East Village is unusually well connected for a neighbourhood that still feels like it's on the edge of things. Two major stations within walking distance, direct lines into the City and the West End, a high-speed service to St Pancras in seven minutes, and a DLR that gets you to City Airport before you've finished your podcast.

This page covers the lot - trains, buses, cycling, driving, and how to get to every London airport.

How long does it take to get to...?

Approximate journey times from Stratford station by the fastest typical route. These are realistic door-to-platform times, not TfL's optimistic estimates.

The Elizabeth line has transformed commuting from here. It's fast, spacious, and runs direct through central London without changing. If you work anywhere between Liverpool Street and Paddington, it's your line.

Stations

Stratford

About a 10–15 minute walk from East Village. This is one of the best-connected stations in London — five lines, the Elizabeth line, Overground, DLR, and National Rail all meet here.

Lines and services:

Central line — east–west through the City and West End. Liverpool Street, Bank, Oxford Circus, Notting Hill Gate.

Jubilee line — south-west through Canary Wharf, London Bridge, Waterloo, Westminster, and on to Bond Street and Baker Street.

Elizabeth line — the fast route through central London. Farringdon, Tottenham Court Road, Bond Street, Paddington — and direct to Heathrow.

London Overground — north to Highbury & Islington, south to Clapham Junction and Richmond.

DLR — Canary Wharf, Bank, London City Airport, Greenwich, Lewisham.

National Rail (Greater Anglia) — Liverpool Street, destinations across Essex and East Anglia, and Southend Airport.

Stratford International

Closer to East Village than Stratford main — about a 5–10 minute walk from most buildings.

Southeastern High Speed (the Javelin) — St Pancras International in about 7 minutes. This is East Village's secret weapon. From St Pancras you can connect to the Northern line, Piccadilly line, Thameslink, and Eurostar services to Paris and Brussels. The Javelin also runs to Ebbsfleet and destinations in Kent including Ashford, Canterbury, and Margate.

DLR — same services as Stratford. Canary Wharf, Bank, City Airport.

Eurostar services do not stop at Stratford International. Take the Javelin to St Pancras and connect there.

Buses

Bus stops in East Village are on Celebration Avenue, Anthems Way, and Cheering Lane. The main stop names to look for are East Village (Stops N & P), Chobham Academy (Stops R & S), and Stratford International Station (Stop E).

Key routes:

97 (24-hour) — Stratford City to Chingford via Leyton and Walthamstow.

108 (24-hour) — Stratford International to Lewisham via Blackwall Tunnel and North Greenwich (The O2).

308 — Stratford City to Clapton via Homerton and Hackney Central.

339 — Leytonstone to Shadwell via East Village, Hackney Wick, Mile End, and Stepney Green.

388 — Stratford City to London Bridge via Shoreditch and the City. This one is worth knowing about — it's a useful alternative to the Tube if you're heading to Shoreditch or the south side of the City.

More routes run from Stratford Bus Station and Stratford City Bus Station, including the 24-hour Route 25 to Oxford Circus.

Late at night

The 97 and 108 run 24 hours. The Central and Jubilee lines run Night Tube services on Fridays and Saturdays. Outside those hours, night buses from Stratford Bus Station cover most directions.

Cycling

East Village is one of the most cycle-friendly parts of London. The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has miles of traffic-free paths, and the Lea Valley towpath connects you north through Hackney Marshes and the Walthamstow Wetlands, or south towards the Thames.

Santander Cycles — there are docking stations across E20, including one next to Victory Park. Costs £1.65 per 30-minute ride, or £20 for an annual membership that covers unlimited short rides.

Lime e-bikes — dockless electric bikes available via the Lime app. £1 to unlock, 27p per minute. Check the app for availability in E20.

Routes worth knowing:

The Olympic Park paths will get you to Hackney Wick, Victoria Park, and the Lea Valley without touching a main road. From there, you can follow the canal network into central London. The Lee Valley VeloPark — the Olympic velodrome — is also nearby and offers a mile-long floodlit road circuit, mountain bike trails, and a BMX track if you want something more serious.

Getting to the airports

London City Airport is by far the easiest — the DLR runs direct every 10 minutes and costs almost nothing. If you fly from City regularly, East Village is one of the best postcodes in London for it.

Heathrow via the Elizabeth line is a game-changer. Direct from Stratford with no changes, comfortable trains, and a fraction of the cost of the Heathrow Express.

Stansted — the National Express coach from Stratford is cheap, frequent (up to 50 services a day), and runs through the night.

Driving and parking

Most residents don't need a car here, but if you have one:

Parking — East Village falls within the Stratford South East Controlled Parking Zone. Resident permits are available but not cheap — around £120 per month. Contact your building management for details on allocated spaces.

EV charging — 37 chargers are spread across East Village residential plots, operated via Electric Spinach. There are also Osprey chargers at Stratford International car park (21 connectors).

Useful links

TfL Journey Planner — plan any journey across London. Available as the TfL Go app.

Fares — all TfL services accept contactless payment and Oyster cards. There's a daily cap, so you'll never pay more than the equivalent of a day travelcard.

Accessibility — Stratford and Stratford International both have step-free access to all platforms. All London buses are wheelchair accessible.