Introduction
London Stansted Airport (STN) is a key international airport that caters to the Greater London area and the southeastern part of England. It is the third-busiest airport in London after Heathrow and Gatwick. Stanstead mainly focuses on low-cost carriers including Ryanair, TUI Airways and Jet2.com.
Location
Located in Essex, approximately 42 miles (68 km) northeast of Central London.
Facilities and Terminals
A single terminal serves all flights making it relatively straightforward to navigate. Stansted is completely accessible for disabled travellers with facilities and services for those requiring assistance if required.
All arrivals and departures take place in a single terminal building, making check-in, security, and the boarding process a lot easier.
Shops and Dining
Stansted provides a wide range of retail stores and dining options, as well as currency exchange kiosks. Grab a book or magazine from WHSmith or just relax with a drink at one of the numerous bars before your flight.
Stansted Airport lounges
Airport lounges are a great way to get away from the crowds and make the most of your time at the airport – be it relaxing or working. The Escape lounge at Stansted Airport is available to pre-book or turn up on the day and pay at the entrance.
Accessing the Escape Lounges at London Stansted allows you to enjoy 3 hours prior to your flight’s departure in the lounge area. You can indulge in a variety of complimentary beverages, snacks, and reading materials, along with unlimited Wi-Fi, and a television.
Escape Lounge
Opening times
Daily 04:00 – 20:30
- Unlimited ultra fast Wi-Fi
- Complimentary fresh made food
- Complimentary soft drinks, beer and wine
- Digital access to newspapers and magazines
Lowest Cost Rates Guaranteed
As well as a super-easy booking process, you can save up to 60% off the normal price of an airport lounge pass.
Hotels
There is a good choice of hotels at Stansted including the Radisson Blu adjacent to the passenger terminal and Hampton by Hilton both have easy access to the passenger terminal by covered walkway.
On Airport Hotels
There are two hotels located within a 5 minuet walk of the terminal, ideal for stress free-access. The 4 Star Radisson Blu being the more opulent, and expensive, featuring a Spa, pool and secure parking.
Radisson Blu Stansted
Hampton by Hilton Stansted
Local Hotels
In recent years, several large chain hotels have begun operating near Stansted Airport, most of which provide transfer services. This is great news for customers, as hotel rooms in Stansted are priced competitively.
Visit our Stansted Airport hotels London page for more information.
Day rooms at Stansted Airport
A great alternative to airport lounges are day rooms, where hotels offer regular rooms for your use during the daytime.
Day rooms are exactly the same as purchasing a room for an overnight stay, the only difference is the check-in and check out times on the room rate. You can make full use of each hotel’s extensive facilities or you can just try to get some sleep between flights.
Hotels that offer day rooms near Stansted Airport
Holiday Inn Express: Day rooms with a restaurant, free Wi-Fi, and a free shuttle to the airport.
Hampton by Hilton: Short walk from the terminal building. Bar/café, restaurant, rooms with workspace.
Novotel London Stansted: Comfortable day rooms with flexible check-in and check-out times. Shuttle to terminal.
Stansted Airport Car Parking
If you plan to drive to London Stansted and make use of the parking options, the airport offers long-stay, mid-stay, and short-stay car parks. The short-stay car park is just a brief walk from the terminal, while the mid-stay and long-stay car parks can be reached via shuttle bus.
Car parking services run 24 hours a day, with security patrols and CCTV. To secure the best rate, consider pre-booking your parking space.
Valet or Meet ‘n’ Greet parking
Airport parking has never been simpler. You simply drive to the designated areas set aside for these parking services at the passenger terminal. Then, you can walk straight into the passenger terminal. Your vehicle will be safely parked in a secure lot while you’re gone and brought back to the spot where you left it when you return.
Recently, Meet ‘n’ Greet airport car parking has received negative attention due to reports of unscrupulous operators in the media. Therefore, it’s crucial to choose a reputable company that has a solid reputation and a secure facility for parking your vehicle.
Off-airport parking
Normally the cheapest long term car parking option at Stansted Airport.
JetParks is generally the most economical choice and is positioned not far beyond the designated long-term car park. The bus transfers provided with JetParks operate 24 hours a day, every 15 minutes, and the journey to the terminal takes roughly 15 minutes.
Pre-book your parking
Not only will you guarantee yourself a space but you will save money whilst doing so.
Whether you’re looking for a Park and Ride car park or a good deal on Meet ‘n’ Greet parking, there’s plenty of choice – and what’s more, we’re never beaten on price.
Airport hotel & car parking packages
Many popular hotels at Stansted provide excellent long-term car parking options and packages for overnight stays.
Stansted offers a variety of hotel and long stay parking deals at many of its popular hotels, featuring competitive prices across all categories, from Bed & Breakfast options to budget-friendly chain hotels, and even luxurious 4-star accommodations.
These hotel and parking packages at Stansted can offer substantial savings to purchasing hotel and car parking separately, on a few occasions the package has been cheaper than just buying the long term car parking!
Connectivity
Stansted Airport has excellent connections to London and various regions of the UK. It offers a broad selection of rail and bus transport choices for travellers.
Stansted Express
The Stansted Express is the most frequent and fastest Stansted Airport to central London transport, though surprisingly only about 10 minutes’ quicker than the scheduled travel time of the much cheaper airport buses that also go to and from Liverpool Street.
Operating every 15 minutes at peak times, and every 30 minutes early morning and late evening.
Bus
National Express provides a round-the-clock coach service between Stansted Airport and London as well as larger cities in the UK.
Additionally Airport Bus Express run services to various areas in London.
Visit our London airport & cruise ship transfers page for more information.
Stansted and London luggage storage
If you are travelling with luggage, but still want to explore London before you leave, then consider using the Luggage Hero storage solution. You can easily find locations all over London to safely store your luggage for any amount of time you need. It is cheap, secure and bookable online.