Stansted Airport coach transfers from the coach station bays
Stansted has a single terminal with a coach station right beside it. Group coaches load at their own bays there, so the pick-up is simple, as long as the coach only moves in when the group is ready.
Which bay, and when
Charter and group coaches pick up at bays 32 to 39 and drop off at bays 4 to 9. Bay 29 is the wheelchair-accessible bay; if anyone needs it, say so when you book. Until it is called forward, the coach sits in the layover area behind the coach station.
A coach moves onto a pick-up bay only when its passengers are ready, and may stay there 20 minutes. So gather the group inside, count heads, then let the driver know.
Small parties use the car park
The coach station is for coaches. Anything lower than 2.2 m, or seating fewer than nine people counting the driver, must use the Short Stay car park for pick-ups unless the airport authorises something else. A party of six in an executive car meets its driver there, not at the bays.
Check which side of that line your vehicle falls on before you tell the group where to walk.
Where the driver meets you
- Charter and group coaches pick up at bays 32-39 of the airport coach station, beside the terminal; drop-off is at bays 4-9 and bay 29 is the wheelchair-accessible bay. Coaches move to the pick-up bays only when their passengers are ready, and may stay in a bay for no more than 20 minutes.
Where coaches wait
- Before loading, coaches wait in the layover area at the back of the coach station. Operators paying on the day report to the coach station management office next to bays 29-39.
Drive to the city centre
- about 37 miles by road to Trafalgar Square, about 65-70 min in light traffic; longer at peak times
Charges at the coach station
Coaches drop off free. Each coach pick-up is charged, and operators paying on the day go to the coach station management office next to bays 29 to 39. Ask whether the quote includes the pick-up charge.
Cars dropping at the terminal use the Express Set Down, a camera-controlled zone paid by midnight the day after. The free alternative is the Mid Stay car park, with a shuttle bus to the terminal.
London, Cambridge and the Dartford Crossing
Trafalgar Square is about 37 miles by road, 65 to 70 minutes on a clear road, more at peak times. Stansted is also one of the airports that serves Cambridge, so university and conference groups often land here.
In London the coach enters the Low Emission Zone, where Euro VI avoids the daily charge. A coach going south into Kent, to Dover for example, will usually cross the Thames at Dartford, where the charge is paid online.
What the driver may not do
Coach station rules are strict: 5 mph, high-visibility clothing while loading, and never leaving the coach alone on a bay. The driver stays with the vehicle, so the leader handles the head count and the stragglers.
Questions
Where does the coach collect us at Stansted?
At one of bays 32 to 39 in the coach station beside the terminal. The coach waits in the layover area until the group is ready, then pulls onto a bay.
Is there a wheelchair-accessible bay?
Yes, bay 29. Tell us about any mobility needs when you request a quote, so the operator can offer a suitable vehicle.
Does a coach pay to drop off at Stansted?
No. Drop-off is free for coaches; a charge applies to each pick-up.
Cities
Airports
Vehicles
- Full-size coach — 49-57 seats
- Midi coach — 29-35 seats
- Minibus — 9-16 seats
- Executive Sprinter-style minibus — 9-16 seats
- Executive car (saloon or MPV) — 1-3 seats
- Wheelchair-accessible minibus — Varies by layout; wheelchair positions replace seats seats
Request a Stansted coach
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