Getting to Tilbury cruise terminal: c2c train, taxi and parking

Tilbury's cruise terminal is the London International Cruise Terminal, on the Thames in Tilbury, Essex, 22 nautical miles downriver from Tower Bridge. Viking lists these departures as "London (Tilbury)". Our schedule has 22 sailings from here between March 31, 2027 and October 2, 2028: 21 with Viking and 1 with Azamara. Every one is one-way, so you arrive through London and fly home from wherever the ship ends.

From central London the train is the simple way. It takes 40 minutes from Fenchurch Street to Tilbury Town, then about a mile to the terminal.

Where is Tilbury cruise terminal?

The address is London International Cruise Terminal, Tilbury, Essex RM18 7NG. Forth Ports runs it as part of the Port of Tilbury and markets it under its Capital Cruising name. The terminal is a listed building that opened in 1930 for ocean liners, with 350 meters of floating quayside, and it reopened for cruises in 1995.

By road, the terminal is 7 miles from the M25, London's orbital motorway. Our Tilbury sailings page lists every departure.

Tilbury cruise terminal by c2c train from Fenchurch Street

c2c runs the trains from London Fenchurch Street to Tilbury Town. Its route page gives an average journey of 40 minutes and a train every 30 minutes. An off-peak day single was £6.70 for midday trains on c2c's site on November 9, 2026. c2c's station page gives 44 minutes on average for the trip back into Fenchurch Street.

You don't need a paper ticket. Since February 2, 2025, c2c has accepted pay as you go with a contactless card or device at all 26 of its stations, Tilbury Town included. Touch in at Fenchurch Street and touch out at Tilbury Town.

c2c's page lists these connections at Fenchurch Street:

• Tower Hill on the Circle and District lines, 200 meters from the station's Tower Hill exit
• Aldgate on the Metropolitan and Circle lines, 300 meters from the Fenchurch Place exit
• Tower Gateway on the DLR, 300 meters from the Tower Hill exit
• A taxi rank immediately outside the main entrance on Fenchurch Street

Only the main entrance at Fenchurch Street is step-free, with a lift to the concourse and platforms. Tilbury Town has lifts from the street to both platforms.

From Tilbury Town station to the cruise terminal

Capital Cruising puts Tilbury Town station about a mile from the cruise terminal, and c2c describes the terminal as a 20-minute walk from the station. That is a fair distance with large suitcases.

Tilbury Town has no taxi rank, by c2c's own station page, so if you would rather ride the last mile, book a taxi or car to meet your train before you travel. The station has no left luggage either.

Taxi, car and parking at Tilbury cruise terminal

A taxi or private car can take you straight to the terminal from a London hotel or an airport. The terminal has short-stay parking for drop-off and pick-up right next to the building.

If you drive and leave a car for the cruise, Capital Cruising says long-stay parking must be booked in advance, and cruises of 30 nights or more get a concessionary rate. Porters unload your luggage when you arrive and take it on board to your cabin. When demand is high, cars go to an overflow lot and a free shuttle bus runs to and from the terminal. Its parking page still shows a rate set for bookings made after January 1, 2013, so we have not repeated it. Ask for the current price when you book.

Viking transfers to Tilbury

Viking includes round-trip airport transfers when you buy your flights from Viking as part of the cruise. If you booked your own flights for the same dates, Viking's FAQ says you can buy its airport transfers up to 30 days before departure. Otherwise you make your own way, and the ship's docking location is in your cruise documents, which Viking emails about two weeks before you sail.

Sailing with Azamara instead? Ask Azamara whether it offers a transfer for your date before you book your own.

Check-in and luggage at Tilbury cruise terminal

Your cruise line sets the boarding times. Viking's FAQ says embarkation begins at 11:00 AM for all cabin categories, with staterooms ready from 11:00 AM for suites and from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM for veranda staterooms, depending on the category. If you arrive before your stateroom is ready, Viking says to drop your luggage in the terminal, where its staff will look after it.

The terminal's own pages do not give check-in times, so use the times in your cruise documents.

Is there a boat from London to Tilbury?

Not one you can plan a cruise around. Forth Ports mentions Thames Clippers boats from Tilbury into the city, but Uber Boat by Thames Clippers lists its Tilbury trips as special charter day trips, not part of its regular service. When we checked on November 9, 2026, its page said no sailings were planned. Take the train.

Coming from Heathrow or another airport

From Heathrow or Gatwick you can use Viking's transfer if you bought it, book a car, or take the train into central London and then c2c from Fenchurch Street. Flying to London for a cruise covers the airports, and where to stay in London before a cruise helps with the night before. Not sure Tilbury is your port? London cruise ports compares it with Dover and Greenwich.