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Bus or coach at Stansted
In British usage the two words mean different things, and the difference matters at Stansted. A bus is a local, regional service to a nearby town, run by a regional operator and paid for by the ride. A coach is a long-distance scheduled service, mainly National Express to London and other cities, with reserved seats, a luggage hold and a ticket booked in advance. Both use the same bus and coach station at the airport, but they solve different problems.
This page is about the local buses: the services that connect the airport with the surrounding Essex and Hertfordshire towns. They are useful if you live in or are heading to one of those towns, and for airport staff and early-shift workers, but they are not the way into London. For the capital, the coach and the train are quicker and more comfortable, and that choice is set out on the Stansted to London hub.
Local bus routes and operators
Several regional operators run buses between the airport and the nearby towns. The main routes, by destination:
| Destination | Routes | Operator |
|---|---|---|
| Harlow | 508, 509, 510, 723 | Arriva Herts and Essex |
| Bishop's Stortford | 7, 305, 509/510 | Stephensons, Central Connect, Arriva |
| Saffron Walden | 316 | Regional |
| Braintree, Great Dunmow | 333, X20 | Central Connect, First Essex |
| Chelmsford, Southend | X10, X30 | First Essex |
Routes and operators from the airport's commuter travel information and the operators' own sites. Regional services change their numbers and timetables from time to time, so check the operator for the current route and times before you travel.
A couple of these are worth singling out. The Arriva services between Harlow and the airport are the most frequent, and the 510 runs close to 24 hours a day, around every 30 minutes through the day, which suits the early-morning departure wave and shift workers. First Essex runs the longer X10, X20 and X30 "airlink" routes that reach Chelmsford, Colchester and Southend. The early starts are built around the airport: first departures run from Braintree around 02:00, Chelmsford around 04:00, Harlow around 04:20 and Saffron Walden around 05:30.
Where to catch them and how to pay
Local buses use the bus and coach station, directly opposite the main terminal entrance and a two-minute walk from the doors, the same station the National Express coaches use. The bays are signposted, and you follow the signs for the bus and coach station from arrivals. There is no separate local-bus terminal to find.
Fares are set by each operator, not by the airport, and are usually only a few pounds; First Essex, for instance, charges £3 for a single on its X-routes. Most operators take contactless and cash on board, and some have their own apps for tickets. One thing to be clear about: these are regional bus fares, not the London Transport for London system, so an Oyster card is no use here and there is no flat London fare or Hopper. Pay the operator's fare for the route you are taking, and check that operator's site for the exact price and timetable.
Going to or from London
The local bus is not the way to London from Stansted. The towns these services reach are in Essex and Hertfordshire, and a trip into the capital by local bus would mean changes and a long ride for no saving. For London, two options do the job properly.
The National Express coach runs to central London 24 hours a day from around £7 booked ahead, and the Stansted Express train reaches Liverpool Street in about 48 minutes. Both are quicker and more comfortable than any bus route into town, and both are covered in full on their own pages. If you are starting from one of the local towns, you can of course take a local bus to a rail station and pick up a train from there, but for the airport-to-London leg itself, use the coach or the train.
When the bus is the right choice
The local bus earns its place for a specific set of trips, and is the wrong tool for the rest.
It is the right call when you are travelling between the airport and one of the nearby towns it serves, such as Harlow, Bishop's Stortford, Saffron Walden, Braintree or Chelmsford, where the bus goes door to door for a low fare. It suits airport staff and early-shift workers, especially on the near-24-hour Harlow service, and anyone on a tight budget making a local trip. With only hand luggage and a bit of time, it is a cheap and simple option.
It is the wrong call for a trip into London, for a tight connection where a delay would matter, or for anyone with heavy luggage who would rather not manage it on a stopping bus. For those, the coach, the train or a taxi is the better fit, and the Stansted to London hub compares every option side by side.