lorilouise

My teenage daughter is flying into Heathrow and needs to transfer to Stansted to meet her sister for a Ryanair flight to Berlin. Is this feasible (she would only have 2 hrs)? And if so, what is the easiest, least complicated way for her to do it? I am sure someone out there knows the answer to this (has probably done it) -- thanks!

cambe

The National Express but I am not sure if 2 hours, depending on traffic would be enough time.

The Paddington Express arrives in London in 15 mins but she would then have to tube to Liverpool street to get the Stanstead Express which takes about 1 hour.

I don't think you will do this in 2 hours particularly if you have to wait for luggage.

Sorry hopefully someone else will have a better option but check national express timetable

chanle51

Well - I'll start off the thread and someone can jump in...she could pick up the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station and then take the Circle Line (tube) to Liverpool and then pick up the Stanstead Express (if I remember correctly.) It would probably take a few hours.

willit

If the time is 2 hours from arrival at heathrow to departure at Stansted, then no. It is 65 miles between the airports, around one of the UKs busiest roads.

The train journey alone takes 2 over 2 hours with 2 changes. There is a National Express coach between the airports that takes leaves about every 45 minutes and takes 90 minutes - but you are warned to allow much longer.

WillTravel

There's not enough time. Heathrow tends to be one of the most delayed airports in Europe. London traffic is usually such that everything takes a lot longer than expected. Previous advice has been to allow at least five or six hours for such a transfer. I wouldn't put a teenager in a situation likely to result in her missing the flight. If she misses the Ryanair flight, she'll have to pay an exorbitant amount to get on the next flight (and there might not be another one available for hours or days).

willit

The train journey alone takes 2 over 2 hours with 2 changes.

should read


The train journey alone takes just over 2 hours with 2 changes.

doug_stallings

Two hours is not sufficient to transfer from Heathrow to Stansted. These two airports are pretty far apart, and you need to keep in mind whatever Ryanair's check-in requirements might be. The actual travel time is about 1 hour 40 minutes on a National Express bus, which usually runs at least once an hour. I'd say that if you had good connections, you could do it with 4 hours (this assumes you don't have to wait for luggage at Heathrow and can zip through customs). But even if you paid 100 pounds for a tax (ok, it might be cheaper), you'd still not make the connection in 2 hours.

doug_stallings

I just wanted to clarify ... the quickest way is the direct bus (Stansted is the next stop after Heathrow). It is NOT quicker to take Heathrow Express into London and then go to Liverpool Street Station for Stansted Express.

Gardyloo

Most car services will want something in the neighbo(u)rhood of £85-£100 for the trip and it will take a minimum of 2 hours, depending on traffic on the M25, which is, BTW, the busiest highway in Europe. Plus, the queues and checkin facilities for the likes of Ryanair at STN are not exactly islands of calm.

Where2Travel

Is it possible that your daughters could meet each other in Berlin instead of getting the same flight from London Stansted? That way one daughter wouldn't need to make this awkward transfer.

The time taken to transfer from Heathrow to Stansted depends critically on the day of the week and time of day the trip is carried out. I would try to avoid having to do this transfer if at all possible.

rex

Hey, Doug Stallings, please see http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34613284

Best wishes,

Rex

janis

As the others have said - 2 hours is 100% absolutely NOT feasible. 4 hours minimum and 5 is better. And even IF she could get to Stansted 2 hours after arrival at LHR - she would not be allowed on the Ryanair flight because they do not let you on if you check in even 1 minute late.

So you need to re-group and make other arrangements . . .

flanneruk

The posters are quite right to say you can't guarantee to do this in 2 hours.

The Fodors editor is quite wrong, though, to say the direct bus is the quickest way. The train/tube - though not the unreliable route Fodors quotes - is ALWAYS the quickest and most reliable LHR-STN connection.

There is, on average, one bus an hour. It's timetabled at 90 minutes from T1-3, but this time is hugely variable, and you have to assume at least 2 hours from 0700-1000 and 1500-1900. And the average traveller will wait 30 minutes for the next one.

There are four train/tube departures an hour. 103 minutes from T1-3 by the fastest, most reliable route (LHR-Paddington-Oxford Circus-Tottenham Hale-Stansted) - a timing that includes waiting/connection time, and uses routes with the lowest delay rates in the British public transport system. And arriving at LHR, you wait an average of 7 minutes for the next departure.

Actually, even if lorilouise's daughter gets to the Heathrow Express platform just as a train has left and has to wait for the next one, she will still get to Stansted 118 minutes later - even at the height of the rush hour.

The fast route is messy and can be uncomfortable. You still have to allow time to get from the plane, and to get to the Stansted checkin desk. Taking the variant Fodors suggests would be a grave mistake, since it uses London's worst station-station tube connection. But the fast train/tube route is the ONLY way you can normally get from LHR plane to STN checkin within three hours.

SloJan

I had 5 hours. My flight came in an hour late and I had to hustle. It is simply not possible in 2 hours.

Edited to add: Maybe if you got a super fast cabbie, but you are talking about 100 pounds then.