London Stansted Airport Guide

Airport Lounges

Pay-per-use, Single Visit Passes & Lounge Memberships

Regardless of what class of service you are flying, there is a lounge that you can enter by paying at the door, purchasing a lounge pass or through a lounge membership program. Visit the individual lounge page for more details about the lounge itself and to also find out how you can gain lounge access with just an economy class ticket!

• Escape Lounge – Location: International Terminal, Airside, Mezzanine Level. Lounge Access: Pay at the Door • Prepaid lounge pass • Lounge membership programs.

Related Pages: London Stansted Airport Lounges

London Stansted Airport Hotels & Day Rooms

Quick Facts

• Nearest Hotel:  Connected to the airport
• Sleep Cabins & Pods: No
• Day Rooms: Yes
• Nearby Hotels with Shuttles: Yes

When the prospect of sleeping on the floor or in a chair is giving you nightmares, there is good news for those of you who are looking to sleep at Stansted Airport in comfort.   If you are on a layover, you will have to pass through immigration/security as there are no transit hotels.  Once you are in the public area of the terminal, there are two hotels connected to the airport by covered walkways. A number of nearby hotels offer airport shuttles for a fee.

With Covid restrictions constantly changing, we recommend that you confirm shuttle availability prior to booking and/or prior to your arrival.

Hampton by Hilton – Connected to the terminal via a covered walkway.  A 5 minute walk to the terminal.  » Check Rates

Radisson Blu Hotel London Stansted Airport – Connected to the terminal via a covered walkway.  A 5 minute walk to the terminal.  Day rooms for 4 & 8 hour blocks are offered between the hours of 8:00AM – 6:00PM.  » Check Rates

Holiday Inn Express London Stansted Airport – A paid shuttle is available for £4 per person.   » Check Rates

For more options, visit Tripadvisor to see a list of hotels near Stansted Airport that can be sorted by price, distance, traveller rating and popularity.

Airport WiFi / Internet and Mobile Charging

WiFi

Free WiFi is available in London Stansted Airport for 4 hours. Connect to the “_stanstedairport” network. After your four hours is up, 24 hours of additional time can be purchased for £9.

If you don’t have a mobile device for connecting to WiFi, internet kiosks are available landside. Printing facilities are available as well. Payment can be made by credit card, voucher, or coin.

Mobile Charging

A reader tells us “All seats in the waiting have usb ports under the arm rests. Useful, but maybe 40% of them actually work. So it’s worth trying the port first before getting comfy if you need power. Also, some of the restaurants have plug sockets on the tables. ” (November 2019)

Airport Services, Facilities & Things To Do On A Layover

Changing Rooms – Changing rooms are available airside in the main Departures lounge, and landside at Arrivals.

Duty Free & Shopping – World Duty Free is available, as well as a variety of retail shops. Most stores are open from first flight of the day until the last.

Family Services

• Baby Changing Facilities – Baby changing facilities are available in the following locations:
  • Departures: Zone A Check-In area restrooms • Main Departures Lounge (nursing room also available) • Family restrooms at Gates 13, 33/34, 43, and 59 • Gates 81-88 area (ladies restroom)
  • Arrivals: UK Baggage Reclaim (ladies restroom) • International baggage reclaim 1 (family restroom) • Intl Baggage Reclaim 9 (restrooms) • Arrivals Route 40-59 (accessible toilet) • Main Arrivals Greeting area (restrooms).
• Breastfeeding – A dedicated breastfeeding room can be found in the main departures lounge should you wish to breastfeed in private.

Fast Track Service – As a premium service, customers with Fast Track security passes will be given priority service to ensure that waiting is kept to a minimum. Cost: £7.00 book online before 10 PM.

Food & Drinks

• Drinking Water – Thirsty? Water fountains and bottle refill stations are available. Locations: Airside, International Departures, behind Pret • Passport Control • Airside, near Gates 1-19 & Gates 40-59 • International Baggage Claim, near Reclaim area #9 • Landside, Arrivals Hall, near Burger King.
• Food & Drinks – Most food concessions throughout the airport operate according to flight schedules. The following options are available 24 hours: Costa Coffee (Landside, Arrivals) • Pret-a-Manger coffee shop (Airside) • Starbucks (Airside).
• Grocery Store – Need to pick up groceries on your way home from the airport? M&S Simply Food has produce, wines, deli items, ready-to-go meals and everyday household items. Location: Arrivals, landside. Hours: 4:00AM – 11:00PM.

Information Desk – Get info about the airport or flights, page a person, send or receive faxes, make photocopies or print online boarding documents (£5.00 each) at the Information Desk. Locations: International Arrivals area, landside (Hours: 24 hours) • Departures lounge, airside, this location is an airline information desk (Hours: unknown).

