In this guide
ExCeL London is a single building nearly a kilometre long, sitting between two DLR stations, with an Elizabeth line stop at one end and a cable car terminal a short walk from the other. Which of those you use depends entirely on which hall your event is in — get that wrong and the “five-minute walk” from the station becomes a fifteen-minute walk through the building.
ExCeL’s Waterfront side, on Royal Victoria Dock.
💡 The Short Version: Custom House (Elizabeth line and DLR) serves the West Entrance; Prince Regent (DLR only) serves the East Entrance and the ICC. They’re about a kilometre apart on foot. Parking is £27.50 pre-booked / £30 on the day, same price for Blue Badge holders, and the venue sits inside the ULEZ but outside the Congestion Charge zone. Cloakrooms are free but not guaranteed — it’s down to the organiser of your event. Everything inside is cashless. For the show calendar, expect a different organiser and a different bag policy every time; there’s no one venue-wide rule.
Which station for which end
ExCeL was built long and thin along the north quay of Royal Victoria Dock, and the venue’s own walking-distance guide for visitors makes the geometry explicit:
Custom House station.
Prince Regent station.
| Between | Distance |
|---|---|
| West Entrance and East Entrance | About 600m |
| Custom House station and Prince Regent station | About 1km, walking through the venue |
| Custom House and the West Entrance | About 200m |
| Prince Regent and the East Entrance | About 200m |
| Custom House and the Waterfront (Immerse LDN) | About 420m |
Custom House is the station for the West Entrance — it carries both the Elizabeth line and the DLR, and ExCeL’s own advice is blunt about it: alight here for the west halls. Prince Regent is DLR only, and serves the East Entrance and the ICC suites (the Capital and Platinum Suites, used for conferences). Confirm which hall or suite your event is in before you travel — a west-hall show reached via Prince Regent means walking the better part of the building’s length rather than the couple of hundred metres either station promises.
Getting there from central London and the airports
Checked live against TfL’s own journey planner, on a Sunday:
| From | Route | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Liverpool Street | Elizabeth line, direct | 10 minutes |
| Tottenham Court Road | Elizabeth line, direct | 16 minutes |
| Paddington | Elizabeth line, direct | 21–24 minutes |
| Canary Wharf | Elizabeth line, one stop | About 3 minutes (ExCeL’s own figure) |
| Bank | DLR, changing at Poplar | About 25 minutes |
| London City Airport | Elizabeth line or DLR/bus | 5–13 minutes, depending on the connection used |
| Heathrow | Elizabeth line, direct | 43 minutes (ExCeL’s own figure) |
The Elizabeth line is the quickest option from almost anywhere in central London, and it’s a single train with no change from Liverpool Street, Paddington, Tottenham Court Road, Bond Street or Heathrow. Coming from the south or from stations only the DLR reaches, expect a change: the fastest route from Bank runs via the Northern line to Moorgate and a walk to Liverpool Street rather than straight through on the DLR, and a same-line DLR route via Poplar takes about 25 minutes.
London City Airport is close enough that ExCeL’s own site calls it a 15-minute walk; by rail it’s a handful of stops on the DLR or Elizabeth line, whichever a live journey planner offers first. International rail (Eurostar, Le Shuttle) and the other five London airports are all a further connection away — see our London City Airport transport guide for the full comparison.
The cable car and the river
The London Cable Car (sold and signed by ExCeL as the IFS Cloud Cable Car; TfL’s own pages now just call it the London Cable Car) crosses the Thames from Greenwich Peninsula, by The O2, to a terminal in the Royal Docks a short walk from ExCeL’s Waterfront. ExCeL’s own site offers every exhibitor and visitor 50% off a walk-up fare — £3.50 single instead of £7 — on presentation of a ticket or confirmation email. TfL’s opening hours:
The cable car crossing the docks.
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Mon–Thu | 08:00–21:00 (to 22:00 on Thursdays until 16 October 2026) |
| Friday | 09:00–22:00 |
| Saturday | 09:00–23:00 |
| Sunday and bank holidays | 09:00–21:00 |
⚠️ It’s an arrival option, not a reliable way home. It closes before most evening events finish clearing the building, and it doesn’t run all night on any day of the week.
Uber Boat by Thames Clippers calls at Royal Wharf Pier, opened in 2019 specifically to serve ExCeL, City Airport and the Royal Docks. It’s on the East zone of the river network. Checked against the operator’s own published timetable, the last westbound sailing towards central London leaves at 21:41 on weekdays and 22:17 at weekends — earlier than North Greenwich Pier further downstream, so it suits an early finish rather than a normal evening one. The pier is step-free, with a 162m² river-view platform; the nearest DLR stations for onward travel are West Silvertown or Pontoon Dock, not Custom House.
