Ryanair/Easyjet Airport Guide – London Stansted

Full address: London Stansted Airport, Bassingbourne Road, Essex CM24 1QW, UK

Distance from City: Apprx. 30 miles

Passenger Numbers: 22.3m (2009)

Closest Airports: London Luton (40km apprx)

Day Trip Possible: Yes – max of around 10-11 hours free time

Terminal map: Here

Overview: One of the biggest airports that Ryanair fly to. Also their biggest base and their flights dominate the airport. Easyjet are a close second, choosing to base themselves at London’s Gatwick. Probably the easiest destination to get a cheap flight from as the most routes with biggest frequency fly from here. A good proportion of flights leave very early in the morning so don’t be surprised to see the airport full at 4.30am.

Getting there: You can get a train from London (the very expensive Stansted Express) which runs from Liverpool St or Tottenham Hale or regular trains which are cheaper but stop at more places. Coach services are plentiful, and stop at many of the big surrounding towns as well as London. Journey time to the centre of town is likely to be about 75 minutes. A taxi would be too expensive to be considered.

General tips: No problems with arrivals although depending on the time you arrive you may face a bit of a queue for passport control. Departing – make sure that you arrive in plenty of time as there can be big queues for security especially in the morning. Airside there is plenty of seating and shops, before this it tends to be a bit crowded. Fantastic connection potential with most of Ryanair’s destinations being served from here. Easyjet also serve a good chunk of destinations from here, including Amsterdam and Barcelona. Only European connections from here with the exception of Air Asia’s Kuala Lumpur.

Budget travellers guide: Pretty expensive to reach, the cheapest way is on Easybus but requires booking upfront and on scheduled services, not ideal. Average price would be around £10 each way, and from £2 in advance. Even if you’re local, the parking costs are high, only saved by the fact that road connections are excellent and there is very rarely traffic going to the airport. Having said that it’s one of the nicer UK airports on the low-cost circuit. Really, Stansted has evolved into a low-cost airport either by mistake or design, with British Airways and Aer Lingus out and newer airlines such as Germanwings and Air Berlin in. Both Ryanair and Easyjet have immense route networks here, making this a very likely place to pick up a cheap flight.

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