Stansted is a single-terminal airport in Essex, north-east of London. The Stansted Express train reaches London Liverpool Street in 48 minutes, every 15 minutes, and you can pay by tapping a contactless card, but not an Oyster card. National Express coaches start from £10.50 but usually take longer.
Stansted is the London airport many visitors reach on a low-cost flight from elsewhere in Europe. It is further from central London than Heathrow or Gatwick, but the rail link is simple: one train service, the Stansted Express, runs from a station directly under the terminal to Liverpool Street, with some trains also stopping at Tottenham Hale and Stratford. National Express coaches run to several parts of London as an alternative.
The two things that most often go wrong for visitors are paying with the wrong card and misjudging the first train for an early flight. This guide explains both, along with coaches, taxis and what to do when your flight lands late at night.
Stansted: the numbers that matter
- Terminal
- One terminal; the station is directly underneath, a 2-minute step-free walk
- Stansted Express
- To Liverpool Street in 48 minutes, every 15 minutes, 7 days a week
- Other stops
- Tottenham Hale (about 37 minutes, for the Victoria line); some trains call at Stratford (around 1 hour)
- How to pay
- Contactless card or phone: yes. Oyster: no
- First and last trains from the airport
- 05:30 (06:00 Tuesday to Thursday) to 00:30
- Coach
- National Express from £10.50 one way, 100+ services a day
Arriving at Stansted
Stansted has one terminal building, so there is no risk of going to the wrong one. After landing you pass through passport control, collect your luggage in the baggage hall and walk out through customs into the arrivals area. Most visitors from Europe, North America and Australia need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), costing £20, before they fly. Our page on UK entry requirements for visitors explains who needs one.
EU citizens and several other nationalities with a biometric passport can usually use the eGates at passport control, which are normally the quickest option. Stansted also sells a paid FastTrack service for passport control and for security when you leave. Prices are on the airport's website, and whether it is worth paying depends on how busy the airport is when you land.
From the arrivals area, the railway station is a short, step-free walk down to the level below the terminal, with lifts, escalators and ramps. Follow the signs for trains or for coaches, depending on how you are travelling on.
Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized
The Stansted Express to Liverpool Street
The Stansted Express is the fastest train into London. It runs every 15 minutes, seven days a week, and takes 48 minutes to Liverpool Street, on the eastern edge of the City of London. From Liverpool Street you can change to the Elizabeth line, the Central, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, or walk into the City. Our guide to the Elizabeth line explains how it links Liverpool Street with the West End and Paddington.
If you are staying in the West End, Victoria or north London, getting off at Tottenham Hale is often quicker. The journey from Tottenham Hale to the airport takes about 37 minutes, and the Victoria line runs from there to King's Cross St Pancras, Oxford Circus, Green Park and Victoria without any change. Our introduction to the London Underground explains how to use it.
Some trains also stop at Stratford, which takes around an hour from the airport and connects with the Central, Jubilee and Elizabeth lines and the DLR. It suits travellers heading to east London or the Olympic Park area; see our guide to Stratford.
Stansted Express sells tickets online, and the airport says pre-booking your train ticket saves money. Ticket prices were not published on the airport's website when we checked, so compare the current fares on the Stansted Express website with the cost of tapping in with contactless before you travel.
Contactless yes, Oyster no
This is the rule that catches most visitors. You can pay for the Stansted Express with a contactless bank card or a phone wallet (Apple Pay or Google Pay): tap in at the gates at Stansted and tap out at Liverpool Street, Tottenham Hale or Stratford, with the same card or device. You do not need to buy a ticket in advance.
Oyster cards are not valid to or from Stansted Airport. That includes the Visitor Oyster card, even though it is sold at Stansted's Information Centre and at the Stansted Express and National Express ticket offices. A Visitor Oyster is only useful once you reach London, where you can use it on the Tube and buses from Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale onwards.
An Oyster card will not get you out of Stansted. If you bought a Visitor Oyster at home and plan to tap it at Stansted, it will not work for the train to London. Use a contactless bank card or phone for the Stansted Express, or buy a ticket, and keep the Oyster card for travel once you are in the city. Our guide to the Visitor Oyster card explains when it is worth having.
A few other trains leave Stansted, including CrossCountry services, which do not accept contactless. If you are heading somewhere other than London, buy a ticket at the station's machines or rail information desk, or online. For contactless, remember to use the same card for every tap and to keep other cards away from the reader. Our explainer on Oyster and contactless payments covers card clash and daily caps once you are in the city.
Coaches from Stansted to London
National Express runs more than 100 coaches a day between London and Stansted. Fares start from £10.50 one way, including a £1.50 booking fee, with limited availability at that price. National Express gives a journey time of about 45 minutes from Tottenham Hale, on services A6, A8 and A9. Check the route that suits your hotel on the National Express Stansted page.
