Last year I flew from Stansted for the first time. Indeed it was the first time I had flown in a number of years and having been an anxiety attack sufferer I was hoping Stansted would send me on my first holiday in five years as stress free as possible and it did! I am not a nervous flyer - worse than that I am an over excitable flyer! I am like a child at Christmas once on a 'plane but in the run up I can feel very nervous and appreciate an airport where I feel comfortable with plenty to distract me.
LOCATION
London-Stansted Airport is situated off Junction 8 of the M11 near Bishops Stortford in the South-East of England approximately: 33 miles from Central London 91 miles from Oxford 122 miles from Birmingham
GETTING THERE
There are a number of options on how to get to Stansted Airport.
Firstly, by car. As mentioned above the airport is just off the M11 and a number of roads from the motorway direct to the airport so be aware there may be roadworks and it would be wise to ring ahead and double check. Once at the airport there are a number of parking facilities including short and long term stay car parks. The car parks are well sign-posted and all have clear signs noting the charges. The long stay car park is slightly further away from the terminal building but there is a bus transfer and passengers are recommended to allow an extra half an hour once you take in to consideration parking up, getting the bus etc. There is a pick up/drop off zone near the terminal entrance with a ten-minute time limit.
We did not want to take the car as my mother (Bobbin) would drive and as you'll have seen elsewhere on Ciao she has a back injury and we couldn't be ensure we'd land back and she'd be fit to drive.
Next option, by rail. The airport has an excellent connection with the national railway system as it has its own station which is conveniently located UNDER the terminal building - talk about door to door service! There is a good collection of trains to London Liverpool Street station which takes 41 minutes, there are trains departing every 15 minutes during the weekday and every 30 minutes during thee early morning, late evening and at weekends. The airport is also directly linked to Peterborough, Birmingham and Leicester where further connections take you further into the Midlands and North.
At first site this seemed a good option for us as we were travelling from the East Midlands.
However, our flight was early morning and we would have needed to change trains either once or twice making for a long train journey - some options were over three hours. Taking Mum's back into consideration again this seemed that it may be too much of an ordeal and it was difficult to find convenient times for both getting to and from the airport, indeed we would have been hard pressed to find a return train as our return flight arrived late night.
Another option is by bus. A number of operators have coaches/buses that collect and drop off at the airport - the main routes being from London and the surrounding counties and the Midlands. We decided against a coach connection as this is not a comfortable option for Mum and the travelling time would be such that we may as well have considered the train as at least she would have better freedom of movement on there if a back cramp set in. Finally, taxi. We contacted a local taxi company and found they had a set price for a return fare to Stansted and were used to taking passengers. This was the most convenient for us as it was more comfortable than other measures and meant door to door service. The taxi company took details of out return flight and ensured they would be there to meet us. There are taxi ranks at the airport but I felt better knowing we had someone waiting for us as it saved time and hassle.
If you needed to stay at the airport, for a very early departure etc, there is a Hilton Hotel at the airport and a number of other hotels and guest houses within close range in the town of Bishop Stortford and the surrounding area.
THE AIRPORT BUILDING.
DEPARTURE TERMINAL
The airport is made up of one large terminal building with departures to the left as you enter and arrivals to the right. When I traveled there was a great deal of building work being carried out but this made little inconvenience to the traveler.
The departure end of the terminal is very light and airy as the terminal building is largely fronted with glass and steel. On entrance there is a large overhead television display of latest flight information including which check-in desk to report to for your flight. The check-in area was divided into islands which are clearly marked to the corresponding airlines. This area was very busy thought I was flying at the backend of the summer rush so I suspect it could have been busier still. There were plenty of luggage trolleys to hand and the terminal floor surface was very even and easy to pull wheeled suitcases along - not all airports can boast this believe me.
The check-in area backs directly onto the main shopping and eating facilities. What with the number of people checking in and seeing people off, those shopping and those grabbing something to eat this area can seem a bit claustrophobic and crammed. There are toilets in this area but another quieter set of toilets can be found to the far left of the check-in area which may be easier to got with young children and babies away from the melee.
To the left hand side of the check in islands there are a number of bank cash machines and there is a Bureau de Change.
There are a wide range of shops and food outlets for such a small area. Shops included the Body Shop, Boots, WHSmith, Past Times and a variety of clothes and sports shops. There was a wide range in these shops and it made for very attractive and tempting buying. There was certainly enough choice should you find you've forgotten anything vital whether it be cosmetics, clothing or everyday medicines. Do remember to take your loyalty cards for Boots and WHSmith if you have them.
There were a number of food outlets including Burger King and Garfunkels. These areas were somewhat cramped but there was plentiful seating and surprisingly, given the number of people about, there were few queues and the tables and areas were kept clean and tidied by staff quickly.
If you are looking for the information desk it is located at the other end of the building in the arrivals hall.
As soon as you have checked in and have a boarding card they are keen to usher you into the departure lounge, no doubt to ease the number of people in the departure terminal as Stansted has an increasing number of passengers and flights and therefore a quick turnover of travelers.
DEPARTURE LOUNGE
The departure lounge is reached at the back of the check-in area through the usual security checks including the metal detector and bag x-ray. Make sure you have your passport and boarding card ready. There was a ten minute queue t get in so don't leave it to the last minute. The departure lounge is large and airy with better spaced out shops, food outlets and better seating facilities. This area was far less busy than the departure terminal and a lot more relaxed therefore. There are a number of television sets at a number of food and drink outlets showing television programmes. Shops include the House of Chocolate, electrical shops, another Boots, WHSmiths etc. The main shop though is the Duty Free shop selling perfume, alcohol, jewelry and electrical items. Do remember to take your boarding card in with you to buy your duty free items. The choice was very large for all items and well spaced out so even when there was a high number of shoppers it did not feel overcrowded. The staff were very helpful and friendly. If you are travelling in within the EU and are buying larger items such as electrical goods you can arrange to pick them up on your return.
