Travel by Stansted Express

Discover everything you need to know to make the most of your journey when you travel by Stansted Express.

Whether you’re travelling to London Stansted Airport for an exciting holiday abroad or returning to the comfort of your home after a whirlwind business trip, the Stansted Express is a quick, easy and comfortable way to reach your destination. Only a stone’s throw from the airport, it takes around 2 minutes to make your way between the platform and the station plus, thanks to the escalators, ramps and lifts, it’s even simple with heavy luggage. Stansted Express Trains run constantly throughout the day and night along the route so you can almost always find a train when you need it.

Travelling to Stansted Airport with Stansted Express

Visitors to the airport can board the Stansted express at the primary London Liverpool Street, Tottenham Hale and Stratford (London) stations which each offer regular services to the airport. The journey is quick and smooth with plenty of services onboard the carriage for passengers. There’s both standard-class and first-class seating available as well as storage for fully folded bicycles and plenty of luggage space. Throughout the entire train, you’ll also be able to access a super-fast Wi-Fi network to stream videos, play games and more.

Purchasing Stansted Express Tickets

Visitors have several options when purchasing Stansted Express tickets. There is the option to either pay for the tickets on the day or to pre-book your journey. Paying for tickets on the day is entirely possible but it is costlier and far less flexible. Pre-booked tickets allow you to travel at any time on your selected day of travel and will always be cheaper than paying on the day. If you decide to pre-book your ticket you can either receive it as an e-ticket which you can show on your phone or you can get it as a PDF, allowing you to print out a physical copy.

Stansted Express Timetable

The Stansted Express runs throughout the day, leaving London Stansted Airport as early as 05:30am and as late as 00:30am*. The service from Liverpool Street station to Stansted Airport starts at 04:30am (with additional journeys at 3:40am & 04:10am on selected days).

The Stansted Express timetable may vary, but generally, there’s a train at most stations every 20 – 30 minutes throughout the day. If you want to know more about the exact train times to and from London Stansted you can check the official Stansted Express website.

(*06:00am services Tues to Thurs.)

To and from Liverpool Street by Stansted Express

The journey from Liverpool Street to Stansted takes around 50 minutes, although this can vary slightly at peak times due to the number of people getting on and off at each stop. It’s the longest journey on the line so many passengers find that it can be useful to book a first-class seat to ensure their comfort. From Liverpool Street, you’ll be able to access all the amenities of London and quickly make your way to iconic attractions as well as other travel hubs, including Waterloo and Euston train stations.

To and from Tottenham Hale by Stansted Express

It takes around 35 minutes to get from Tottenham Hale to Stansted and vice versa on the Stansted Express service - making it much faster than using a car or bus. From Tottenham Hale, you’ll be able to access the Victoria Line of the London Underground service as well a wide range of local amenities.

To and from London Victoria by Stansted Express

Travelling between London Victoria and London Stansted Airport takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes, simply take the London Underground from London Victoria to Tottenham Hale then board the Stansted Express train from London to Stansted airport. The journey is well signposted and easy to follow, even when you’re weighed down with luggage. Those travelling on the Stansted to London train and arriving at London Victoria will have plenty of travel options to the rest of the country as well as access to many of London’s landmarks.

FAQs

Passengers are not able to use Oyster cards or contactless payment cards on the Stansted Express services to Stansted Airport. It is advised that passengers book tickets in advance or, alternatively purchase tickets at the train station. By booking in advance you are able to save money on their journeys.

Passengers are able to use selected railcards when booking their Stansted Express tickets online. Railcards include; Friends & Family, Senior Railcard, Disabled Persons Railcard, 16-25 Railcard, HM Forces Railcard, Network Railcard, Two Together Railcard.

Please note: railcards cannot be used in conjunction with other offers, nor can they be used when booking Stansted Express tickets online. If you wish to use a railcard when purchasing your tickets, please purchase them in person at a Stansted Express ticket office.

If you are booking far enough in advance a single ticket for the Stansted Express costs approximately £9.45 for one passenger. Pricing starts at £18.90 for a return journey when booked in advance. Ticket prices on the day of travel may differ from advanced bookings.

Throughout the day the Stansted Express Services runs between approximately every 15-30 minutes. This is dependent on departure station and destination, it is recommended you always check the timetable online before travelling as departure times and journey times may differ.

The Stansted Express service runs from Stansted Airport at 06:00am (with an additional journey at 05:30am, besides Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday), the service terminates at 00:30am. These service times difference from each station, it is recommended to check the timetables online prior to travelling.