Stansted to Westminster

Which route does the chauffeur take?

The usual line is the M11 south, the A12 through Stratford and Bow, then along the Highway or through the City to the Embankment and Westminster. The alternative is the M11 to the North Circular, west to the A1 or the A41, and south through Camden and the West End, which suits addresses in the north of Westminster, such as Marylebone or Paddington.

The chauffeur compares the two from live traffic before leaving the airport. Neither is always quicker, and the difference can be twenty minutes either way.

How long should you allow?

About 84 minutes off-peak and up to 122 minutes on a weekday morning, according to our route data. For a meeting at a set time, allow two hours from landing to the door on a weekday, plus the time it takes to leave the terminal. Late evening arrivals, when many Stansted flights land, are the quickest, often about an hour and a quarter.

Car or train with a change?

The rail route is the Stansted Express to Liverpool Street, then the Elizabeth line to Bond Street and the Jubilee line to Westminster, or the Circle or District line from Liverpool Street. It involves at least one change. At busy times, for a light traveller, it is often quicker than the car, and we would say so.

The car is better with luggage, children or colleagues, for late-night or very early arrivals, and on weekends when the Stansted line is closed for engineering work. It removes two changes with bags and takes you to the door.

Where does the car drop you in Westminster?

For hotels, at the hotel entrance. For offices and government buildings, at the entrance you use, or, where security restrictions apply near Parliament and Whitehall, at an agreed set-down point on an open street nearby. For homes in Pimlico and Westminster’s residential streets, as close to the door as the one-way streets and resident parking allow.

Does the Congestion Charge apply?

For most Westminster addresses, yes, during charging hours. The route through central London also enters the zone. When the charge applies, the £18 daily charge is part of your fixed price. Addresses in the north and west of the borough, such as Paddington and Maida Vale, are outside the zone, and the northern route may avoid it altogether.

Flying out of Stansted from Westminster?

For a morning short-haul departure, allow at least three hours from pickup to take-off on a weekday, because the journey out of central London and the M11 northbound can both be slow, and Stansted’s security queues are long in the morning wave. For the first departures, before 07:00, the roads are empty, and a pickup at about 03:30 is typical. Stansted’s £10 set-down charge is included.

Is Stansted the right airport for you?

From Westminster, Heathrow and London City are both much closer, at around 35 minutes each off-peak. If your destination is served by one of them, it may be worth the difference in fare to save an hour on the road each way. Stansted’s strength is its range of European holiday and low-cost routes; for those, the longer drive is often worth it.

Coming back from a ski trip?

In winter, Stansted carries a lot of flights to Alpine airports, and many Westminster residents return with ski bags, boot bags and bulky winter luggage. That equipment is difficult on the Stansted Express and impossible on a crowded Underground train. Tell us how many ski bags and cases you have, and we will send a vehicle with space for them. For a family or a group of four skiers, the V-Class is usually needed.

Arriving late at night?

Many Stansted flights land between 21:00 and midnight, and delays push some later. At that hour, the trains are less frequent, and the change at Liverpool Street is tiring with luggage. The chauffeur follows your flight, however late, and at night the drive into Westminster is steady and relatively quick.

Where will the chauffeur meet you at Stansted?

In the arrivals hall of the single terminal, just past baggage reclaim, with a board showing your name. The chauffeur follows your flight and adjusts to delays, then walks you to the short stay car park.