There was a well-appointed children's play area towards the rear of the departures lounge. There were plenty of toilets, well signposted.
If you like competitions be sure to have a pen to hand as there were a number of competitions being held at the shops in the departure lounge including one in the Duty Free shop to win a car full of bottles of champagne!
There were no boarding calls as I remember.
Also within the departure lounge is an Internet Exchange area. This was well laid out and roomy with few of the computers being used when I was there. Prices (Sept 2000) were 3p per minute for members and 12p for non-members therefore if you think you will use this service I suggest you sign up before hand - check out the website at www.internet-exchange.co.uk I was tempted using this service as by then I had been parted from my computer for almost four hours and was beginning to have withdrawal symptoms and the terror of being away from the computer for a whole week. However as I checked the large information board across the departure lounge exit our boarding gate was up and decided to move on.
DEPARTURE GATES
The departure gates are reached by either walkway or monorail. It appeared that the majority of gates in use were 1-39 which are reached by the monorail train. These pick up at the rear of the departure lounge and depart frequently about every three or four minutes. Depending on the gate you are reaching the journey can take between 5 and 10 minutes so leave plenty of time to get to your gate as there will be a short walk at the other end to depending on gate number. The monorail carriage is mainly standing room only with a few seats at either end. These trains moved very quickly and jerkily. If you have a baby or small child, or are unsteady on your feet be sure to get a seat or grab one of the main rails. The trains can get quite crowded at busy times For those with special needs or using a wheelchair there were plenty of assistants on hand to accompany people to the gates and help them on.
At the drop off points the gates were well numbered and meant a walk up a number of stairs. Each set of gates is within an 'arm' of the building, each arm having toilet facilities, a small food and drinks outlet, small shops and duty free area. These areas were very quiet and a good place to grab a relaxing drink and I would have come to the area sooner had I known there were such facilities but I was used to airports where the gates were nothing more than a waiting room. The gate area was very airy with excellent views of the aircraft.
The departure gates had clearly audible tannoy systems to relay boarding information.
Next - hopefully a trouble free flight!
On your return:
ARRIVAL GATE AND BAGGAGE RECLAIM
On arrival we once again boarded the monorail from the arrival gate to the main arrivals hall. The monorail hadn't slowed down any! After the monorail there is quite a long corridor before arriving at the passport control/baggage reclaim hall and here is my number one tip where Stansted is concerned - look out for the toilets along this corridor and go before you get to the baggage reclaim hall because I couldn’t see any of them there and if your baggage is delayed you may find yourself doing the 'I want a wee' dance!
The baggage reclaim hall was very small and the carousels get very crowded so either get your spot early or sit back and wait for the crowd to clear. There is a Bureau de Change here. On your way out through customs you will notice there is a large collection bin for any unwanted foreign currency which is donated to a local children's charity.
ARRIVALS HALL.
Once through customs you are into the arrivals hall which is exceedingly busy and I suspect it is always like this. We had a good ten minute search for our taxi driver in the throng. If you are meeting someone be sure to allow plenty of time and be highly visible! There was an information television screen with flight arrivals information for those waiting to meet people.
As our taxi driver told us, because the pick up time limit is so small (10 minutes) if you are collecting someone you are wise to park in the nearby short term car park especially given that many flights can be delayed etc and I would think it is very rare for someone to arrive and pick someone up in ten minutes at such a busy airport.
I found Stansted an excellent departure point for my holiday. Though small in size and large in passenger numbers it did seem to flow well and there was plenty of space once through into the departure lounge and beyond. If you are a nervous flyer I recommend you go to your gate as soon as possible and have a drink (not necessarily anything harder than a cup of tea!) at the food outlet there as it was much quieter and more relaxing than the departure lounge. The range of shops and eateries was superb and good quality. I never felt as if I stagnated in any part of the airport. Despite allowing plenty of time to check-in by the time I had looked at the shops in the departure hall and lounge and made my way to the gate I had just enough time. This surprised me as being such a small airport I thought the wait for my flight may feel drawn out.
I would certainly consider flying from Stansted again and the only thing I could hope for from my own point of view would be more direct train links from the Midlands area with shorter journey time. Stansted offers a number of destinations not catered for by my more local airports and it is certainly more convenient and a more relaxing experience for me to fly from Stansted than the larger international city airports I would otherwise have to consider.
For further information about Stansted I recommend visiting the website at www.baa.co.uk This website has a link to the Stansted website which is very easy to navigate and well laid out. The website has a good map of the layout of the airport which I suggest you acquaint yourself with if it is your first visit to the airport. The site also has full listings of all the contact numbers I could envisage you needed including the airport facilities themselves, train companies, rail companies, coach companies, the car parking, the Hilton hotel etc. There is information for special needs travelers, upgrade options for VIP departure lounge facilities, lost property and left baggage facilities.
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A nice opinion, but I was looking for the fare from the airport to London City by train, bus or taxi, you may add and i will rate up.
julietta 30.08.2001 02:30
Brilliant opinion here - you've done a lot of work and some excellent detailed writing! I agree it's worth staying out of the major 'London' airports if you can - Stansted is definitely ok by me.
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Advantages: lots of shops, open until about 2am i think, for travellers and those who await others, great duty free, laid back easy to navigate airport Disadvantages: lack of toilet facilities, recent safety scares, duplicate shops in and outside duty free
judithritchie 10.03.2001 ·
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Review of London Stansted (STN)
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