day-long events with a fixed finish. Book the return for the published close and we adjust if the last session runs over – text the driver.
Contractors and stand builders
Build days start at 6am or earlier and breakdown runs late into the night. We run 24 hours; an estate or minibus carries tools, cases and a couple of colleagues at one fixed price.
Exhibitors who need a week of daily runs between a hotel or a Dartford base and the halls can set up an account with agreed rates through our corporate travel service, with one invoice at the end.
ExCeL and London City Airport – the shortest airport transfer in London
London City Airport is on the far side of the Royal Albert Dock, a couple of miles from the East Entrance. A saloon between the two is from £12 and takes under a quarter of an hour. There is no airport drop-off charge at City, and nothing hidden in ours.
How we use it:
- Arriving delegates – we track the flight, meet in the arrivals hall with a name board on request, and drop at the right ExCeL entrance or the hotel beside it.
- Departing the same evening – a show that closes at 5pm and a 7:30pm flight from City is comfortable; we collect from the East Entrance pickup and you are checked in with time to spare.
- Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted instead – ExCeL to Heathrow is a proper cross-London run and priced as a fixed transfer; see our Heathrow page. Stansted is easier from here via the A13 and M11.
Kent exhibitors flying out after a show can put the Monday run in and the Friday run to the airport on one invoice. Our Dartford to City Airport page has the fares from home.
Booking an ExCeL London taxi
Send the show details
Pickup point, the event or hall number, the time you need to be inside, and what you are carrying. Send it online, by WhatsApp or by phone on 020 8888 9988.
One price, right vehicle
Saloon, estate, MPV or minibus, priced before you confirm.
Driver allocated
Name, car and registration by text – the night before for an early build.
Door to hall
Dropped at West or East Entrance as agreed, collected from the same point when you finish.
Every booking includes
- Fixed fare with the tunnel toll and ULEZ inside it
- Drop at the West or East Entrance – you choose
- Estates and MPVs for stands, samples and display kit
- Early-morning build-day pickups from 5am or earlier
- London City Airport connection from £12
- Company invoicing for exhibitors and contractors
ExCeL London taxi questions
How much is a taxi from Dartford to ExCeL London?
From £38 for a saloon, one way, with the tunnel toll and ULEZ included – 14 miles and 30 to 50 minutes via Blackwall or Silvertown. An MPV is from £48 and an 8-seat minibus from £57 from Dartford.
Should I be dropped at the West or East Entrance of ExCeL?
It depends on your hall. Lower-numbered halls and most public shows use the West Entrance by Custom House; higher-numbered halls, the ICC and the conference rooms are nearer the East Entrance by Prince Regent. Tell us the hall or show and we choose.
Can you get a stand builder to ExCeL for a 6am start?
Yes. Build days start early and we run around the clock. A 5:15am pickup from Dartford has you at the loading bays before 6am with empty roads. Give us the bay reference from the exhibitor manual and we drop there rather than the foyer.
Will my exhibition kit fit in the taxi?
A saloon takes two large cases; an estate takes pop-up banners, boxed samples and a couple of cases; an MPV with seats folded takes a small stand. Say what you have and we send the right car.
How far is ExCeL from London City Airport by taxi?
About two miles across the Royal Docks – under 15 minutes and from £12. We meet arriving delegates with a name board on request and collect from the East Entrance for evening flights. City has no drop-off charge.
Where do taxis pick up at ExCeL after a show?
There are taxi and private hire pickup areas at both the West and East Entrances. Say which one when booking the return and the driver waits there with the registration texted to you. If the closing session overruns, message the driver.
Is there an alternative to the DLR from Custom House back to Kent?
The DLR to Woolwich Arsenal then Southeastern works by day but is slow with luggage and thin late at night. A pre-booked car from ExCeL to Dartford is from £38, 30 to 50 minutes, at any hour.
Can you invoice my company for a week of ExCeL runs?
Yes. Exhibitors and contractors can open an account, agree a rate for the daily run between a hotel or Kent base and the halls, and get one itemised invoice after the show.