Driving, parking and the low-emission zones
ExCeL runs its own on-site car park, pre-booked through the venue’s own booking platform — the only way to guarantee a space. For the entrance, use postcode E16 1FR or what3words ///cheer.events.began; access is via the A13 and Royal Albert Way only, not from Western Gateway or Seagull Lane.
| Price | |
|---|---|
| Pre-booked, per day | £27.50 |
| Pay on the day | £30 |
| Blue Badge | Same as standard — £27.50 pre-booked / £30 on the day |
| Coach and minibus (pre-booked only, west taxi rank) | £50 flat rate |
| Motorcycles | Free, not pre-bookable |
The car park takes vehicles up to 1.9m without booking an over-height space, with a limited number of bays for vehicles up to 2.8m. There are 134 Blue Badge bays across the west, east and waterfront zones, each 5.9m by 3.6m, and an £80 fine for a car parked in one without displaying a badge.
Two river crossings serve the car park’s approach roads: the Blackwall Tunnel, the older and more delay-prone of the two, and the Silvertown Tunnel, which opened in April 2025 and gives an additional, tolled crossing from the Greenwich Peninsula side.
Congestion Charge and ULEZ. ExCeL sits well outside the Congestion Charge zone, which covers only central London and charges £18 a day (£21 if paid late) between 07:00–18:00 on weekdays and 12:00–18:00 at weekends. ULEZ is different: since 2023 it has covered every London borough with no boundary gap, so a car that doesn’t meet the emissions standard pays the standard £12.50 daily charge to be anywhere near ExCeL, exactly as it would anywhere else in London.
Inside ExCeL: bags, cash, food and wifi
Because ExCeL hosts a different organiser’s event in every hall, there’s no single venue-wide bag or security policy the way a single-tenant arena like The O2 has — check the specific event’s own page for what it allows in. What does hold across the whole venue:
Inside ExCeL’s boulevard.
- Cashless throughout. ExCeL’s own food and drink pages state plainly that none of its outlets take cash — bring a contactless card or phone. Market Express, an Amazon “tap in, walk out” convenience store by hall entrance N10, works the same way.
- Cloakrooms are free, on Level 0 between hall entrances N4 and S4 and at the east end of Level 0, plus dedicated cloakrooms in the ICC’s Capital and Platinum Suites — but availability depends on your event’s organiser, and nothing can be stored overnight. Cameras, laptops and other electronics aren’t accepted.
- Free visitor wifi covers the whole venue — look for “_Excel VISITOR ONLY Free Wi-Fi” and accept the terms. It’s fine for browsing and messaging, not for anything that needs a stable connection like streaming or large uploads.
- Water refill points are by the East and West Entrances and near halls S4 and S7.
- Food: the sit-down option is Waterfront Street Kitchen & Bar on the dockside Waterfront, plus more than 20 counter-service kitchens along the boulevard — Habanero, Detroit City Burger, Chozen Noodle, Bagel Factory, Costa Coffee and Subway among them. Outside the gates, the Royal Victoria Dock waterfront and Custom House both have further options within a few minutes’ walk.
- Power banks can be rented from Joos units along the boulevard: £2 for the first hour, capped at £4 a day, or £30 to buy outright.
Accessibility
Both stations serving ExCeL are step-free — TfL’s own step-free map confirms Custom House and Prince Regent — and inside the venue, every floor is level once you’re through the entrance ramps.
- Wheelchairs and mobility scooters can be hired free of charge, subject to availability, booked through ExCeL’s own mobility-aid site.
- Changing Places facilities, with a toilet, sink and hoist, are at the East (Prince Regent) end on Level 1 and in the Maritime Suite on Level 0, both on a RADAR key.
- Hearing loops are fitted at information desks, cloakrooms and the security and traffic offices.
- Blue Badge parking is available across all zones of the car park at the standard rate (see above), with dedicated wide bays and step-free routes into the building.
- ExCeL recognises the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower scheme, and assistance dogs are welcome throughout.
Big shows here through the year
ExCeL runs almost entirely on trade and B2B events, but a handful of shows each year are open to the public: MCM Comic Con in October, New Scientist Live, the London International Horse Show in December and Grand Designs Live in spring among them. The upcoming public shows are listed at the foot of this page with their dates, and our exhibitions and conventions calendar covers every London venue.
Where to stay
A handful of hotels sit on the ExCeL campus itself or across Royal Victoria Dock, all trading on prices that track the exhibition calendar rather than the season — a quiet week is cheap, a big trade show is not.
- Aloft London ExCeLad — a minute’s walk from the East Entrance and the ICC on the Eastern Gateway, with an indoor pool.
