I have a business trip coming up and am flying in/out of STN... does anyone have any info on how to get downtown from STN?? I'm staying at the Hilton Hyde Park. Are there any trains?? Or is it just easier to take a taxi?

Getting to and from stansted:

http://www.baa.co.uk/main/airports/stansted/getting_here_frame.html

Hi there,
A very simple way to STN is to take the train. One goes every 15 minutes from London Liverpool Street. If you've got luggage, it's probably easier to take a taxi to the train station from Hyde Park than to use the tube (subway).

The train times can be found at www.railtrack.co.uk (http://www.railtrack.co.uk) under the timetable section. Just enter "Stansted Airport" and "London" as the places.

Jason

[Edit for spelling]

[This message has been edited by apx068 (edited 07-11-2001).]

Jaon's right, although if there is any way that you can fly from LHR, LCY or even LGW then you'll save yourself a lot of trouble. The train to Stanstead (if it runs on time) is 45 minutes each way.

Plus if you want to travel from Hyde Park to Liverpool Street, you should seriously consider the Tube as a taxi journey anytime between 7 in the morning and 7 in the evening could take half an hour or more through the centre of the City (in my experience).

Or just move to a hotel nearer The City!

Getting to London from Stansted

There are three alternatives.

Rail

The Stansted Express to London Liverpool Street. Goes every 15 mins 08.00 - 16.00 and half hourly 06.00 - 08.00 and 16.00 - 23.00. Takes 45 minutes but stops at Tottenham Hale (North London) where you can get the underground to West End. I would suggest you check out a map of London before deciding which is the better stop. tube map of london at www.thetube.com (http://www.thetube.com) (official tube site)
train details from www.stanstedexpress.com (http://www.stanstedexpress.com)

Normal return fare is £23 approx but there are off peak fares at about £15.

In my opinion train is the best way to travel.

Coach / Bus

Bus services (called Airbus) go every 30 mins into London. Its cheaper than the train but takes longer. See the previously posted airort link for bus data.

Taxi

A firm called Airport Carz has the monoploy. They are very expensive and in my opinion only good if somebody else is paying or there is at least 3 of you travelling together.

I think the Hilton is near the Hyde Park Corner underground station. You can take the tube there to Picadilly Circus to change for a Central line train to Liverpool Street, or somewhere else for a Victoria Line train to Tottenham Hale station. I've heard this is faster than getting to Liverpool Street and taking the train the whole way.

duplicate message

[This message has been edited by Strephon (edited 07-19-2001).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by terenz:
I think the Hilton is near the Hyde Park Corner underground station. You can take the tube there to Picadilly Circus to change for a Central line train to Liverpool Street, or somewhere else for a Victoria Line train to Tottenham Hale station. I've heard this is faster than getting to Liverpool Street and taking the train the whole way.</font>


Refer to the Airbus/Stansted info at:

http://www.gobycoach.com/misc/products.cfm?Name=Stansted%20to%20Central%20London


Their timetable says 85 min. from Hyde Park Corner. 80 min. from Marble Arch.

By the time you made the tube-to-train connection to catch the Stansted Express train which would then take another 45 min., it doesn't look like you'd really save all that much time. If I were staying in that vicinity, I think I might opt for the bus (and enjoy the scenery from the upper deck).

A Return bus ticket would be £10 as compared to £21 for a Stansted Express Return ticket.


Mind you, I've not ever actually done this. I've only looked this info. up today because *I'm* trying to figure out how best to get from Gatwick Airport to Stansted Airport on an upcoming trip.

I've got a window of 4 hrs 25 minutes. It looks like my quickest option would be to take the Gatwick Express train from Gatwick into Victoria Station, then take the Victoria Line tube to Tottenham Hale station, then take the Stansted Express train from there to Stansted Airport. The Railtrack timetable info. indicates that I could make this journey in under 2 hours, which would allow me at least an extra hour on each end to get through the airports themselves.

Anyone think this sounds reasonable?

LGW - STN
Strephon. Your route sounds OK.
But I would take Thameslink Gatwick to Kings Cross - Change to Victoria Line tube - To Tottenham Hale - To Stanstead.
http://www.thameslink.co.uk/
Select Travel Information then Train Times from drop down menu (awkward) for route map.
I always use Thameslink in preferance to the Gougewick Expess. Comes from being a 'cheap' Brit I guess
rdy

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by RDY3238:
But I would take Thameslink Gatwick to Kings Cross - Change to Victoria Line tube - To Tottenham Hale - To Stanstead. . . .
I always use Thameslink in preferance to the Gougewick Expess. Comes from being a 'cheap' Brit I guess
rdy[/B]</font>

Thanks RDY - I prefer the 'cheap' options myself. The Thameslink site indicates, if I read it correctly, that their fare would be £9.80 compared to GE's £10.50, is that right?

My main concern this time is to make the trip as easy as possible for my parents who are in their 60s and take a little longer getting around than I do. Which do you think would be less of a hassle--changing to the Victoria Line tube at Victoria or at Kings Cross?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by RDY3238:
LGW - STN
Strephon. Your route sounds OK.
But I would take Thameslink Gatwick to Kings Cross - Change to Victoria Line tube - To Tottenham Hale - To Stanstead.
</font>

One problem with this. The Kings Cross Thameslink station is about 1/4 mile or so away from the mainline Kings Cross rail and underground stations. Since it's for Strephon's parents who are in their 60s, I wouldn't recommend this or my favourite (change at Farringdon but that involves a long flight of stairs).