The coach can be cheaper than the train, especially if you book early, and it can drop you closer to your hotel on some routes, but it depends on road traffic, which can be heavy on weekday mornings and evenings. For a couple, coach fares start at £21.00 for the two of you one way. Coaches are also worth checking if your flight lands after the last train or before the first one.
Take the train when
- You want a predictable journey time
- Your hotel is near Liverpool Street, the City or the Victoria line
- You land during the weekday rush hours
Take the coach when
- You have booked a cheap fare in advance
- A coach stop is close to where you are staying
- You arrive or leave outside train hours
Early flights and late arrivals
Many flights from Stansted leave early in the morning, so plan the journey to the airport carefully. The first Stansted Express from Liverpool Street leaves between 03:40 and 04:40, depending on the day, and the last leaves at 23:25. From the airport, the first train to London is at 05:30 (06:00 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays), and the last is at 00:30. Times can differ on public holidays, so check the timetable for your date.
If your flight leaves at 06:00, the first train from London may be too late, depending on the day and how early your airline closes check-in. Your options are a coach, a pre-booked taxi, or a night at a hotel at or near the airport. Our guides to getting to London's airports at night and airport hotels compare these.
If you land late and miss the last train, a National Express coach may still run, and on Friday and Saturday nights the Victoria line is part of the Night Tube, which helps if you reach Tottenham Hale by coach. Check before you fly, because a stranded arrival at 01:00 is much easier to solve with a plan.
The 03:40 train does not run every day. The first Stansted Express from Liverpool Street leaves at some point between 03:40 and 04:40 depending on the day of the week. Look up your exact travel date on the Stansted Express timetable before relying on it for a dawn flight, and allow time to reach Liverpool Street at that hour.
Taxis and private transfers
Stansted is a long way from central London, so a taxi is expensive. London black cab drivers can agree a fare with you before a trip to Stansted; otherwise the meter applies. TfL does not publish a typical fare for this journey, so ask for a quote in advance.
Minicabs and app-based cars must be booked in advance. Only use licensed operators, and never accept a ride from someone who approaches you in the terminal. Our guide to taxis, minicabs and ride apps in London explains how to check a licence. A taxi makes most sense for a family or group with a lot of luggage, or for a very early departure when no trains run.
Connecting to Heathrow and other airports
If you land at Stansted and fly on from Heathrow, National Express runs 13 coaches a day between the two airports, taking about 1 hour 20 minutes (services 727 and 728). By rail, take the Stansted Express to Liverpool Street and then the Elizabeth line to Heathrow. Allow a wide margin: you need to collect your bags, travel across London and check in again. Our Heathrow arrivals guide covers what to expect at the other end.
If you are touring Britain by train afterwards, visitors can buy a Two Together Railcard or a 16-25 Railcard, which give a third off many fares, and the Two Together card is on sale at Stansted station. Our guide to buying UK train tickets explains how railcards and Advance fares work.
Is Stansted the right airport for your trip?
Stansted often has the cheapest flights, but the journey adds time and cost at both ends. If you are staying in east or north-east London, around Liverpool Street, Shoreditch or Stratford, it can be very convenient. If your hotel is in west London near Paddington or Kensington, Heathrow is usually a better fit. Our comparison of which London airport to choose weighs the options, and our guide to the best areas to stay in London can help you match the airport to your hotel.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Oyster on the Stansted Express?
No. Oyster cards, including the Visitor Oyster card, are not valid to or from Stansted Airport. You can pay with a contactless bank card or a phone wallet by tapping in and out, or buy a ticket. Oyster works for onward travel from Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale.
How long does the Stansted Express take to London?
The Stansted Express takes 48 minutes between Stansted Airport and London Liverpool Street and runs every 15 minutes, seven days a week. The trip between the airport and Tottenham Hale takes about 37 minutes, and some trains also call at Stratford.
What time is the first train from London to Stansted?
The first Stansted Express from Liverpool Street leaves between 03:40 and 04:40, depending on the day, and the last leaves at 23:25. Times can change on public holidays, so check the official timetable for your travel date.
Is the coach or the train better from Stansted?
The train is faster and more predictable, at 48 minutes to Liverpool Street. The coach can be cheaper, with National Express fares from £10.50, and may stop closer to your hotel, but it depends on road traffic. The coach is also worth checking outside train hours.
How many terminals does Stansted Airport have?
Stansted has a single passenger terminal. The railway station is directly underneath it, about a 2-minute walk with lifts, escalators and ramps, which makes the train easy to reach with luggage or a pushchair.
Sources
- London Stansted Airport - Travel by train (checked September 2026)
- National Express - Stansted Airport coaches (checked September 2026)
- Transport for London - Visitor Oyster card (checked September 2026)
- Transport for London - Taxi fares (checked September 2026)
- Transport for London - The Night Tube (checked September 2026)
- GOV.UK - Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) (checked September 2026)