Stansted Express Questions
 

Researched their site, clicked on every tab & read it all. Now the stupid question! Is it a ground level type train, a bus, or a subway type train? Didn't see a picture of it - I know, someone will point out that it is right there! Anyway.....

Other ?'s - Where on Liverpool St. does it disembark? Is it close to a tube station? If so, which one (I'll use my trusty tube map to find it!)?

Is Express class OK? For less than 1 hour ride, I assume it is.

Any issues/problems with this method of transport that I should know about? Like returning is a hassle because so many people can't get on?

Any better transports that I should consider, besides hired car?

If we stay in town & drag our bags, is there a charge for bags - didn't find any? Any bag limit? We will have 1 checked & 1 carryon for the airlines.

Am I correct that we just buy a ticket & then can use it to return to Stansted? And, there is a same day ticket that can be purchased only at the ticket booth, which I am assuming is cheaper?

Also noticed that RyanAir fliers get a good bargain. The Express Class Open Return ticket is 23.50 pounds. But for RA fliers, it is 19.50 pounds & good for 1 month.

Would appreciate opinions - We fly into Stansed about 12:30pm (a Wed). Will stay overnite & fly out of Stansted at about 11:30 next day. Want to see "little bit" of London on our fly-in afternoon & evening. Should we stay near the airport & drop our luggage & take the Stansted Express back & forth or stay at a hotel in London? If in London, what is around the Liverpool stop for about 120 pounds (got Hilton Stansted for that w/no fee cancel option).

Thanks, Julie

Liverpool Street, like all the main train stations in London has it's own Tube station imaginatively called "Liverpool Street"

It's a train and goes into Liverpool Street station, one of London's big terminal stations.
The trains are run by One (www.onerailway.com), and times and fares are also on www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Since you're going to be turning right around and coming back, the only thing you gain by staying in London is some nightlife. The train to Stansted isn't bad; it's the security line at Stansted that's going to crush your spirit!

The advantage of a Stansted hotel is that you won't have to schlep your bags on the train. I don't think you'll find any hotels right near Liverpool Street, anyways, except for the grand old Great Eastern, which is fabulous but £300+ a night.

Liverpool Street Station is in the City, a business district, but is served by the Metropolitan, Circle, Central, and Hammersmith & City tube lines. You can get anywhere in central London in a few minutes.

If you arive at 12:30 you'll have no problem checking in to your ho(s)tel with your bags.

Depending on WHERE you are going to stay in London Liverpool Street may not be the best station to go to by the StEx. Ypu can for exmaple get off at Tottenham Hale and take a Tube direct to the Kings Cross & Victoria areas.

Alternatively you can get a coach to various parts of Central London which is substantially cheaper than the StEx and mey remove the need for a Tube journey with luggage.

See the Stansted Airport website for details of getting to & from London

If you buy a ticket at the airport station you will pay the FULL price for it, you will not get a discount.

For £120 you could get quite a decent hotel in Central London using Priceline and you would have plenty of time to get back to Stansted in the morning - and staying in London is a lot mpre fun than staying in some godless airport hotel

Hi Julie.

I live in London and travel on the Stansted Express several times a year. It is a ground level train, even has some nice views here and there. I don't think there's a better transport to use, there's coach and cars but they take a lot longer.

The journey goes really quick, express class is fine, standard seats and clean. Sometimes you get a guy with a cart selling snacks and drinks, but not always.

The trains run every 15 mins, except on sundays. So it doesn't really get too full. I very rarely even have to sit next to anyone, which is good for "Miss anti-social" here. I've never seen it so full that people are standing. Decent enough room for suitcases, no charges for them.

If you buy a return ticket you can use it to return to Stansted. If they still make "day return tickets", they have to be used up in the same day. "open return tickets" can be used within 30 days. Ryanair tickets are cheaper, my £14.50 single trip cost £10.00 through the ryanair website, though you will need a booking code from a flight booked through them.

Where you disembark is pretty busy, it's right in the mainline Liverpool Street Station, which houses the tube, the overland trains and a few shops. The tube is opposite where you arrive, very close by and well signposted.

I'm not sure what your best option would be for seeing London. There is a Travelodge near Liverpool St station though. They're usually reasonably priced.

Hope this answers all your questions, have a fun trip!

Thank you so much everyone. I got such great responses! All of my questions answered! I printed them for future reference! :-)

With your info we've decided. Will stay with the Stansted Hilton & take the StEx into London & back. Seems easier than hauling the luggage back & forth.

fnarf999, is the security line really that bad at Stansted? Arriving in Europe we have a 3 hour turnaround from one airline to another in Stansted!

misszoecat, my husband envies you! He loves London (of course, I do too) & wishes we could live there! But, family in the states & all! We definitely will enjoy our short time (even if it rains) & lucky you, enjoy it every day!

Thanks again everyone, Julie

STN is primarily used by British vacationers and budget travelers to fly on Ryanair and easyjet to European destinations. If you're traveling at the start of UK holidays, the line is going to be long. I flew out of there before Christmas last year, and the security line snake out around the check-in counters.

Good thing is that it does move along.

And the <b>really good news</b> is that for your return flight home on Maxjet, you can use the Fast Track line to clear security. Away from the peasants... ;)

You won't be that lucky for your Ryanair flight to Italy, however.

w/ a late morning flight out I personally would not stay at the airport. Now, if you had to be at Stansted at 6:00 a.m. it would be a no brainer. But Stansted is pretty dreary and you could easily Priceline a nice hotel in central London and easily get to the airport after a nice breakfast/walk in London

You could leave the the luggage at the left luggage office at Stansted Airport and pick it up again in the morning.

As I've said before given the choice of a night in London or a night in Stansted, London wins every time

I have stayed at the RAddisson sas hotel in stanstead-check out the amazing &quot;wine Angels&quot; why isnt this listed as one of the 7 wonders of the world.This hotel has a very high bar area which houses a glass wine cellar which is situated in the bar and about as high as a tall house.The staff are attached to wires (one at a time anyway) and move my pulley up and down to collect the bottles of wine.Worth staying in this hotel just to see this.So if you have to stay-think about this hotel.

sorry by pulley not my pulley-whoops.

It's so great! With so much help on this site, our trip has really come together in the last 2 days. Have everything taken care of except our hotels in Rome &amp; Venice (have a stack of emails from hotels giving their prices) &amp; transport between Rome CIA &amp; our Rome hotel - whichever it may be!

So, as some suggested, I may research our London digs.

Thanks everyone &amp; happy travels, Julie