I am not sure about the interchange at Tottenham Hale if they do take the Victoria Line.

It might be easier to go to Victoria rail station and then take the STN bus but the bus terminus may not be near the Gatwick/Victoria platform (there is a bus station a bit of a walk away).

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Strephon:
A Return bus ticket would be £10 as compared to £21 for a Stansted Express Return ticket.
</font>

If you are flying by Ryanair (FR), there's an arrangement to buy rail tickets for a little over the one way fare. Last time (2 years ago), it cost GBP 12 r/t vs 11 o/w. You buy it from a travel agency at Liverpool Street station and not at the ticket counters.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">
Their timetable says 85 min. from Hyde Park Corner. 80 min. from Marble Arch.
</font>

Nothing about transportation time is taken for granted in London but I would add some 30 minutes to this.

An alternative would be this:

Jetlink 797
Linking Cambridge, Stansted, Heathrow and Gatwick every 2 hours.
Telephone 0870 5747 777 (UK only)

Strephon said:
Which do you think would be less of a hassle--changing to the Victoria Line tube at Victoria or at Kings Cross?

OK, I must have missed the parents bit.
The easiest on ageing joints is the GE / Victoria line deal.
The GE is non stop as opposed to Thameslink's multi stop and the price differential appears nada. I would avoid the STN bus, the traffic is murder and the Victoria bus terminal is 1/2 mile away if they still depart from there.
rdy

Dupe

[This message has been edited by RDY3238 (edited 07-18-2001).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by RDY3238:
Strephon said:
Which do you think would be less of a hassle--changing to the Victoria Line tube at Victoria or at Kings Cross?

OK, I must have missed the parents bit.
The easiest on ageing joints is the GE / Victoria line deal.
The GE is non stop as opposed to Thameslink's multi stop and the price differential appears nada. I would avoid the STN bus, the traffic is murder and the Victoria bus terminal is 1/2 mile away if they still depart from there.
rdy
</font>

Sorry I didn't mention earlier that I'm bringing my parents along--it'll be my 6th UK visit but their first. We had been planning on taking a train from London to Glasgow on arrival, but then I ran across some fares on Ryanair (£4.50 each way before taxes) that I couldn't pass up!

So now I'm trying to learn all about Stansted airport, connections, etc. And the FlyerTalk folks are as wonderful and helpful as ever :-)

Did you say 4.50 pounds each way London to Glasgow?
BTW, the GE is a much cleaner nicer train, so your folks would probably prefer that.
Watch out for the 2.00 pounds per cup coffee cart right by the GE platform, gets me every time, and reminds me why I can't afford to live in London :-(
Have a great trip.

rdy

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by RDY3238:
Did you say 4.50 pounds each way London to Glasgow?

Watch out for the 2.00 pounds per cup coffee cart right by the GE platform, gets me every time, and reminds me why I can't afford to live in London :-(

rdy</font>

Yes, their webpage said £4.50 each way, but then after the taxes and service charges or whatever were added in, came to £28 per ticket.

Still a great deal, and the flight only lasts slightly more than an hour, another advantage over the train.

I'll try to avert my eyes when I'm near the coffee cart!

Thanks for the tips http://www.flyertalk.com/airports/ftairports_forum/smile.gif

S

I would recommend:
Thameslink: London Gatwick to Blackfriars
Undergroround: Blackfriars to Liverpool Street on the Circle Line
Stansted Express: Liverpool Street to London Stansted

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by terenz:
I am not sure about the interchange at Tottenham Hale if they do take the Victoria Line. </font>

Reading their website information, I gather that Stansted Express stops at Tottenham Hale on the way to Stansted. The time table lists departure times from T.H. 11 minutes later than those from Liverpool St. They also give approximate journey times as 45 min. from Liverpool Street and 30 minutes from Tottenham Hale.

I like this information I just found on one of the Underground's official pages: They list 40 Underground stations which have a "step-free route between the ticket hall and platform," and Tottenham Hale is on the list! http://www.flyertalk.com/airports/ftairports_forum/smile.gif

Hi Guys

Tottenham Hale is not quite step free.

Apart from having to use the escalator there are a few steps (5?) down to the Northbound Platform and I think if memory serves a bout 4 steps up at the ticket hall.

But in general terms very well manageable.

Beware using the coach service to Stansted at the moment as there are roadworks on the M11 motorway right by Stansted as they rebuild the motorway junction. This work is meant to go on for th next 18 months.

Beg Pardon.

Didnt read the lat posters message correctly.

It is step free (except escalator) from the ticket hall to the UNDERGROUND platform.

The steps I refer to are from the ticket hall to the mainline train platforms.

Hope this makes it clear.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by criscokid:
I would recommend:
Thameslink: London Gatwick to Blackfriars
Undergroround: Blackfriars to Liverpool Street on the Circle Line
Stansted Express: Liverpool Street to London Stansted</font>

Problem with this is: 1) rather long flight of stairs down from the Blackfriars rail platform down to street level, and then more stairs to the tube platforms, and 2) IIRC, you have to go up (and then down) a set of stairs to get from the anti-clockwise direction Circle line platform to the rail station.

Here's the link to the Ryanair /Stansted Express offer. /t rail ticket for GBP 15 and where to buy it.
http://www.ryanair.com/dest/train.html