What’s the quickest and cheapest way to get from Stansted Airport to the city centre?

The Stansted Express trains offer a comfortable and fast service to Liverpool Street, whilst buses provide a cheap option with many more direct routes throughout central London.

Transport	When to choose it	Journey time and fare to the city centre
Stansted Express train	The fastest way to the city centre (Liverpool Street)	48 minutes, from 9,90 gbp
National Express	Most stops throughout London	90 to 120 minutes, from 13,50 gbp
Terravision	Great value return ticket on National Express services	90 to 120 minutes, return from 13,50 gbp
Flibco	Cheapest to the city centre	75 to 90 minutes, from 7,49 gbp
Taxi or Uber	3 to 4 people, lots of luggage, direct journey to the hotel	60 to 100 minutes, 70 gbp to 100 gbp

The train is the quickest option. The cheapest option is usually the National Express coach to Stratford, but that’s on the northern outskirts of London. Take the coach at night, as trains don’t run round the clock.

If you’re buying a return ticket, check Flibco first. A return ticket can cost even less than 15 gbp.

The Stansted Express train

The fastest way to get there is the Stansted Express train, which takes 48 minutes to reach Liverpool Street station.

You can buy the cheapest tickets online 9,90 gbp if you buy them at least 3 months in advance. A limited number of discounted tickets are available from 3 to 6 months before your journey.

If you buy your ticket at shorter notice, it usually costs between14,50 gbp and 23 gbp.

You can buy a ticket on the spot at the turnstile simply by tapping your contactless card. However, you’ll pay the standard fare 21 gbp during off-peak hours or 23 gbp during peak hours, so buying online is usually significantly cheaper.

Stansted Express tickets are valid for a specific day, not a specific service. You can therefore use any train on the day stated on the ticket. With an open return ticket, the return journey can be made at any time within one month.

Trains run directly to only two London stations:

• Tottenham Hale – 36 minutes, change to the Victoria Line
• London Liverpool Street – 48 minutes, change to the Underground, Elizabeth Line and other trains

There is no direct train to Stratford. You’ll need to change at Tottenham Hale, and the whole journey takes about an hour.

• Frequency: every 15 to 30 minutes
• Fare: from 9,90 gbp at Liverpool Street
• Last train from the airport: 00:30
• First train from Liverpool Street: 3.40, depending on the day
• Timetable: stanstedexpress.com

The train station is underground, directly beneath the terminal. It takes about 5 minutes to walk from the arrivals hall to the platform.

The advantages of the train are its speed, predictable journey time and, if booked well in advance, its low price. The disadvantage is that it only stops at two stations in London and does not usually run 24 hours a day.

Buses

Buses are the cheapest way to travel to London and offer more stops than the train.

They run 24 hours a day and, in many cases, will take you right to your hotel without having to change to the Underground.

When choosing a coach, select your destination first and then the operator.

Where are you heading?	Operator
Victoria Coach Station, Waterloo	National Express,Terravision
Liverpool Street	Flibco,National Express,Terravision
Finchley Road, Baker Street, Paddington	National Express,Terravision
Stratford	Flibco,National Express,Terravision
East and North London	National Express,Terravision

National Express and Terravision

National Express operates routes A6, A8 and A9. Terravision sells its own tickets for the same buses at different prices and subject to its own terms and conditions.

These are therefore not two separate bus networks. After purchasing a ticket through Terravision, you can board a bus marked ‘National Express’.

National Express offers a limited number of tickets from 7 gbp, particularly for services to Stratford and East London. The price varies depending on the stop, time and occupancy.

However, standard cheap tickets to central London, when purchased at least 14 days in advance, start from 13,50 gbp.

Individual routes usually run every 20 to 30 minutes. Taking all routes into account, buses depart from the airport as frequently as every 9 minutes during the busiest part of the day.

Tickets purchased online do not need to be printed. All you need is the QR code on your mobile.

In the event of a flight delay, the following rules apply:

• Terravision: you can use a service up to 3 hours before or 3 hours after your booked time
• National Express: for standard airport tickets, you can use a similar service up to 3 hours before or after your booking, subject to availability

If you’re buying a return ticket or don’t want to chase a limited-time offer from 7 gbp, Terravision is usually the clearer option.

Book a coach to London: Terravision.com

Flibco

Flibco operates its own buses every 30 minutes throughout the day and night.

Tickets cost from 7,49 gbp and are valid for 24 hours after booking. Flibco is therefore very handy in the event of a flight delay.

The buses run on two main routes:

• Redbridge – Stratford – Liverpool Street
• Enfield – Wood Green – Finsbury Park

Buy a Flibco ticket

Where can I find the buses at the airport?

The bus station is located directly opposite the main terminal. It takes about 2 minutes to walk there from the arrivals hall, and the entire route is wheelchair accessible.

From the airport exit, everything is clearly signposted with ‘Bus/Coach Station’. Please check the platform number on the information board, as it may change.

