Stansted Airport: Stansted Express, drop-off charge and security

At London Stansted the train station is directly under the terminal, a two-minute walk away, and the Stansted Express runs from Liverpool Street every 15 minutes. The Express Set Down drop-off area charges £10 for up to 15 minutes and £28 beyond that, to be paid by midnight the next day. Each liquid in your hand luggage is still limited to 100ml.

Everything below was read on Stansted's own website on 8 November 2026. Its security page is marked as last updated in September 2026, but most other pages show no date, so check charges and times in the week you travel.

The airport's train page says the station is directly under the terminal and that lifts, escalators and ramps connect the two. Trains run between the airport and Liverpool Street every 15 minutes, seven days a week, and you can buy tickets online or at the machines and rail information desk in the station.

On the Stansted Express you can tap in and out with a contactless bank card or mobile wallet. The Stansted Express page adds that Oyster cards are not valid to or from Stansted, though you can use them for onward journeys from Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale. It gives advance single fares from approximately £9.90 and returns from £19.80, and says railcard discounts cannot be combined with online booking discounts.

For early and late flights, the airport's train page gives the first train from Liverpool Street as between 03:40 and 04:40 depending on the day, with the last at 23:21. From Stansted, services start around 05:30 (05:55 Tuesday to Thursday) with the last departure at 00:30. It tells you to check the timetable on public holidays. The Stansted Express page rounds the Liverpool Street journey to 50 minutes, so treat the times above as a guide.

The bus and coach station is opposite the main terminal entrance, a two-minute walk away, according to the airport's coach and bus page. It suggests allowing at least four hours before your flight if you are travelling to Stansted from London by coach or bus, because journeys can take much longer at peak times. If you miss a service because your flight is delayed, it says its providers let you take the next one with seats at no extra charge. Its taxi page and driving page give the rest. For how other airports compare, see our guide to UK airports.

The airport's pick-up and drop-off page says the collection and drop-off areas are outside Departures, and that the Express Set Down has barrier-free entry using automatic number plate recognition. There are no barriers or payment machines, so you drive through and pay afterwards online by midnight the day after your visit. Cash and cheques are not accepted.

The airport says the Express Set Down is the most convenient option for passengers, with check-in just minutes away. If you would rather not pay, its free first hour in the Mid Stay car park is the alternative, at the cost of a shuttle ride. For a longer stay or same-day parking, it points to its Turn Up & Park options instead.

For meeting someone off a flight, the page describes the Green and Blue Short Stay car parks as the places to pick up or drop off, which suits you if you want to walk into the terminal.

The airport's security page, marked last updated in September 2026, says you can pack liquids in your hand luggage as long as each one is under 100ml. Containers larger than 100ml cannot go through even if they are only part full, so a part-filled large bottle does not qualify. Our guide to liquids in hand luggage at UK airports compares the limits across the country.

The airport also recommends validating your boarding pass at security at least two hours before your flight's scheduled departure. If you travel with a pushchair, it says to speak to a member of staff at security, who will tell you which queue to join, and you might be able to use an assisted lane if it is not too busy.

The Security FastTrack page describes a paid dedicated lane from £6.49 per person, open from 04:00 to 20:00, which you can book up to 12 months ahead, subject to availability. Infants under three years old go through free and need no booking, as long as the rest of the party has a pass. The pass is non-refundable unless stated otherwise at booking, and the rules on what you can carry are the same as in the standard lane.

The airport's check-in page lists when the desks of several airlines open and tells you to check with your own airline for the most accurate times. If you have not checked in online, information screens in the terminal show which desks you need. It also says many authorities require a passport that is valid for at least six months from your travel date.

If you have checked in online and have only hand luggage, the airport says you can go straight through security. Some airlines also run a Twilight bag drop, often the evening before your flight, with their own cut-off times and size and weight limits, so ask your airline.

One Stansted detail matters for early flights. The airport FAQs say the airport is open 24 hours a day, but the terminal closes between midnight and 02:00, so passengers on early flights should not arrive sooner than their scheduled check-in time. Bedding down in the terminal is not allowed.

The airport lists its services on its facilities page, including free Wi-Fi, baby change rooms, a multi-faith prayer room, a smoking area and water refill points. The table picks out what is specific to Stansted. Lounges and hotels are run by other companies, so we leave their prices to their own pages.

The lounge is reached by the Stansted Transit System, according to the Escape Lounge page. The airport's hotels page lists hotels near the terminal, and says you can walk, take a taxi or hop on a shuttle to the terminal.

If you lose something in the terminal, the lost property page says to contact the Excess Baggage Company, which has a service desk in the international arrivals landside concourse, open 06:00 to 22:00. Items left on the plane or in baggage reclaim go through your airline, items left at the station or on a train go through Greater Anglia, and items left in the car parks are passed to Excess Baggage.

The airport's passport control page says arriving passengers go through passport control, where there are separate lanes for EU and non-EU passengers, and that your passport must be valid for the whole of your visit to the United Kingdom. It recommends using an eGate where possible, with your passport open at the photo page and any cover removed.

