Tilbury is on the north bank of the Thames in Essex, and its London International Cruise Terminal is the closest cruise terminal to central London. It is smaller and quieter than Southampton, which makes embarkation days noticeably less fraught, but its road access is more limited.
Getting there
Tilbury is reached from the A13 and the M25, with the Dartford Crossing the key link from the south. That crossing is the single biggest variable in any journey to Tilbury from Kent or the south east, and it can add substantial time without warning.
- Central London — typically around an hour, longer at peak times
- Essex and east London — usually a short and straightforward run
- Gatwick or Kent — depends heavily on the Dartford Crossing; allow generous time
- Heathrow — a full cross-London or M25 journey
Luggage
The same rule applies as at any cruise port: book by luggage rather than by passenger count. Two people with four large cases need more than a saloon. Tell us what you are carrying and we will size the vehicle properly.
Boarding and disembarkation
Cruise lines give allocated boarding times and we plan the journey to land close to yours. On the way home, disembarkation is staggered, so book the collection for when you expect to be off the ship rather than when it docks.
Why people book a car to Tilbury
Because Tilbury is close to London, a car is often the most practical way to reach it. Public transport connections are thinner than at Southampton, and moving cruise luggage through them is nobody's idea of a start to a holiday. Journeys are pre-booked with a price agreed in advance and a driver confirmed before the day.
Booking your Tilbury Cruise Port transfer
Every journey is arranged and accepted in advance. We are a licensed private hire operator, not a street-hail taxi service, so cars cannot be flagged down or picked up from a rank.
When you request a journey, please give us:
- The passenger name and a contact telephone number
- Correct pickup and destination addresses
- The date and required pickup time
- The number of passengers, and the amount and size of luggage
- Flight or sailing details where they apply
- Any accessibility requirements that affect the vehicle we send
The price shown when you book is an estimate based on what you tell us. Our office confirms the final price before you travel, and it does not change afterwards because of traffic or a longer route.