You can also buy a ticket on arrival from ticket machines or at the ticket counters. However, you’ll get the cheapest prices and a guaranteed seat if you buy online.

Map of bus stops in London

Taxis and Uber

Taxis or Uber are particularly worthwhile when travelling in a group of three or four people, with a lot of luggage, or to places far from bus and train stations.

An Uber from the airport to London costs on average around 66 gbp, but can be significantly more expensive at peak times. A pre-booked taxi usually costs between80 gbp and 110 gbp.

The journey to the city centre takes approximately 60 to 100 minutes, depending on traffic.

The official taxi company, Street Cars, has a booking desk right in the international arrivals hall.

Please only book an Uber once you have collected your luggage, as the fare and pick-up point will be displayed in the app.

To Cambridge

Direct trains to Cambridge run from Stansted with CrossCountry and Greater Anglia up to twice an hour.

The journey takes 30 to 40 minutes and tickets cost from 9,50 gbp. Cambridge railway station is about a 20-minute walk from the historic centre.

Direct National Express buses take approximately 45 minutes and cost from 9,80 gbp. They stop at Cambridge Parkside, which is closer to the historic centre, but run less frequently than the train.

• The fastest and most frequent connection: the train
• Best stop for the historic centre: National Express bus
• Train tickets: greateranglia.co.uk
• Bus tickets: nationalexpress.com

To Luton, Heathrow and Gatwick airports

Direct National Express buses run from Stansted to Heathrow and Luton.

When travelling to Gatwick, always check the specific service, as most services require a change.

Airport	Best route	Journey time and price
Heathrow	Direct National Express	From 1 hour 30 minutes, from 18 gbp
Luton	Direct National Express	From 1 hour 35 minutes, from 18,10 gbp
Gatwick	Train via Liverpool Street and Farringdon	Approximately 2 to 2.5 hours
London City	Bus to Stratford, then the DLR	Approximately 75 to 90 minutes

From Gatwick, take the Stansted Express to Liverpool Street, the Elizabeth Line to Farringdon, and from there a Thameslink train directly to both Gatwick terminals.

National Express offers only a few services a day to Gatwick, and many options involve a change at Victoria Coach Station or Heathrow.

• Search for a coach between airports

When connecting between two separately purchased tickets, allow at least 4 hours at Heathrow or Luton and at least 5 hours at Gatwick.

To nearby towns and villages

Regional buses to towns in the counties of Essex and Hertfordshire also stop right outside the terminal.

First Essex operates three main Airlink routes. A single ticket for the entire journey costs 3 gbp and you can pay by card or in cash to the driver.

• X10: Chelmsford, Wickford, Basildon
• X20: Great Dunmow, Braintree, Coggeshall, Colchester
• X30: Chelmsford, Rayleigh, Southend

Timetables are available at firstbus.co.uk/essex/airlink.

Arriva mainly operates the following routes:

• 309: Bishop’s Stortford, Thorley Park
• 509 and 510: Bishop’s Stortford, Sawbridgeworth, Harlow

Timetables can be found on the arrivabus.co.uk website.

To other English towns

There are also direct bus or train services from Stansted Airport to Birmingham, Leicester, Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester, Oxford, Peterborough and other cities.

Buses to most of these cities are operated by National Express. With these services, the earlier you buy your ticket, the less you usually pay.

• Search for a bus from Stansted

CrossCountry direct trains run via Cambridge, Peterborough and Leicester to Birmingham. You can find timetables at crosscountrytrains.co.uk.

Car hire at the airport

If you’re heading straight from the airport to the English countryside, hiring a car is the most flexible option.

Car hire companies are not located directly in the terminal, but in the Car Rental Village. A free bus leaves the terminal every 10 minutes.

Companies operating at the airport include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz and Firefly.

Compare car hire prices

Transport in London

Stansted Airport is over 60 km from the city centre and lies outside the London transport fare zones.

Therefore, the Oyster Card, Travelcard and standard London public transport tickets are not valid for journeys between London and the airport.

On arrival at Tottenham Hale, Liverpool Street, Stratford or any other London station, you can use your Oyster Card or a contactless payment card to continue your journey by Underground, bus, DLR or train.

You can find out how transport works in the UK’s capital in the London transport guide.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get from Stansted to central London?

The train journey to Liverpool Street takes 48 minutes.

The bus to Stratford takes from 50 minutes, to Liverpool Street 70 to 90 minutes, and to Victoria or Paddington 90 to 120 minutes.

Is the Stansted Express better, or the bus?

Choose the train if speed and a predictable journey time are important to you.

The bus is a better option if you want to save money, are arriving at night or have a stop right near your hotel.

Search for hotels in London

How do I get from Stansted to London at night?

National Express and Flibco buses run 24 hours a day. The Stansted Express train does not usually run between approximately 0:30 and 5:30.