Luggage

• Baggage Trolleys – Need a hand with your luggage? Baggage trolleys are available in designated areas of the terminal, baggage reclaim, car parks, and the airport rail and coach stations. Rate: a refundable deposit of £1, €1 or $0.25 coin.
• Luggage Storage & Lockers – Left luggage storage is available at the following per-item rates: £8 per day / £48 per week for carry-on suitcases/bags • £10 per day / £60 per week for larger suitcases/bags • £20 per day / £120 per week for oversized items. Location: Luggage-Point Airport Services desk, landside, International Arrivals, Zone A. Hours: Open 24 hours.
• Luggage Weighing – For £1 per bag, you can avoid overage charges by checking the weight of your luggage before you check it in. Six Luggage Point weight check systems are located throughout Zones A – G, landside in the Check-In area. If your bag is overweight, you get a free weight recheck after you have adjusted the weight.
• Luggage Wrapping – Rates start at £10 per bag. Location: Luggage-Point Airport Services desk, landside, International Arrivals, Zone A. Hours: Open 24 hours.

Mobile Charging – see “Airport WiFi / Internet and Mobile Charging” above.

Money

• ATMs / Cash Machines – Need cash? ATMs are available. Fees may apply, so be sure to check your bank’s fee schedule and your daily withdrawal limit if you are travelling internationally. You may also want to notify your bank of your travel plans. Locations: Landside and Airside.
• Currency Exchange – Moneycorp kiosks can be found in these locations: Zone A (next to M&S) • Check-in Zone H (landside) • Airside Departure Lounge • Baggage Reclaim • International Arrivals. Hours: Vary per location, but the one in Zone A is open 24 hours. Moneycorp foreign currency ATMs dispense Euro, Sterling and US funds 24 hours a day, both landside and airside.

Pharmacy – For any last minute medical needs, stop by Boots. Location: Airside, Departures Hall • Landside, Arrivals. Hours: 3:00AM – last departing flight.

Postal Services – Drop off your last minute postcards at the airport’s mailboxes. Location: Landside, Check-in Zone E, next to WHSmith and Arrivals also near a WHSmith.

Prayer Room – There are two 24-hour interfaith prayer rooms in the airport: One is located landside opposite Check-In Zone A, and the other is located airside near Escape Lounge in the main Departure Area. Ablution (ritual washing) facilities are located next to each prayer room.

Rest & Relaxation

• Hotels – see “Airport Hotels” above.
• Lounges – see “Airport Lounges” above.
• Rest Zones – There are no dedicated sleeping areas, quiet areas or rest zones. If this information has changed, click here to update this guide.

Showers – Not available.

SIM Cards – A reader tells us there are SIM card vending machines.  “If you just landed, after passing through passport control-UK Border and heading to the exit of that area, just at the right of the doors with a headline of “customs nothing to declare”, there are some vending machines and one of them is of SIM cards.” (October 2022)

Smoking – There are no designated smoking areas inside the terminal. Once you have passed through security, there will be nowhere to smoke.

WiFi – see “Airport WiFi / Internet and Mobile Charging” above.

Related Pages: Things to do on a layover at London Stansted Airport

Airport Hours

The airport is open 24 hours, but is said to “close” for several hours at night.  We haven’t heard of people being kicked out of the terminal if they are already inside at the time of the closure.  If you know and can confirm this information, click here to update this guide.

Airlines

London Stansted airport is served by the following airlines: Air Corsica • Air Moldova • Arkia • Atlasglobal • Aurigny • British Airways • EasyJet • Emirates • Eurowings • Jet2 • Logan Air • Pegasus Airlines • Play • Ryanair • Titan Airways • TUIFly •  Widerøe.

Airport Transportation: Getting To/From The Airport

Bus and Coach

STN airport is well connected to the bus system. Whether you need a shuttle bus to the train station, want a fast bus connection to central London or need a long distance coach, there is probably a bus for you. The airport bus and coach terminal is located opposite the main terminal entrance. Tickets are sold at ticket desks in Arrivals, at the bus and coach terminal (open 24 hours), or on board from the driver. To plan your route, visit the London Stansted Airport website.

Car Rentals

The following car rental companies are located onsite: Alamo • Avis • Budget • Enterprise • Europcar • Hertz • National • Sixt.

Hotel Shuttles

Some local hotels provide airport shuttles: Novotel London Stansted Airport.

See also Airport Hotels above.

Trains

Stansted Airport rail station is located directly below the terminal building, just a 2-minute walk from Check-in and Arrivals. Trains are available to central London, long-distance destinations and more. Train tickets are sold online, at the rail station or in the Arrivals area.   The London Stansted Express offers frequent service between Stansted Airport and the primary Liverpool Street Station, with travel times from 47 minutes.  Other station stops are Tottenham Hale and Stratford (London).  To check schedules or book a fare, visit the Stansted Express web site.

Taxi

24×7 Stansted is the official taxi service provider of Stansted Airport, offering 24-hour transportation to and from the airport. Fares are flat rate, accessed according to final destination, with any extra fees or tolls already included. Credit cards are accepted. Alternatively, you may use the services of minicabit (downloaded app) to compare prices from all the approved airport taxi companies and proceed to book your ride when you are happy with the fare.