Planning Your Trip - Public Transport in London

 

How could I not choose a Rogue One image for this one?! Canary Wharf underground station, where parts of Rogue One were filmed, is just a few stops away from the ExCeL Center and dead easy to visit whilst you're in town for Celebration.

ExCeL London is part of London's docklands, just a short tube ride from the city center. Whilst nothing can beat the freedom of driving yourself, or the door to door service that Uber, Lyft, and even regular old taxis can provide, I imagine that most fans will be relying on public transport, especially the underground, during their visit to London.

Parking

Parking at ExCeL London costs £20 per day in the Orange car park located underneath the venue. Hotel parking (if your hotel offers it) is likely to be in the £15-20 per day price range for hotels by the convention center. Just something to keep in mind if you are hiring or bringing your own car.

Airport Transport

London City Airport is the closest airport to the convention center, and is on the Dockland Light Railway (DLR) meaning you can travel from the airport to Canning Town and change trains easily to get to Custom House for the ExCeL Center. It's even faster on the bus, just 8 minutes away.

However, most people flying in will be landing at either London Gatwick or London Heathrow. If you're coming via Gatwick you will need to use a Thameslink train into the city and then change to the underground and DLR. Heathrow is, in theory, a little easier as the underground serves all 5 terminals of the airport but in truth the journey is about the same length and, since the Elizabeth Line is scheduled to be closed during Star Wars Celebration, you'll need to make more changes along the way.

Which brings us nicely to

The London Underground and DLR

The London underground is massive and can look intimidating but it's the fastest and easiest way to get around the city. Using an Oyster Card, which can be bought and topped up at all over ground and underground stations, or just your contactless credit or debit card you tap your card at the start and end of each journey and you will automatically be charged the correct amount. If you are travelling a lot (let's say you go into the city one day and use the underground a lot to get around) there are also daily and weekly caps to the amount you'll pay as long as you use the same card.

The underground makes it quick and easy to get to the ExCeL Center from throughout the city, with a quick change from the underground to the DLR at Canning Town station. With block hotel prices so expensive this year looking along the underground routes and finding a station with cheaper accommodation nearby could easily save you hundreds of pounds.

The new Elizabeth line, which offers a direct route from Heathrow Airport to Custom House (ExCeLCenter) is sadly scheduled to be closed for maintenance work for the holiday weekend (you can check out the planned closures here) so the DLR remains the best option for getting to the convention center.