You can use the eGates if you have a biometric symbol on the passport cover, are aged 8 or older and at least 120cm (3ft 11in) tall, and are a British citizen or a member of the Registered Traveller Service, among others. Children aged 8 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult.

After passport control comes customs, where the page says you must declare anything over your duty-free allowance, goods banned or restricted in the UK and goods you intend to sell. It adds that since 12 April 2025 you cannot bring meat or dairy products from EU countries into Great Britain for personal use. Follow the signs to baggage reclaim, where the carousel number is on the information screens. Our baggage rules guide covers what airlines allow.

The Passport Control FastTrack page describes a paid dedicated lane from £15, open 24 hours a day, not available to passengers arriving from Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands. It is non-refundable, and the airport says access is not guaranteed if your flight is delayed.

If you connect through Stansted, the connecting flights page says minimum connection times vary by airline and route, so confirm yours with the airline before booking. Passengers arriving on international flights must pass through passport control even when the connection is domestic. For a stopover, you leave through passport control, baggage reclaim and customs, and check in again. To move between London airports, the airport's page on travelling between airports lists coaches to Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton.

The Stansted Airport parking page lists six official options with the time it gives from each to the terminal, and says all its car parks hold the Park Mark accreditation. It advertises savings of up to 80% for booking in advance, and says turn-up spaces are limited and cost more. We quote no prices for parked stays: read them for your dates.

With a pre-booked space, the airport says to allow 30 seconds at the barrier for the number plate camera to recognise your car. If it does not, do not take a ticket: press the intercom button instead, because taking a token disables the number plate recognition linked to your booking and you may be charged twice when you leave.

Blue Badge bays are in the Orange, Green and Blue Short Stay car parks, in Zone Q of Long Stay and in Zone L of Mid Stay, according to the Blue Badge page. Its driving page also warns that for security reasons the Blue Badge scheme does not operate on the airport road system, so unattended vehicles will be towed by police and a fine must be paid. The Blue Badge page carries a dated notice about works, so read it before you go. For how to choose between on-site and off-site options, see our guide to airport parking in the UK.

Work backwards from your check-in desk: how you get there, where you stop, when the desks open and what is in your bag. Our travel tips for UK travellers cover the rest of the trip.

• Your route
  The station is under the terminal, with the Stansted Express from Liverpool Street every 15 minutes.
• Your drop-off
  £10 for up to 15 minutes at the Express Set Down, paid online by midnight the next day.
• Your check-in
  Desk opening times run from 2 to 4 hours before departure, depending on the airline.
• Your bag
  Each liquid must be under 100ml, with the measurement printed on the container.
• Your timing
  The terminal closes between midnight and 02:00, so do not arrive before your check-in time.
• Your arrival
  British citizens aged 8 or over and at least 120cm tall, with a biometric passport, can use the eGates.

• How long does it take to get from Stansted Airport to London?

  The airport’s train page gives 48 minutes on the Stansted Express between the airport and Liverpool Street, and about 36 minutes to Tottenham Hale. Its Stansted Express page rounds the Liverpool Street journey to 50 minutes.

• Where is the train station at Stansted Airport?

  Directly under the terminal. The airport says it takes just two minutes to walk between them, with lifts, escalators and ramps.

• Can I use an Oyster card at Stansted Airport?

  The airport says Oyster cards are not valid for travel to or from Stansted, though you can use them for onward journeys from Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale. You can use contactless payment on the Stansted Express.

• How much is the drop-off charge at Stansted Airport?

  The Express Set Down charges £10 for up to 15 minutes and £28 over 15 minutes, with a maximum stay of 30 minutes. Payment is due online by midnight the day after, or a £100 Parking Charge Notice follows, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.

• Is there free drop-off at Stansted Airport?

  The airport lists up to 60 minutes free at the Mid Stay car park, with a free shuttle bus to the terminal. After the first hour it charges £5 for the second hour, then a day rate.

• Can I take liquids over 100ml through Stansted Airport security?

  Each liquid in your hand luggage must be under 100ml, and containers over 100ml cannot go through even if only part full. The airport lists exemptions for essential medicines with a note or prescription, special dietary needs, and baby food or milk.

• When do check-in desks open at Stansted Airport?

  The airport gives 4 hours before departure for Emirates, 3 hours for Jet2, TUI, AJet and international Ryanair flights, and 2 hours for easyJet, domestic Ryanair flights and all other airlines. It tells you to check with your airline.

• Is Stansted Airport open at night?

  The airport says it is open 24 hours a day, but the terminal closes between midnight and 02:00 and bedding down is not allowed. It advises early-flight passengers not to arrive before their scheduled check-in time.

• Does Stansted Airport have free Wi-Fi?

  Yes, in the terminals and lounges for up to 2 hours within 24 hours, according to the airport. After that you pay for continued access or wait for the allowance to reset.

• How do I get from Stansted Airport to Heathrow?

  The airport lists an hourly direct National Express coach with a journey time of 1 hour 30 minutes. It says a train transfer between the two needs a few changes.

• Where do I report lost property at Stansted Airport?

  For items left in the terminal, contact the Excess Baggage Company, which has a service desk in the international arrivals landside concourse, open 06:00 to 22:00. For items left on a plane or in baggage reclaim, contact your airline.