Airport transfer · STN → central London

Stansted (STN) to central London

In short

The cheapest way from Stansted (STN) to central London is Stansted Express: from £9.90, about 48–50 min.

Fares and times are from the operators’ own pages, checked 23 October 2026.

Data updated October 23, 2026

Every way from Stansted (STN) to central London

Journey times are to London Liverpool Street. Fares are standard adult fares as each operator publishes them.

Cheapest

Stansted Express

from £9.90 · 48–50 min

Fastest

Stansted Express

48–50 min · from £9.90

Late at night

National Express airport coach (A6 / A8 / A9)

Stansted (STN) to central London: every option compared
Option	Journey time	Fare (GBP)	Hours
Stansted ExpressExpress train	48–50 min	from £9.90	About 05:30–00:30
National Express airport coach (A6 / A8 / A9)Express bus	Not stated	Varies	24 hours
Taxi (24x7 Taxis, airport-recommended)Taxi	Not stated	Varies	Not stated

Which London airport is easiest for central London?

The same comparison from each airport, so you can weigh the ground trip when you pick flights.

Into central London from each London airport
Airport	Cheapest	Fastest
Stansted (STN) (this page)	from £9.90 · 48–50 minStansted Express	48–50 min · from £9.90Stansted Express
Heathrow (LHR)	£5.90 · 47–62 minLondon Underground – Piccadilly line	15–21 min · £10–£26Heathrow Express
Gatwick (LGW)	from £6 · Not statedNational Express coach	30–31 min · £24Gatwick Express
Luton (LTN)	from £7 · 60–90 minNational Express coach (A1 / A2 / A31)	22–32 min · from £10Luton Airport Express + Luton DART
London City (LCY)	£3.30–£3.90 · 23 minDocklands Light Railway (DLR)	23 min · £3.30–£3.90Docklands Light Railway (DLR)

The options in detail

Express train · Stansted Express (Greater Anglia)

Stansted Express

Route: Stansted Airport station → Tottenham Hale → London Liverpool Street
Journey time: 48–50 min
How the time is measured: Stansted Airport: Liverpool Street 'just 48 minutes' (FAQ) and '50 minutes' (summary card); Tottenham Hale about 35–36 minutes.
Fare: from £9.90
Fare details: Stansted Airport: fares to London Liverpool Street from £9.90 one-way when booked in advance; returns from £19.80. (Its stansted-to-london page also quotes 'as little as £9.45 one-way' — conflicting.) Walk-up fares not verified.
Hours: From the airport, services start around 05:30 (05:55 Tuesday–Thursday); final departure 00:30
Frequency: Every 15 minutes, seven days a week (Stansted Airport FAQ also says 'approximately every 15 to 30 minutes')
Luggage: Ample luggage storage, space for folded bicycles
Good to know: Fastest public transport to central London. Stansted Express accepts 16-25, Senior and Disabled Persons Railcards. stanstedexpress.com could not be read (security check), so all figures are from stanstedairport.com.

Verified on: Stansted Airport · Stansted Airport

Express bus · National Express

National Express airport coach (A6 / A8 / A9)

Route: Stansted coach station (outside arrivals) → A8: Tottenham Hale, King's Cross St Pancras, Liverpool Street, Southwark, Waterloo, Victoria; A9: Stratford, Canary Wharf, Liverpool Street; A6: Baker Street, Paddington
How the time is measured: National Express says 'as little as 45 minutes', but that is to Tottenham Hale (A8), not central London; no official time to Liverpool Street/Victoria found.
Hours: Runs 24 hours a day (A6 first 00:15 / last 23:55; A8 first 00:10 / last 23:50; A9 first 00:05 / last 23:45)
Frequency: Departures up to every 9 minutes combined (A6 and A8 up to every 30 minutes, A9 up to every 20 minutes)
Luggage: 1 large suitcase (max 20 kg) plus 1 item of hand luggage (max 10 kg)
Good to know: Fare not published because official figures conflict (see unverified). Drivers sell tickets for cash only, so book ahead.

Verified on: National Express · National Express · Stansted Airport

Taxi · 24x7 Taxis

Taxi (24x7 Taxis, airport-recommended)

Route: Reservation desk in international arrivals → central London address (about 40 miles)
How the time is measured: No official journey time published; Stansted Airport says the airport is 40 miles from central London.
Good to know: Book with the airport's recommended provider 24x7 Taxis on 01279 661111; desk in international arrivals.

Verified on: Stansted Airport

Search flights to STN

Not verified yet

National Express coach fare Stansted → central London: official figures conflict — stanstedairport.com says from £5; National Express's Stansted-to-London page says from £7 but its footnote cites a £9.50 lead fare valid only until 13.09.2026; National Express's Stansted airport page says coaches to Stansted from £10.50 (valid 14.09.2026–11.01.2027). · National Express coach journey time to Liverpool Street / Victoria. · Stansted Express walk-up single price and exact advance fare (£9.90 vs £9.45 on two Stansted Airport pages); stanstedexpress.com and greateranglia.co.uk blocked by a security check. · Taxi fares and journey time to central London. · Minicab / rideshare prices (no official source states them).. We only publish a figure once an official source states it.