London’s third-largest airport is about halfway between Cambridge and London. The airport handles mostly low-cost flights. It is a hub for Ryanair and a base for Jet2.com, TUI Airways and Titan Airways.
Stansted was originally built by the US military as a base for fighter jets and played a significant role in the Battle of Normandy.
The airport offers a wide range of services from shops, cafes, restaurants to practical services such as luggage storage, information, ATMs, exchange offices, charging stations for electronics and computers for work. There are plenty of car rentals to choose from
The airport is open between 2:00 – 00:00, with shops inside being generally open from 4:00 – 22:00. Some of them may stay open all night.
London Stansted Airport Transit
There is only 1 terminal at London Stansted Airport.
Due to the prevailing low-cost traffic, you can use mostly non-guaranteed transfers at Stansted.
When changing your flight, you must always go through passport control, leave the transit area and return to the gates through the departure hall and security hall. The minimum net time that can be walked after arriving from the aircraft to the second aircraft on departure is about 50 minutes. Due to this, do not leave less than 3 hours for an unguaranteed transfer.
London Stansted Airport Transfer
Airport to London (train – fastest)
The fastest mean of transport to get to London from the Stansted airport is by train Stansted Express.
The journey takes around 50 minutes.
Trains operate between 3:30 – 23:30 in 15 – 30 mins intervals
Trains are equipped with Free Wi-Fi and plug sockets
The ticket costs from £9.70 – £15 one-way if booked online in advance (fully flexible – catch any train on your outbound travel date and return any time within a month)
Ticket purchased at the train station costs £19.
A ticket booked online comes also with a 2FOR1 offer to some sightseeing in London. See more here.
Airport to London (bus – cheapest)
The cheapest way how to travel to London from Stansted airport is by bus.
Buses depart from a bus stop 200m from the terminal’s exit.
The journey to London takes about 2 hours.
The cheapest tickets (bought at least 1 month in advance) are available from £4.50 nationalexpress.com website.
Airport to Cambridge (train, bus)
Crosscountry trains departure every hour with fares from £7.75. The journey takes about 35 minutes.
Buses from National Express carrier departure every 2 hours with fares from £8. The journey takes about 50 minutes.
Stansted to Luton, Heathrow and Gatwick Airports
There is a direct connection between these 4 airports, operated by National Express buses.
