Stansted is London’s third busiest airport, located 40 miles Northeast of central London.
The quickest option is generally the Stansted Express train, although this can be expensive, and only serves two stations within London. Read on for all the details.
Stansted Express Train
Price: £25 (but as little as £9.90 if booked in advance)
Duration: 50 minutes
Frequency: Every 15 minutes
The Stansted Express is the only rail link to central London from Stansted. There are no other cheaper train options.
The trains run to London Liverpool Street, which is in the heart of the city’s financial district, and has excellent onward connections to the Elizabeth Line, and Central, Metropolitan, Circle, and Hammersmith & City tube lines. There’s also an intermediate stop at Tottenham Hale, which is handy for changing to the Victoria Line.
As Stansted is quite far outside London, Oyster and Contactless can’t be used on the train. Instead, it’s best to purchase a ticket in advance, which are valid on any trains for the day specified.
Read the detailed guide on how to take the Stansted Express train here.
Bus/Coach – National Express & Flibco
Price: Variable – from £7
Duration: 1-2 hours, depending on route
Frequency: Every 15-30 minutes
National Express and Flibco run coaches from Stansted Airport to a number of destinations in central London. All coaches are air-conditioned and have toilets. Everyone gets a seat, no standing is permitted. Luggage goes in the bottom of the coach, although you can take smaller items with you to your seat.
Generally coaches are slower than the train, but can be cheaper, and serve more destinations directly. The only destination where coaches may be quicker than taking the train is going to Stratford.
National Express
National Express run a large number of coaches to a variety of destinations within London:
- A6: Calling at Paddington, Marble Arch, Baker Street, St John’s Wood, Finchley Road, Golders Green
- A7: Calling at Victoria, Waterloo, Southwark, Whitechapel, Mile End, Bow
- A8: Calling at King’s Cross, Liverpool Street, Shoreditch, Tottenham Hale
- A9: Calling at Stratford only
When booking online, you select a specific service, but tickets from Stansted are valid on any departure 3 hours before or after the service you select. When travelling towards Stansted, you need to take your booked service, unless you add the ‘Change and Go’ add on for an additional £5.
View routes and buy tickets on the National Express website.
Flibco
Flibco have also started running a coach service from Stansted, only calling at Stratford (50 minute journey time) and London Liverpool Street station (90 minutes). The buses depart every 30 minutes, and tickets are valid on any coach on the day selected.
View routes and buy tickets on the Flibco website.
Although it is possible to purchase tickets at the airport, it’s much easier to buy online using the links to the operators’ websites above.
Taxi
If you don’t want to use public transport, or are travelling with lots of luggage, the other option is to get a taxi. However, the trip into London by road takes longer than by train, often between 60-90 minutes depending on your destination.
Stansted is not in London, so there is no rank of black cabs waiting at the airport. Instead, it’s advisable to pre-book a car service such as Welcome Pickups, and the driver will be waiting for you at arrivals, holding a sign with your name on. Expect to pay £80-140 depending on where you want to go in London.