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We recently traveled from Plovdiv, Bulgaria to London Stansted Airport. This was our third time flying into Stansted, so we feel like we’re getting pretty good at it!
In this article, we’re going to tell you the fastest, cheapest, and easiest options to get from London Stansted Airport to London city.
When you fly into London on one of the budget airlines, like Ryanair, EasyJet, or Wizz Air, you’ll likely end up flying into Stansted.
And even though the name of the airport is Stansted London, it’s actually about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of London proper.
Sidenote: Did you know in the UK they use miles while the rest of Europe uses kilometers? Wacky!
Luckily, there are a lot of options to get you from Stansted into London after you land.
Watch: Get this info in video form here.
Taking the Stansted Express from Stansted Aiport to London City (Fastest and Most Convenient)
The fastest and most convenient way to get into central London from Stansted Airport is by train on the Stansted Express.
Trains typically run every 30 minutes.
The first train from Stansted Airport to London Liverpool Street leaves at 5:30 am from Friday to Monday and at 6am Tuesday to Thursday. The last train into London leaves at 12:30am every day.
🚂 Book your Stansted Express Train Ticket
Most travelers take the Stansted Express to Liverpool Street station, near the heart of central London, but the train also stops at Tottenham Hale on the way into town. You can exit at Tottenham Hale in northern London, or you can switch Stansted Express trains there and continue on to Stratford in east London.
The train to Liverpool Station takes approximately 50 minutes, about 36 minutes to Tottenham Hale, and about one hour to Stratford.
There is access to high-speed WiFi, charging ports, and an unlimited luggage allowance onboard.
You can find the Stansted Express by following the signs at the station below the airport, just outside baggage claim.
You can buy tickets online at the Stansted Express website. Make sure to check the website for prices and for any timetable changes.
If you didn’t book your ticket ahead online, don’t worry! There are also multiple ticket machines around the airport where you can buy your Stansted Express tickets after you arrive.
Note that you can’t use Oyster or contactless payment cards on Stansted Express services to/from Stansted Airport.
It is sometimes possible to book Advance Tickets on the Stansted Express website, which could save you some money.
Taking the Bus from Stansted Airport to London City (Cheaper but Slower)
Taking the bus into town is not as fast as the train. But if you have time and don’t want to spend a lot of money, or if you land at a time when the train isn’t running, then the bus might be the better option for you.
The bus station is easy to find right outside of baggage claim. All you need to do is follow the signs and not go down into the train station.
There are several options for bus companies offering rides into London.
There’s the Airport Bus Express that runs the A21 bus which runs every 30 minutes from 6:00 am to 2:00 am. The buses have Wifi, toilets, and power plugs. You can take the A21 to Liverpool Street, or Stratford, just like the Stansted Express.
There’s also the National Express that runs three different buses into London: the A6, A8, and A9. The buses make multiple stops along the way, but most travelers are trying to get into London proper, and these three buses will get you there.
The A6 goes to Victoria station, another large train and bus station in central London near the Thames river and Buckingham Palace.
The A8 has other stops along the way, the major one being Liverpool Street Station in downtown London.
The A9 offers direct service between Stratford and Stansted Airport.
You can type in your destination on the website to see which bus will get you closest to where you want to go.
The buses are cheaper than taking the Stansted Express train and you’ll have more final destination options.
Of course, if you’re taking the bus into central London, you may be stuck in a fair bit of traffic depending on the time of day, so you will need to take that into account if time is of the essence.
You can buy your tickets ahead of time on the bus companies’ websites, or you can buy your tickets at one of the many ticket machines throughout the airport.
That’s what we did! We were going from Stansted to north London, and the A6 bus got us closest to our destination. We booked our tickets at an airport kiosk, then went outside and stood in the rain to catch the next bus. Oh, London!
More Options to Go From London Stansted Airport to LondonTake a Taxi or Private Car from Stansted Airport to London City (Convenient but Pricey)
The bus and trains are both great options, but they only take you into the city. Once you arrive at Liverpool Station, Tottenham Hale, Stratford, or Victoria Station, it’s up to you to figure out how to make it the rest of the way to your accommodation. This can be a pain in the butt if you have a lot of luggage.
If you don’t want to deal with public transport, you can always book a private car from the airport and get dropped off right in front of your accommodation.
There are multiple taxi-hailing apps where you can pre-book a cab to take you such as Mini Cab It and Stansted Airport Taxi. You can also pre-book a car on ride-hailing apps like Uber and Addison Lee.
Taking a private car is much more expensive than taking the bus or train. Stansted airport is not close to the city, and taxis in the UK are not cheap. In fact, your taxi ride into London might end up being more expensive than the flight you came in on!
Rent a Car at Stansted Airport
The last option is to rent a car. If you plan to explore London and the surrounding areas, you can rent a car at the airport. Several car rental companies operate at Stansted Airport, including Avis, Europcar and Hertz.
However, driving in London can be challenging, and parking is expensive, so this option may not be suitable for everyone. Plus you’ll need to pay a fee of £12.50 a day to drive in London’s ULEZ, or ultra-low emissions zone. And on top of that, the cars are right-hand drive, and for the most part, manual tranmissions!
I (Stevo) have done my fair share of driving around the UK, and while it is a great country to drive around, I would not recommend driving in London.
Just take public transportation like the tube, the overground, or the classic red double-decker buses around the city. Or walk! London is a fairly flat and very walkable city, so you can get your steps in and enjoy the beautiful architecture, parks, and landmarks of the city.
So there you have it! There are several options to get to London City from Stansted Airport depending on your budget and schedule. Choose the one that suits you best and enjoy your stay in London!
If you’re looking for things to do in London and beyond, check out our UK playlist on Youtube.
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