Airport transfers from Aylesham to Stansted, Luton and London City

Three airports, two ways across the Thames

All three trips start on the A2 out of Aylesham, past Canterbury to the M2. After that they part. For Stansted and Luton the car crosses the Thames at Dartford; Stansted is then up the M11, and Luton is round the M25. For London City the car stays on the A2 into London and dives under the river through the Blackwall Tunnel.

The typical times Express Travel Kent publishes start from Canterbury: Stansted 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes, Luton 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes, London City 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes. There are no published figures for Aylesham. Each trip from the village is longer than the Canterbury range by the A2 stretch between the two, and the pickup time is worked out with you at booking.

Aylesham to Stansted: one terminal, one short stop

Stansted works from a single terminal, so there is nothing to choose. Cars dropping passengers off pull into the Express Set Down area outside Departures, where a stop of 15 minutes is allowed; every visit has to be paid for, online or by phone, before midnight on the following day. A free alternative is the Mid Stay car park, where the first hour costs nothing and a free shuttle bus runs to the terminal.

For the trip home, Stansted only permits collections in its Green and Blue Short Stay car parks or at Mid Stay. We keep track of the flight, and your driver is waiting in arrivals with your name on a board.

Aylesham to Luton: the drop-off and pick-up zone

Luton has a single Drop Off / Pick Up Zone, a short walk from the terminal. The airport asks drivers to use the postcode LU2 9QT and then to trust the road signs for the zone, not the satnav, as they near the roundabout before the tunnel. Cars must be out again within 30 minutes, and the charge is paid online by midnight on the following day.

The free option is the Long Stay car park, which gives up to two hours without charge; its shuttle bus leaves for the terminal every 20 minutes, around the clock, and takes about 10 minutes.

Aylesham to London City: the short run into Docklands

London City is the nearest of the three on the published Canterbury times, and it suits short business trips and city breaks with light luggage. The car follows the A2 into London and goes under the Thames through the Blackwall Tunnel.

Passengers can be set down in the drop-off zone in front of the terminal, for no more than 10 minutes, with the stop paid for afterwards. Drivers may not wait on the forecourt. Collections are made from the airport's pick-up car park, where the driver parks before coming to meet you.

Crossing charges: Dartford and Blackwall

The Dartford Crossing normally charges for crossings made between 6am and 10pm, weekends and bank holidays among them, with payment due by midnight the day after. A very early Stansted or Luton pickup may reach the river before the charging hours begin.

The Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels charge for each crossing, in either direction, from 06:00 to 22:00. Weekday peak rates apply northbound from 06:00 to 10:00 and southbound from 16:00 to 19:00, and nothing is charged between 22:00 and 06:00.

Tolls along the route can be added to a fare when the journey involves them. Ask how they are handled for your trip when you book, and you will know before you confirm.

Which of the three should you choose?

Often the airline decides for you. When it does not, weigh up three things: the flight times, the drive and how much luggage is coming.

• London City has the shortest published drive from Canterbury of the three, and suits light luggage and short trips
• Stansted's single terminal is easy to find, but the route crosses the Thames at Dartford
• Luton is the longest of the three on the published Canterbury times, so leave a generous margin
• Whichever you pick, the price for the car is known before you book and the traffic does not move it

What to give us when you book

Give the pickup address in Aylesham or one of the villages, the airport, the flight number and time, and how many people and big cases are coming. Then choose the car: saloon or executive for a party of up to four, estate when those four have three or four large cases, MPV for up to six.

You can pay online by Revolut, Klarna, Google Pay, Apple Pay or card, and typing ExpressTravelKent in the discount box takes 10% off. If plans change more than a day before pickup, cancelling costs nothing; closer than that, part or all of the fare may be charged, as the terms set out.