Stansted is the third airport for London, and thanks to its location well outside the city, it offers a fantastic point of access to much of the Cotswolds, the university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, and also the whole of East Anglia. Within an hour of walking out of the Terminal building at Stansted you can be in the heart of London's bustle, or enjoying the quiet pace of life in traditional English Villages like Broxham.
Stansted itself is located just outside the village of Bishops Stortford about 60 miles north of London. It is a modern airport that has been developed with ease of use in mind, and offers a very relaxing travel experience when compared with the likes of Heathrow. The airport is well connected with the motorway network and a direct rail line into the City of London that if you book car hire in Stansted, you can use it as a base from which to explore much of the south east of England.
Cambridge has been an university town since the 1200s, and is considered to be one of the finest places to learn in the world. The university buildings are ancient, and picturesque and are located throughout the city centre. The stunning Gothic buildings of Cambridge University are primarily found along the banks of the slow moving River Cam, It is here that you will find the best spots from which to punt along the river. Cambridge is all about tradition, and on summers days, it is wonderful to row or punt along the river and soak up the sun while people read on the banks and meet friends.
Oxford University is similarly ancient to Cambridge, but while Cambridge has a reputation for the picturesque, Oxford is more imposing and powerful. The city is incredibly historic, and boasts many of the best museums outside London including the Bodelian Library, which is regarded as one of the best in Europe.
For an entirely different experience, the Norfolk Broads are a great escape. These wetlands in East Anglia are best explored by boat, and can be reached in about an hour from Stansted.
About London Stansted Airport
London Stansted Airport is located at Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex, 30 miles north-east of central London. London Stansted is regarded as a hub for a number of low-cost airlines and is the largest base for Ryanair. It is also the 3rd busiest airport in the UK, behind London Heathrow and London Gatwick.
With London Stansted being quite far away from the city of London it's good to have a hire car. It means that you can transport yourself easily to your destination without worrying about public transport. This is even more important if you arrive at the airport late at night, when public transport is be hard to come by. AnyCarHire.com makes car hire easy and we let you book in advance of your arrival at London Stansted, making your departure from the airport Terminal as smooth and fast as possible.
The hire companies available at London Stansted are: Avis, Budget , Enterprise , Europcar, Alamo, National and Hertz. To find these depart baggage reclaim and go through customs and you will come out into a circular arrangement of desks up against the wall. Here you will find all of the hire companies mentioned. The car park containing your hire car will be on your left once you've exited the Terminal building.
Booking before you travel guarantees availability. In addition, booking online will almost always save you money - using a price comparison site is cheaper than going directly to a car hire company.
Below is a list of the car rental companies with offices at Stansted airport's Car Rental Village. They may also partner with other companies, so don't be alarmed if you book online and find one that isn't listed below.
If you do want to contact the company by telephone, then the UK dialing code from overseas is +44.
Company | Telephone Number |
---|---|
Avis | 0844 544 6027 |
Alamo | 01279 682 955 |
Budget | 0844 544 6027 |
Enterprise | 01279 682 955 |
Europcar | 0371 384 3419 |
Firefly | 0843 309 3071 |
Hertz | 0843 309 3071 |
Inter rent | 01279 661 347 |
National | 01279 682 955 |
Sixt | 01279 661 919 |
The drive from the centre of London to London Stansted will take around an hour. To get to the airport you will need to take the M11 out of London towards Cambridge. Continue along here until you get to Junction 8, where you will need to take the A120 exit towards Colchester. After this you will be able to follow signs towards the airport.
There are several helpful ways you can contact London Stansted. If you need live flight information then you can call them on +448443351803 or you can text ?STN? and your flight number to 82222. Alternatively if you just want to give feedback to them then you can use their feedback form on their website: www.stanstedairport.com.
The average fuel cost in the UK is currently at a low of £1.07 per litre for petrol and £1.10 per litre for diesel. The price is much lower now than it has been for the last few years, but bear in mind that it is constantly adjusted. Aside from London's Congestion Charge, there are not really toll rolls in the UK. When you're planning your journey, consider the amount of traffic you might encounter and leave plenty of time to arrive at your destination.
Here are some ideas for must-see tourist sites within a 60 mile radius of Stansted airport, as well as average driving times and maps with directions to get you there. For more information on other attractions in London, visit our London Attractions page. You can obtain discounts on attraction entry, restaurants and more at London Attraction Entry Discount Cards.
Destination | Distance | Journey time | Journey time | Directions | Video |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Buckingham Palace |
39.6 miles |
1hr 6mins |
|||
Tower of London |
36.5 miles |
51mins |
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London Eye |
38.7 miles |
58mins |
|||
Madame Tussauds |
41.8 miles |
1hr 1min |
|||
Big Ben |
39 miles |
57mins |
|||
Oxford |
94.6 miles |
1hr 35 mins |
|||
Cambridge |
29.7 miles |
32 mins |
There are many options. Coaches and other forms of public transportation are available, and are usually efficient and on time. However, they do make multiple stops, which can extend the length of the journey. The cost of these transfers can also vary quite a lot based on when you're travelling. If there is more than 1 person in your travel party, you may find it cheaper to rent a car than to buy multiple tickets. Here are some other reasons to hire a car at Stansted airport:
From Stansted airport there is a direct train connection to London Liverpool Street station, known as the “Stansted Express.” This runs approximately every 30 minutes and allows good connections onto the rest of London transport.
There are also coaches running regularly to London Victoria station. The main companies operating these are www.nationalexpress.com and Terravision. Fares are around £10 but savings can be made by booking online in advance.
London has a fantastic underground train system, locally known as the ‘Tube’ which can save you a lot of stress maneuvering the busy city roads. To use London’s public transport, you will need to purchase a paper ticket or prepaid ‘Oyster Card’ online or at any station in the city. If your debit or credit card has ‘Contactless’ capability, it can be used to travel like an Oyster card, however not many overseas cards will be compatible. London buses do not accept cash and fares are significantly cheaper on the Oyster Card. A ‘1 Day Travel Card’ is also available, and you can specify whether you want to use it only on the trains or on a combination of trains and buses. Visit TFL to find out more.
To obtain discounts on travel and more, visit our London Discount Cards for more information.
Travel is exciting! You've chosen your destination, you're going to visit one of the capitals of the world: London. Rich history, unique culture and the world's most famous Royal Family is on the horizon. If you are travelling through Europe on one of the United Kingdom's popular low-cost airlines, you might be arriving at London Stansted Airport.
Although less well-known than its counterparts, Stansted is still the fourth busiest airport in the country. Located around 30 miles North-East of the capital, Stansted is a hub for budget carriers such as easyJet, Ryanair and Flybe. Since the airport is somewhat more compact than London's Heathrow or Gatwick airport, getting through is much faster, so Stansted is actually your gateway to an easy arrival into the UK. Let your holiday begin!
General Inquiriesand flight information can be contacted at +44 (0)844 335 1803
Car Park information can be found at +44 (0)871 310 4111
Lost property can be contacted at +44 (0)844 824 3109
Visit http://www.stanstedairport.com/ for further information.
Before finalizing your trip make you take a look at our comprehensive guide to things to consider before flying to London and practical tips for car rental in the United Kingdom.
Remember, Gatwick is not the only London airport! There are 5 main airports serving the capital area, and one of the others may be a better choice for a number of reasons. We give the main lowdown on each of the airports and their locations here.