On this page (8 sections)
Coach to Stansted at a glance
For getting to and from Stansted on a budget, the coach is usually the answer, and it is the only mode that runs through the night. National Express operates the Stansted coach network, with over 200 services a day to London, 24 hours a day, from around £7 to a central stop when booked ahead. The airport recognises just two pre-book coach providers, and National Express is the one that matters for almost every trip. For local buses to nearby Essex and Hertfordshire towns such as Harlow and Bishop's Stortford rather than a London coach, see the Stansted local buses page.
The catch against the train is time: the coach takes longer and is exposed to traffic, where the train is not. The catch in its favour is price and the 24-hour timetable. If you are flying at 06:00 or landing at 01:00, the coach is often the only public transport running. This page sets out the London routes, the fares and the booking flexibility, then the picture from the rest of the UK and how the coach stacks up against the alternatives.
London routes and stops
National Express runs three numbered routes between Stansted and London, each covering a different sweep of the city, so the right one depends on where you are headed. All are direct to the airport.
| Route | Main London stops | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| A6 | Tottenham Hale, Golders Green, Finchley Road, Baker Street, Paddington, Victoria | 45 min to Tottenham Hale, about 1 hr 45 to Victoria |
| A8 | Tottenham Hale, Shoreditch, Liverpool Street, Southwark, Waterloo, Victoria | About 1 hr 10 to Liverpool Street |
| A9 | Stratford, Canary Wharf, Bow, Mile End, Whitechapel, Liverpool Street | Direct to Stratford and the east |
Fares to a central stop are from around £7 booked ahead (the airport advertises from £5 for the cheapest stops), plus a £1.50 booking fee unless you are logged into a National Express account. Exact stops vary slightly by direction and timetable, and times swing with traffic. Check the live timetable for your stop and date.
The folded picture by destination. Liverpool Street is served by the A8 and A9, with up to four coaches an hour, the quickest central run at about 1 hour 10. Victoria sits at the end of the A6 and A8, roughly 1 hour 45 away, with departures every 25 to 40 minutes. Stratford is the A9 stop for east London, Canary Wharf and the Elizabeth and Jubilee lines. Tottenham Hale, the first stop on the A6 and A8 at about 45 minutes, is the fastest way in if you can finish your journey on the Victoria line from there.
Fares and booking
Coach fares to a central London stop start from around £7 one-way booked ahead, with the airport advertising fares from £5 for the cheapest stops and quietest dates. A £1.50 booking fee applies, but there is no fee when you are logged into a National Express account and booking on the website or app, so it pays to sign in. As with the train, the earlier you book, the lower the fare; walk-up prices are higher, and Monday and midweek evenings tend to be cheapest.
Two booking points matter for an airport trip. Groups of four or more save 33% travelling together on one booking. And the ticket is flexible around flight delays: the airport says a booking is valid for 24 hours, and National Express lets you board any available coach within a window either side of your booked time, up to 12 hours on some fares or by adding the £5 Change & Go option, so a delayed flight does not strand you. If you booked your Stansted coach through Ryanair, the ticket can take up to 24 hours to arrive by email, so book in good time.
National Express, Airport Bus Express and Terravision
You will see three names selling coach tickets to Stansted, but there are not three coach companies. National Express runs the actual services. Airport Bus Express and Terravision are booking platforms that sell seats on those same National Express coaches, rather than operating their own fleets, and Terravision no longer runs its own London service at all.
What this means in practice: the vehicle, the route and the stop are the same whichever name you book through. Airport Bus Express tends to sell a flat, fully flexible ticket you can use on any service, which suits an uncertain return time; National Express sells a specific departure with the widest network and the most frequent coaches. Compare the price for your trip, but do not assume one is a different or better coach than another. For the lowest fare on a fixed plan, book the specific National Express service early.
Where to catch it
Coaches use the bus and coach station opposite the main terminal entrance, a 2 minute walk from the doors, so it is one of the easier modes with luggage. Live departure information and accessibility services are at the station. National Express services are pre-book only, so buy your ticket before you travel rather than expecting to pay at the stop.
Arriving at the airport, follow the signs for the bus and coach station from the terminal. For the return leg from London, allow enough time: National Express advises leaving at least 1 hour 30 after landing to clear passport control, collect any luggage and reach the departure point, and at least an hour at the airport to clear security even with online check-in. For the drive-and-park alternative, or dropping someone at the kerb, see the Transport hub.
Luggage and onboard
National Express includes one large suitcase up to 20kg plus one item of hand luggage in the fare. The large case goes in the hold underneath the coach, loaded by the driver and collected at your stop; the hand luggage stays with you in the cabin. You cannot reach the hold during the trip, so keep your passport, phone, charger and anything you need for the journey with you. The generous hold allowance is one reason the coach suits travellers with full airline cases better than a crowded train.
Most coaches are fitted with reclining leather seats, power sockets, air conditioning and a toilet, with free wifi on most of the fleet. Coaches are wheelchair accessible, and accessibility services are available at the coach station; book assistance ahead so the right vehicle is on your service. For accessibility inside the terminal, the wider special assistance arrangements are reached from the Transport hub.
From the rest of the UK
National Express also runs coaches between Stansted and towns beyond London, including Cambridge, Oxford, Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester and Newmarket, plus direct services to the other London airports. From outside London the coach often competes well, because it runs to the terminal door without the changes a rail trip through London would need.
For a connection at another airport, National Express runs direct coaches from Stansted to Heathrow (about every hour), and to Gatwick and Luton (about every two hours), which is simpler than crossing London by train. Those airport-to-airport routes are covered on the travel between airports page. For the direct rail option from Cambridge and the Midlands, see the trains to Stansted page.
Coach against the train
The choice between coach and train is the classic price-against-speed trade, and which wins depends on what you value on the day.
The coach wins on price and hours. From around £7 to central London against the train's £9.90 and up, and running 24 hours a day when the Stansted Express does not. For an overnight flight or the lowest fare, the coach is the answer.
The train wins on speed and certainty. About 48 minutes to Liverpool Street against 1 hour 10 or more by coach, with no exposure to traffic. For a tight schedule or an onward connection, the train is the safer bet. A taxi beats both on door-to-door convenience for a group or a late arrival, at a higher price. The full side-by-side across every mode is on the Stansted to London hub.