Stansted Airport to Central London
Bus, Train and Taxi Services to the City Following Cheap Flights
Aug 1, 2007
An increasing amount of cheap flights are departing from London Stansted Airport, but how does a traveller get from there to Central London? There are bus, train and taxi services as options.
Why fly to London Stansted Airport?
London has five major airports, of which London Heathrow and London City are realistically the only ones that are actually in the English capital city. London Gatwick, London Stansted and London Luton are a bit further out, and can be awkward to get to.
Of these five airports, Heathrow and Gatwick are the biggest, handling a lot of charter and intercontinental flights. Stansted and Luton have grown massively in recent year, predominantly because of the growth of budget airlines. The likes of Easyjet and – in particular – Ryanair use Stansted as a base. So, travellers looking for cheap flights on budget airlines may well end up there whether they like it or not.
Where is London Stansted Airport?
Stansted Airport is approximately 30 miles north-east of London. The nearest town of any size is Bishop’s Stortford, whilst Cambridge (north), Chelmsford (south-east) and Stevenage (west) are the nearest major towns.
Taxi Services from Stansted Airport to Central London
There isn’t a specific taxi rank at Stansted Airport. All taxis and minicabs need to be booked in advance, either before arrival or by phone at the airport itself. Fares differ from firm to firm, but are expensive nonetheless. Expect to pay at least £50 (US$100) to get to central London, and that represents a bargain. It’s worth searching around for taxi and minicab companies offering good deals before departure, and arranging for them to meet the flight.
Train Services from Stansted Airport to Central London
The Stansted Express isn’t exactly as quick as the name implies – it really does chunter through East London on the way to the airport – but it is the quickest way of getting to and from the city. The train goes every 15 minutes, with the last one leaving at midnight – something to be aware of if arriving late in the evening. The average journey time is 46 minutes, and at the time of writing a single fare was £15.50 (US$31), although tickets booked online cost £14.50 ($29). It arrives at Liverpool Street Station, which is well served by bus and underground services.
Bus services from Stansted Airport to Central London
There are a few companies offering shuttle bus services between London Stansted airport and Central London. Terravision has a very regular service, costing £8 ($US16) one way and £14 ($US28) return. The bus pulls in at London Victoria bus station, although the stated journey time of 75 minutes is often highly optimistic given London traffic. Easybus goes from Stansted Airport to Baker Street, with online single tickets costing as little as £2 and walk-up fares costing from £7.
