Tilbury Taxi – Cruise Terminal & Docks

Tilbury is London’s own cruise port. The London International Cruise Terminal sits on the north bank of the Thames in Essex, about 25 miles east of central London – closer to the capital than any other UK cruise terminal. A pre-booked Tilbury taxi takes you from your home, hotel or airport straight to the terminal with all your luggage, at a fixed price agreed in advance.

We specialise in pre-booked cruise and airport transfers to and from Tilbury rather than local journeys around the town, and we cover every London airport and all of London, Essex and Kent.

The London International Cruise Terminal

The terminal is a historic Grade II* listed building, opened in 1930 as the landing stage for ocean liners, and still used by cruise lines today – including Ambassador Cruise Line, which bases ships here. It’s next to Tilbury’s docks, a short distance from Tilbury Town station and the Tilbury–Gravesend passenger ferry. When you book, just enter “Tilbury Cruise Terminal” as your destination and your driver will take you to the entrance.

Tilbury taxi prices

All fares are for the whole vehicle and fixed at booking – not per passenger:

From anywhere else, enter your address in the quote form above for an instant fixed price.

How much is a taxi to Tilbury cruise terminal?

From central London, a saloon to Tilbury is typically around £55–£60, and an MPV for four to six passengers around £85. From London City Airport it’s around £50. From Heathrow and Gatwick – both on the other side of London – expect around £90–£95 for a saloon, and it’s still far easier than crossing London by train with cruise luggage.

Tilbury taxi prices are fixed when you book, so traffic at the Dartford Crossing or on the A13 doesn’t change what you pay.

Getting to Tilbury: routes and journey times

The Dartford Crossing and the A13 can both be busy at peak times. On embarkation days, we’ll suggest a pickup time that allows for this.

From London stations to Tilbury docks

Lots of cruise passengers arrive in London by train and need to get across to Tilbury. We regularly collect from King’s Cross, St Pancras, Euston, Waterloo, Victoria, Paddington and Liverpool Street. It saves a change onto the c2c line from Fenchurch Street and a taxi from Tilbury Town station at the other end – and your driver helps with your luggage from the platform exit.

Cruise embarkation at Tilbury

Your cruise line will give you a boarding window, with check-in usually closing a couple of hours before sailing. We time your pickup to arrive within that window. At the terminal, porters take your checked luggage to the ship, and you head inside for check-in and security.

Flying in for a Tilbury cruise

Coming from abroad or from another UK airport? We collect from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City and go straight to Tilbury. Give us your flight number and ship’s name – we’ll track the flight and time the transfer around your boarding window.

Getting home from Tilbury

Disembarkation mornings are busy and local taxis at the port can be scarce. Book your return in advance with your ship and date, and your driver will be waiting outside when you come through with your cases. We can take you home, to a London station, or to any airport for your flight.

Choosing a vehicle

For two people with cruise luggage, an estate is ideal. Families and groups travelling together should choose a 6 or 8-seat MPV. Please mention mobility scooters or folding wheelchairs when you book. See our fleet.

Popular pickup areas for Tilbury

Because Tilbury is so close to London, most of our cruise passengers come from the capital and the Home Counties. We regularly collect from central London hotels, Canary Wharf, Greenwich, Stratford, Romford, Brentwood, Basildon, Chelmsford, Southend and across Kent via the Dartford Crossing – Dartford, Gravesend, Sevenoaks and Maidstone. From further afield, such as the Midlands or East Anglia, a door-to-door transfer saves a complicated rail journey with luggage.

Tilbury taxi vs train

The train is cheap for one person with a small bag. With cruise luggage, or two or more people, a taxi is usually the easier – and often cheaper – choice.

Parking vs a taxi to Tilbury

Cruise parking at Tilbury saves a transfer on the way out, but for a week or two it adds up, and someone still has to drive home after an early disembarkation. Because Tilbury is close to London, a return taxi transfer is usually one of the cheapest ways to get there – and nobody has to worry about the A13 or the Dartford Crossing on the way home.

Groups and accessibility

Travelling as a family or a group of friends? One of our 8-seat MPVs keeps everyone together with room for their cases, and for larger groups we’ll time several vehicles to arrive together. If anyone uses a wheelchair or mobility scooter, tell us when you book – our MPVs carry folding wheelchairs and many scooters, and your driver will drop you as close to the entrance as possible.

A bit of history

The Tilbury landing stage was built for the great ocean liners, and generations of passengers have sailed from here – including many who emigrated to Australia and beyond after the Second World War. Today the terminal has been restored and remains one of the most atmospheric places in the country to start a cruise. It’s worth arriving a little early to take it in.

The Tilbury–Gravesend ferry

A small passenger ferry runs across the Thames between Tilbury and Gravesend in Kent. If you’re staying in Gravesend or coming from north Kent, it’s a scenic alternative – but with cruise luggage it’s much easier to be driven round via the Dartford Crossing and dropped at the terminal door.

Other cruise ports

We also run to Southampton, Dover, Portsmouth and Harwich – see all cruise port transfers.

Tilbury taxi FAQs