London City Airport to Bluewater Chauffeur – Meet & Greet, Fixed Price

A London City Airport to Bluewater transfer is a fixed-price Mercedes chauffeur, around 30 to 45 minutes door to door and from £149 one way, running in both directions 24/7. MILE5 runs the route to Bluewater and the Bluewater to London City Airport leg back at the same fixed price, with a driver waiting inside the terminal whichever way you’re travelling.

This journey is one of the routes on our London City airport chauffeur page, which covers every destination we drive from the airport with the same Mercedes fleet, the same met-at-arrivals pickup and the same fixed-price promise.

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Bluewater sits 18.8 miles out via the A2 and the Dartford Crossing, the shortest of MILE5’s Kent runs and one of the quickest routes we run beyond London itself. Off-peak the drive is a straightforward 30 minutes; the variable, as on every route that uses the Crossing, is traffic on the QEII Bridge or through the tunnel, which can add 10 to 15 minutes at peak times or on a Bluewater sale weekend.

There is no direct train to Bluewater at all – the nearest stations, Greenhithe and Swanscombe, both need a short bus or taxi on to the centre, and reaching either from London City means the DLR to Woolwich Arsenal, a change onto a Southeastern or Thameslink train, and a local bus for the last stretch. MILE5 is TfL-licensed (licence 009161), has run London City routes for 15+ years and holds a 5-star Google rating, and every Bluewater transfer includes the meet-and-greet, the wait, and the airport’s own charges in the one price you’re quoted.

London City Airport to Bluewater transfer prices

All prices are fixed, all inclusive, and start from the amounts shown. Final quote depends on exact postcode, vehicle choice, and any additional stops. No surge pricing, no hidden fees.

Every Bluewater transfer includes meet-and-greet inside London City’s single arrivals hall, flight tracking from the moment you land, 60 minutes of complimentary waiting time, the airport’s own £8 drop-off charge absorbed into the fare, and full luggage handling to the door. Child seats are available on request at an extra charge, and the car runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Where we deliver you at Bluewater

Bluewater’s own road layout has a specific drop-off point for each of its three malls – Thames Walk, Guildhall and Rose Gallery – and which one you want depends on which anchor store or entrance is closest to your plans. Tell your driver the mall or the nearest anchor (Marks & Spencer, John Lewis or House of Fraser) and we’ll use the right entrance rather than the general car park; across 13,000 spaces and 240 acres of site, the difference between the right door and the wrong one is a genuine walk.

Weekend and school-holiday traffic on the A2 approach is the one thing worth planning around – a Saturday afternoon close to Christmas or a bank holiday sale weekend slows the last mile into the car parks noticeably, something a London-based operator wouldn’t necessarily know to build into the quote.

Bluewater: built in a chalk quarry

Bluewater opened on 16 March 1999, built inside a former chalk quarry at Stone, near Greenhithe, and the exposed chalk cliffs that ring the site, some 50 metres high, are still its most distinctive feature. It’s one of the largest shopping centres in Europe – over 300 stores across three malls anchored by Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and House of Fraser, plus more than 50 bars, restaurants and cafés around the lakes and parkland that make up the rest of the 240-acre site. Around 27 million people visit every year, drawing trade from across Kent and east London rather than from a single town, which is part of why it earns its own page separate from any of the Kent towns nearby.

For a family or a group shopping trip, the V-Class seats up to 7 with luggage space for whatever comes home with you – one car booked for the whole day rather than splitting the group across two.

Train or MILE5: the honest comparison

Bluewater is the one Kent route where there genuinely isn’t a fast rail alternative – the centre has no station of its own, and the nearest options, Greenhithe and Swanscombe, both need a short bus or taxi on top of the train itself. From London City that means the DLR to Woolwich Arsenal, a change onto a Southeastern or Thameslink service, then a local bus or taxi for the last stretch – workable, but usually around an hour door to door.

For that combination, a direct car is less a convenience than the practical choice on this particular route – one booking covers the whole journey, with nowhere to change and no bags to manage between three separate legs.

What years on this route have taught us

The Dartford Crossing is the one variable that matters here, and a Bluewater sale weekend or the run-up to Christmas adds its own local traffic on top of the Crossing’s usual pattern – we build both into the quote rather than promise the fastest-case 30 minutes and leave you sitting in a car park queue. London City’s own hours are worth planning around too: the airport closes overnight and shuts at 1pm on Saturdays, so an early departure needs a booked car rather than a hope that the first DLR train will make it.

Book the return leg alongside the outbound if your dates are fixed. It doesn’t change the Bluewater to London City Airport price, but it guarantees a car is already allocated to you rather than sourced on the day.

Arriving at London City Airport

London City has a single terminal in the Royal Docks, so there’s no hunting for the right building. Your driver waits inside the compact arrivals hall holding a name board, watching your flight so a delay doesn’t cost you your pickup slot. Check the arrivals board once you’ve landed and your driver will already be in position.

Written by Ian Silva, MILE5’s lead content author. This guide draws on MILE5’s 15+ years and 50,000+ airport transfers, plus first-hand research into terminal logistics, fleet operations, and London airport routes.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a London City Airport to Bluewater transfer?

From £149 one way in an E-Class, £210 in an S-Class or £211 in a V-Class, fixed and all-inclusive whichever direction you’re travelling. The journey normally takes 30 to 45 minutes via the Dartford Crossing.

How much is a Bluewater to London City Airport transfer?

The Bluewater to London City Airport leg costs the same fixed price as the outbound – £149 in an E-Class, £210 S-Class, £211 V-Class – with your driver tracking your flight and confirmed for the return journey whenever you book it.

Is the train cheaper than a MILE5 transfer to Bluewater?

There isn’t a direct train to compare against – the nearest stations both need a bus or taxi on top, and the combined journey from London City usually takes around an hour. For that reason a direct car is the straightforward choice on this particular route.

Does MILE5 still pick up if my flight to London City is delayed?

Yes. Every driver tracks your flight and adjusts pickup automatically, and the 60-minute complimentary wait starts from your actual landing time, not the scheduled one.

Can I book a bigger car for a group or extra luggage?

Yes. The V-Class seats up to seven with luggage space for a full day’s shopping, useful for a family outing or a group heading to Bluewater together.

Does Bluewater have its own train station?

No. The nearest stations are Greenhithe and Swanscombe, both a short bus or taxi from the centre itself.

Bluewater sits in MILE5’s Kent cluster alongside chauffeur service to Sevenoaks, door to door to Canterbury and chauffeur service to Royal Tunbridge Wells, plus a chauffeur to Ashford International, Leeds Castle transfer prices and a private car to Maidstone further into the county, and chauffeur service to Tilbury Cruise Terminal for cruise connections nearby. For every other route we run beyond the capital, see the full long distance route list.

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TfL Licensed No. 009161 · MILE5 Limited · Companies House No. 09642693 · VAT No. 301016381