- DoubleTree by Hilton London – ExCeLad — the other hotel ExCeL’s own site names as part of the campus.
- Novotel London ExCeLad — on Western Gateway, three minutes’ walk from Custom House, with sofa-bed rooms for families.
- Premier Inn London Docklands (ExCeL) — at 2 Festoon Way, Royal Victoria Dock, and pitched by Premier Inn itself as the pit-stop for ExCeL, City Airport or Canary Wharf.
- Sunborn Londonad — a superyacht moored for good on the dock, with 133 rooms and five suites, every one facing the river or the dock.
- Good Hotel Londonad — a floating, social-enterprise hotel on the Western Gateway, under five minutes from Royal Victoria DLR and Custom House.
Our hotels near ExCeL guide sorts the hotels by the entrance they’re nearest, adds Canary Wharf and Woolwich one Elizabeth line stop away and the cheapest chains a few DLR stops out, and gives the last train back after an evening event.
Before or after: the Royal Docks and Canary Wharf
- Royal Victoria Dock itself is the view from ExCeL’s Waterfront side — a working dock turned public space, with the cable car’s Royal Docks terminal at one end.
- The London Cable Car (see above) makes a short, scenic crossing to North Greenwich and The O2 — see our O2 travel guide for what’s on the other side.
- WakeUp Docklands, a cable wakeboard park in the Royal Docks, runs from the water ExCeL backs onto.
- Immerse LDN, an immersive exhibitions venue on the Waterfront about 400m from the West Entrance, runs a changing programme of ticketed shows.
- City Hall — the striking glass-and-steel building on the dock that many guides still call by its old name, The Crystal, isn’t the sustainability exhibition it once was. The Greater London Authority moved its headquarters there in January 2022, and it’s now the Mayor and London Assembly’s base rather than a visitor attraction.
- Canary Wharf is one Elizabeth line stop away — about 3 minutes — for the roof garden, Eden Dock and the restaurants at Wood Wharf; see our Canary Wharf area guide.
- London City Airport is a 15-minute walk or a couple of DLR stops, if you’re flying in or out around your visit.
Small print that catches people out
- Postcodes: ExCeL and its car park, E16 1FR; the venue’s management office, E16 1XL.
- Custom House serves the west halls, Prince Regent the east halls and the ICC — a kilometre apart, so check which end your event is in before you travel.
- The whole venue is cashless. Bring a contactless card.
- Bag and cloakroom policy is set per event, not by ExCeL as a whole — check your specific show’s own page.
- Blue Badge parking costs the same as standard parking here — £27.50 pre-booked, £30 on the day.
- ULEZ applies; the Congestion Charge doesn’t.
Continue planning your London trip
- ✈️ London City Airport to London — the full transport comparison for the nearest airport
- 🏙️ Canary Wharf Area Guide — one Elizabeth line stop from Custom House
- 🎤 The O2 Travel Guide — the cable car’s other terminal, and London’s other major venue
- 🛏️ Where to Stay Near ExCeL — hotels by entrance, and the last train back
- 🛏️ Where to Stay Near Canary Wharf
- 🛏️ Where to Stay Near The O2 — covers the Royal Docks side too
- 🎟️ Exhibitions and Conventions in London — the year-round calendar
- 💷 London Transport Costs and Fares
Figures come from ExCeL London’s own site (getting here, parking, accessibility, food and drink and FAQ pages), Transport for London’s journey planner and its published Congestion Charge and ULEZ pages, Uber Boat by Thames Clippers’ own pier and timetable pages, and each show’s own organiser site, checked the week of 27 September 2026. Journey times were checked live against TfL’s journey planner on a Sunday and will vary by day and disruption. Show dates and prices are set by each organiser and change; check before booking.
Coming up at ExCeL London
Limited runs and the annual fixtures. Anything already finished is removed automatically.Links marked ad are affiliate links. If you book through one we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never affects what goes on this list.
New Scientist Live
Not open yetFour stages and 47-plus speakers on one show floor; the organiser's own site advertises up to 44% off its final-release tickets against paying on the door.
10-11 October are the public days; 12 October is a Schools' Day, not open to the public.
UK Black Business Week & Show
Not open yetThe public-ticketed day is Saturday 17 October; the rest of the week runs on delegate passes for the Awards, Forum and networking parties.
Public Day Pass runs 9am-6pm on the Saturday only.
Musical Con
Not open yetWest End cast meet-and-greets and workshops are sold as separate add-ons on top of entry, and several tiers were already marked sold out on the organiser's own ticket page.
Home, Life & You LIVE
Not open yetHome, lifestyle and gardening exhibitors and demonstrations on the same October weekend as the National Wedding Show and Musical Con at the same venue.
