London Southend. Small, quick, and closer to the City than the name suggests.
One terminal, a separate jet centre and a railway station a hundred paces from the door. Southend is the easiest of the London airports to get out of, and the drive west is the part worth planning.
The airport
London Southend at a glance
- CodesSEN / EGMCOn the edge of Southend-on-Sea in Essex, about 40 miles east of central London by road.
- TerminalOneA single, small passenger terminal. Walking distances inside it are measured in yards, which is the whole point of the place.
- Private aviationLondon Southend Jet CentreA separate private terminal with its own entrance, lounges and customs and immigration facilities, away from the passenger building.
- RailA station at the terminalSouthend Airport station sits opposite the terminal door, with trains to London Liverpool Street in a little under an hour via Stratford.
Southend's scheduled programme has changed a great deal over the past few years. Tell us the flight number and we will confirm which part of the airport is handling you before the day.
Journey times
From Southend by road
| To | Quiet roads | Busy periods |
|---|---|---|
| Southend seafront and town | 10 to 15 minutes | 15 to 25 minutes |
| Chelmsford | 35 to 45 minutes | 45 to 60 minutes |
| Canary Wharf | 60 to 80 minutes | 80 to 120 minutes |
| City of London | 65 to 85 minutes | 90 to 130 minutes |
| Mayfair and the West End | 75 to 95 minutes | 100 to 150 minutes |
| London City Airport | 55 to 75 minutes | 75 to 110 minutes |
| Stansted | 55 to 75 minutes | 70 to 95 minutes |
| Cambridge | 80 to 100 minutes | 100 to 130 minutes |
Realistic ranges, not promises. The A127 and the A13 are both single points of failure into London, and the Blackwall and Dartford crossings decide most of the difference between a good run and a bad one.
Being straight about it
The train is sometimes the better answer
We are a chauffeur company and we will happily drive you all the way in, but Southend is one of the few airports where the honest advice is occasionally to take the train. On a weekday morning the run into the City by road can take twice as long as the rail journey to Liverpool Street, and the station is genuinely at the terminal door rather than a shuttle ride away.
So the arrangement clients most often ask for here is a car at the London end instead: the chauffeur meets the train at Liverpool Street or Stratford, and the Essex leg is done on rails. If you would rather be driven the whole way, say so and we will plan the hour properly, usually leaving before the A127 wakes up or well after it has settled. Either way you get one price, one contact and one person who is watching the flight.
Our own cars and employed chauffeurs are in London and Manchester, so a Southend job is worked from our London base. That is a straightforward repositioning drive and it means the chauffeur who collects you is one of ours.
Practicalities
Worth knowing
- Private arrivals use the jet centre, which is a different entrance and a different drive from the passenger terminal. Send the tail number and we will confirm which gate the car should use and where it is allowed to wait
- The passenger terminal is small enough that meet and greet is simple: one arrivals door, one meeting point, no hunting between halls. See meet and greet
- Airport drop-off and set down charges apply at the terminal forecourt as they do everywhere. Whatever we use appears in your quote rather than being added afterwards
- Southend suits a day trip east. Clients heading for the Essex coast, the yards and marinas along the Crouch and the Blackwater, or a shoot in Suffolk, often fly in here rather than at Stansted
- For four or more passengers with luggage ask for a V-Class, or a second saloon if the party would rather travel apart
Onward
Where Southend passengers go next
Other London airports
Request a quote
Tell us the journey
The date, the flight or tail number, the number of passengers and where you are going afterwards. If you would like us to price the drive and the rail option side by side, ask and we will. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About Southend transfers
Where will my chauffeur meet me?
In the arrivals hall of the single terminal, or inside the jet centre for a private arrival. We confirm the meeting point and the chauffeur's mobile number before you fly.
Is it quicker to drive or take the train into London?
On a weekday morning, usually the train, and we will tell you so. Outside the peaks the car is comfortably competitive and considerably more pleasant with luggage.
Can you meet a private flight?
Yes, at the jet centre. Give us the tail number and the handling agent and we will coordinate the timing with them directly.
Do you cover the Essex coast as well?
Yes. Journeys to the marinas and villages along the Crouch and the Blackwater are a regular booking from this airport, and we plan them as a single job rather than a transfer plus extras.
Can one car do Southend and a second airport in a day?
Yes, and it is usually simpler than two bookings. Tell us the whole day and we will build it as one journey: see long-distance UK travel.