Stansted Airport, which is located roughly 48km towards the northeast of Central London, is a hub of low-cost European carriers. In terms of passenger traffic, it is the fourth busiest airport in UK after Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester. The good thing about Stansted Airport is that it is extremely well-connected with Central London by means of several modes of transports. Let’s take a look at some popular airport transfer modes.
Car- Unlike Gatwick Airport, where parking is a costly proposition, Stansted Airport has several cheap parking lots in its vicinity. You can choose anyone of them to park your car safely. If you have to catch a crack-of-dawn flight, the most feasible option for you will be book a reasonably priced airport hotel. A majority of overnight hotels offer exciting parking packages that can help you to save a lot of money.
Taxi- Taxi is the most convenient way to get to London Stansted. There are more than 500 companies providing first-rate taxi services at Stansted Airport. For a standard taxi, you will have to spend anything between £80 and £100. It will take approximately one hour to reach Central London, depending upon the traffic condition and the time of the day. At a slightly higher price, chauffeur-driven luxury taxis are also available. They are typically equipped with facilities as air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, Sat Nav, snacks, water, magazines and newspaper. You can book these taxis either by phone or by internet. If you have not been able to book the taxi in advance, don’t worry as it is possible to arrange for one at an appropriate desk at the International Arrivals Hall of the airport. Upon booking the taxi, the company will provide you the phone number of the driver. Use the number frequently to keep the parking charges to a minimum.
Bus- Terravision, Stansted Bus and easy bus are three major bus services that operate between London Stansted and Victoria Station and Liverpool Street Station. If you have time in hand, opt for easy bus. For as low as £2, you can reach Stansted Airport from Victoria Station. Terravision shuttle bus service is slightly expensive, but the time taken to reach the airport is lesser. The journey between Victoria and Stansted is completed in 75-minutes. However, the cost of the journey is £9.
Coach- Almost all major cities of UK are connected with London Stansted by long and short distance coach services operated by National Express. These coaches are available 24-hours a day, and they can be caught at various pick-up points.
Train- Beneath the terminal building of the airport, there is a station that is served by Stansted Express. Depending upon the time of the day, it runs every 15 to 30 minutes. In addition to Stansted Express, the station is served by other trains originating from Liverpool Station and the Midlands. If you book your train ticket in advance, you can save as much as 43 percent. This makes the train the cheapest mode of transportation.