Ticket price not published on the organiser's own site.
The National Wedding Show
Not open yetWedding suppliers and showcases under one roof, on the same weekend as Musical Con and Home, Life & You LIVE at the same venue.
Ticket price not published on the organiser's own site.
MCM Comic Con London
Not open yetBilled by its organiser as the UK's biggest Comic Con; the Weekend ticket and both VIP tiers sold out more than a month before this run.
EGX, RX's sister gaming show, has been folded into this London date - egx.net now lists only MCM London and MCM Birmingham.
London Perfume Exhibition
Not open yetThis is the first edition of this fragrance show in London, mixing a trade platform with a public 'passionate visitors' day rather than running trade-only.
Only part of the run is open to the public - check which days before booking.
London International Horse Show
Not open yetA traditional Christmas showjumping fixture, now run at ExCeL rather than its old Olympia home.
Wundrful World Of Christmas
Not open yetMeet Santa and his Elves inside a full immersive Christmas build, running six weeks rather than a single weekend.
Scrooge: Cirque Extravaganza
Not open yetA festive circus and theatre retelling of A Christmas Carol, timed for the days right before Christmas.
Family pricing needs a minimum of four tickets.
MegaCon Live (London)
Not open yetMegaCon's own weekend pass covers both days for one price rather than paying per day.
Motorsport Expo
Not open yetOver 200 exhibitors for the racing and motorsport scene specifically, run by CarShowCo alongside Car Culture UK on overlapping dates.
Overlaps Car Culture UK, run by the same organiser, on the same site.
Car Culture UK
Not open yetRun by CarShowCo alongside Motorsport Expo on overlapping dates at the same venue, aimed at custom and modified car culture rather than racing specifically.
Overlaps Motorsport Expo, run by the same organiser, on the same site.
MOVE IT
Not open yetBilled by its organiser as the UK's largest dance exhibition - a class programme plus performances running across four stages.
Grand Designs Live (London)
Not open yetThe organiser, Media 10, runs the NEC Birmingham edition first each autumn; this is the London date that follows it.
The price is the NEC Birmingham October 2026 edition's on-the-day rate; London prices its own show closer to the date.
Common questions
Which station is nearest to ExCeL London?
It depends which end of the building your event is in. Custom House, on the Elizabeth line and DLR, sits right against the West Entrance — about 200m, a couple of minutes on foot. Prince Regent, DLR only, is the same distance from the East Entrance and the ICC suites. The two stations are roughly a kilometre apart walking through the venue, so check your event's hall or entrance before picking a station, not the other way round.
Can you take your own food and drink into ExCeL?
There's no single venue-wide rule — ExCeL hosts a different organiser's event in each hall, and bag and food policy is set per show, not by the venue. What is constant: none of ExCeL's own food outlets take cash, so bring a contactless card, and a Market Express convenience shop (Amazon's tap-and-go format) sits by hall entrance N10 if you just need a bottle of water or a snack.
How early should you arrive at ExCeL for a show?
Earlier than the ticket time suggests, because of the building's own geometry: the boulevard connecting the two entrances is about 600m, and if you land at the wrong end — say Custom House for an ICC conference — you're walking the better part of a kilometre before you've even reached the queue. Build in 20–30 minutes beyond the walk itself for security, which varies by event and can back up at a popular show's doors time.
How much does parking cost at ExCeL?
£27.50 a day pre-booked, £30 paying on the day, whether or not you hold a Blue Badge — both are charged at the same rate here, unlike venues that discount accessible bays. Pre-booking through ExCeL's own site is the only way to guarantee a space; the car park takes vehicles up to 1.9m without a booking, or up to 2.8m in a limited number of over-height bays.
Is there a cloakroom at ExCeL?
Yes, free of charge, subject to the organiser of your specific event allowing it. The main one is on Level 0, down the stairs between hall entrances N4 and S4, with a second at the east end of Level 0; the ICC's Capital Suite and Platinum Suite have their own. Nothing can be stored overnight, and cameras, laptops and other electronics aren't accepted.
Do you pay the Congestion Charge or ULEZ to drive to ExCeL?
Not the Congestion Charge — the zone covers only central London, and Royal Docks is well outside it. ULEZ is a different matter: since 2023 it covers every London borough with no gap, so a non-compliant car pays the standard £12.50 daily charge to park at or drive past ExCeL, the same as anywhere else in the city.
What's the quickest way to ExCeL from central London?
The Elizabeth line to Custom House, checked live against TfL's own journey planner: about 10 minutes from Liverpool Street, 16 from Tottenham Court Road, and a single stop — about 3 minutes, by ExCeL's own account — from Canary Wharf. Paddington is the outlier at around 21–24 minutes, since it's the long way across the line.
