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Stansted Airport Guide

Everything you need to know about Stansted airport

Stansted is the UK's fourth busiest airport and the fastest-growing airport in Europe - it deals with nearly 27 million passengers a year. It runs flights to more than 140 destinations in more than 30 countries. London Stansted Airport has one main passenger terminal.

Facilities at Stansted airport - shopping, food and drink

Facilities at the terminal include shops, restaurants, bars, bureaux de change, internet terminals, meeting rooms, an exclusive lounge, a chapel, showers, baby changing rooms, a video games arcade and car parking.

Can you sleep overnight at Stansted airport?

Sleeping overnight at Stansted Airport

Despite London Stansted Airport now being open 24/7, it isn't the most sleep-friendly airport. While the airport has a newly-created, quiet seating area in the Departures lounge, away from the shops and high foot traffic areas, the seating is hard with armrests, making it uncomfy and difficult to stretch out. Stansted is bright, noisy and can get cold so, if you do decide to stay overnight, we recommend having a sleep mask, earplugs (or noise-cancelling earphones), and some extra layers to help you get some shut eye. Due to COVID-19, the official Stansted airport advice is that passengers avoid staying overnight in the terminal.

If you're looking for a comfier, not to mention safer, night's sleep there are 2 on-site hotels located within walking distance of Stansted : the Radisson Blu and Hampton by Hilton. Plus, we have a fantastic range of cheap Stansted hotels just a short transfer ride away including: Novotel, Premier Inn, Holiday Inn Express and many more!
Stansted Airport Hotels
Stansted Hotel Transfer Time Avg price
Radisson Blu 3 min walk £80
Hampton by Hilton 5 min walk £90
Novotel 2 min shuttle £56
Premier Inn 5 min shuttle £80
Holiday Inn Express 10 min walk £35

For lots more options, take a look at our Stansted airport hotels page. We sell the very best and closest hotels and have the option to add airport parking in one of our money-saving Stansted hotels with parking deals.

Getting to Stansted airport

Stansted airport is just off the M11. Leave the motorway at junction 8a if you are coming from London, or junction 8 if you are coming from Cambridge, and take the A120. If you are coming from the south or the west, you can get to the M11 via the M25.
For full directions, visit our directions page.
If you are using a sat nav, use the postcode CM24 1RW.

Parking at Stansted airport

Sort your Stansted airport parking in advance - it's worth it. Book with us and we can save you up to 60 per cent.
We offer two on-airport car parks at Stansted: the Long Stay car park and the Mid Stay car park. We also offer a Meet and Greet service. Visit our Stansted airport parking page.

Stansted airport by rail and coach

Stansted Express trains to & from central London

The Stansted Express runs between the airport and London Liverpool Street station every 30 minutes throughout the day and takes 50 minutes. The first train leaving Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport is 04:10am Friday to Monday and 04:40am Tuesday to Thursday. The first train leaving Stansted Airport to Liverpool Street is 05:30am Friday to Monday and 06:00am Tuesday to Thursday. Tickets prices start from £9.70.
We can save you money on rail travel to and from Stansted airport, and kids can go free. You can also save on National Express coach travel to and from the airport if you book an airport hotel with us. Visit our Stansted airport by rail and Stansted airport by coach pages.

Hand luggage restrictions at Stansted airport

  • One piece of hand luggage per person with most airlines
  • Maximum size for most airlines: 56cm x 45cm x 25cm
  • Liquids are permitted in containers of up to 100ml
  • Liquids must fit into a transparent resealable bag no bigger than 20cm x 20cm
  • Only one bag of liquids per person
  • Anything bought after security is allowed on the plane

For more information about security at the airport and the rules concerning luggage, visit our Stansted airport baggage and security page.