Posts Tagged ‘Stansted Express’

Further to our recent blog posts on the Stansted Express and Luton Airport Express we thought it would also be useful to write a blog post for those travelling to London for the first time via Gatwick Airport.

Situated approximately 29 miles south of central London, you would be wise not to take a taxi into London as it would cost close to £80.00.  In general, any form of road transport is going to be tedious and takes considerably longer when you have to contend with heavy volumes of traffic going in and out of this metropolis. So the only other and most sensible option is travelling by rail. Here you have a couple of options.

Gatwick Express: This non-stop 30 minute service runs every 15 minutes from London Victoria station to Gatwick airport. You can pay for your ticket at the airport or on board the train. However, you can take advantage of a 10% discount when you book online in advance on either their own website or through AerLingus.

• Gatwick Express Single online fare: £15.20 per adult / £7.60 per child (5-15)
• Gatwick Express Return online fare: £25.80 per adult / £11.00 per child (5-15)

As you can see there are considerable savings (£4.60 per adult) if you purchase the return ticket rather than two separate single fares. Note, groups of three or more person can avail of 50% special offers such as 4 for the price of 2 or 3 for the price of 2.

Southern Railway: Another rail alternative to the Gatwick Express service and can save you several pounds.  Just like the Gatwick Express this service runs every 15 mins but takes 8 minutes longer. However, when you book in advance and travel off-peak (after 0930hrs) you can get single fares for as little as £3.75 each way!

First Capital Connect: These trains run up four times each hour and the journey to London (London Bridge, St. Pancras) takes between 30 and 45 minutes depending on how crowded train is and of course the time of day. Single fare advance ticket costs from just £5.00!

In a nutshell, choose from the above three options and make your decision based on price and/or journey time.

The CityHotels.ie Team

We are asked on a daily basis what is the cheapest and best way to get from Stansted Airport to (central) London? So, we thought we would post this for those people visiting London for first time via Stansted Airport.

Most people flying into Stansted Airport from Ireland will most likely be flying with Ryanair as Aerlingus only fly to either Heathrow or Gatwick. The most efficient way to get into London from Stansted is via the Stansted Express. Stansted Express trains operate every 15 mins between 5.30am and 11.45pm. The journey time from Stansted Airport to Liverpool Street Station takes approx 46 mins.
So where do you buy your ticket? Here are a number of options…

Option 1: Buy your Stansted Express ticket online. Strange as this may be…ticket prices on the Stansted Express website are more expensive than the price you pay at their ticket desk or on board?
Ryanair passengers (using 6 digit flight reservation number) can purchase discounted Stansted Express tickets via their website.  A single journey ticket via Ryanair website costs £18.00 £15.00 saving you £3.00 (16%). A return ticket costs £26.50 £21.50 saving you £5.30 (20%)! Note that you only need the ticket confirmation number contained in the booking confirmation email along with any credit/or debit card when collecting your ticket  from any of the ticket machines at Stansted Airport, Liverpool Street Station and Tottenham Hale Station.

Stansted Express Tickets

Option 2: Buy your Stansted Express ticket in flight. Ryanair cabin crew sell discounted Stansted Express tickets on board all Stansted bound flights. Same prices as above. Tip…you can pay in Euro and save more money by requesting to collect your change in Sterling (depending on cabin crew’s mood!)

Option 3: Buy your Stansted Express ticket at the airport ticket desk or on board the train. A single fare purchased either at the ticket desk or on the train works out £1.00 cheaper at £17.00 vs £18.00 online. This option is probably best for those who are not travelling with Ryanair.

Note: Children under 5 years of age travel free!