Cheap Train Tickets from Stansted (and elsewhere)

jimjames

I need to get back from Stansted on a Sunday in a few weeks, driving and parking was one option but parking was coming out quite expensive so looked at trains.

I'm used to being able to get Advance train tickets if you buy sufficiently ahead of time but was surprised to see that there are none available for Stansted Airport. Little investigation and it seems that this is deliberate but the next station on the line does have advance tickets available. So by splitting the journey at that station the cost of the train is only £16 rather than the £46 they were originally quoting for the same journey without the advance ticket.

Worth a check if you need to get trains from airports!

MSE_James

Although on the flip side Advance tickets aren't always the best choice for journeys from airports because of the risk of flight delays which could render your ticket useless

katejo

I avoid flights from Stansted even though it is my closest airport (apart from City which I have never used) simply because they won't accept Oyster. Why doesn't this change? I  can use Oyster to get to Gatwick, Luton or Heathrow. Also because, in the event of no service, there is no alternative other than a slow coach to Stratford (which I had to take on 1 occasion). 

jimjames

MSE_James said:

Although on the flip side Advance tickets aren't always the best choice for journeys from airports because of the risk of flight delays which could render your ticket useless

That's very true although I've never had an issue with advance tickets being queried on a different service it's a good point that they could. I did try to make sure the train times were generous with plenty of leeway but it would still be cheaper to buy an extra advance ticket for a later service when the savings are so great!

giraffe69

katejo said:

I avoid flights from Stansted even though it is my closest airport (apart from City which I have never used) simply because they won't accept Oyster. Why doesn't this change? I  can use Oyster to get to Gatwick, Luton or Heathrow. Also because, in the event of no service, there is no alternative other than a slow coach to Stratford (which I had to take on 1 occasion). 

Isn't Stansted about to be added to the list of stations where it is accepted?

HillStreetBlues

giraffe69 said:

katejo said:

I avoid flights from Stansted even though it is my closest airport (apart from City which I have never used) simply because they won't accept Oyster. Why doesn't this change? I  can use Oyster to get to Gatwick, Luton or Heathrow. Also because, in the event of no service, there is no alternative other than a slow coach to Stratford (which I had to take on 1 occasion). 

Isn't Stansted about to be added to the list of stations where it is accepted?

It's is planned but not for the Oyster card just contactless payment card/app.

jon81uk

giraffe69 said:

katejo said:

I avoid flights from Stansted even though it is my closest airport (apart from City which I have never used) simply because they won't accept Oyster. Why doesn't this change? I  can use Oyster to get to Gatwick, Luton or Heathrow. Also because, in the event of no service, there is no alternative other than a slow coach to Stratford (which I had to take on 1 occasion). 

Isn't Stansted about to be added to the list of stations where it is accepted?

Contactless will be accepted later in 2025, but Oyster will not be expanded further as they have reached the limits of the older system. TfL may in the future have a new Oyster system more like contactless which will allow a way round the limits of the old Oyster system, but there is no current plan.

I will be happy when contactless is accepted though as I live on the route to Stansted so will make my commute easier.

katejo

giraffe69 said:

katejo said:

I avoid flights from Stansted even though it is my closest airport (apart from City which I have never used) simply because they won't accept Oyster. Why doesn't this change? I  can use Oyster to get to Gatwick, Luton or Heathrow. Also because, in the event of no service, there is no alternative other than a slow coach to Stratford (which I had to take on 1 occasion). 

Isn't Stansted about to be added to the list of stations where it is accepted?

I hope you are right but I haven't heard that. I was at Liverpool St and Tottenham Hale this week and both have No Oyster warnings.

katejo

jon81uk said:

giraffe69 said:

katejo said:

I avoid flights from Stansted even though it is my closest airport (apart from City which I have never used) simply because they won't accept Oyster. Why doesn't this change? I  can use Oyster to get to Gatwick, Luton or Heathrow. Also because, in the event of no service, there is no alternative other than a slow coach to Stratford (which I had to take on 1 occasion). 

Isn't Stansted about to be added to the list of stations where it is accepted?

Contactless will be accepted later in 2025, but Oyster will not be expanded further as they have reached the limits of the older system. TfL may in the future have a new Oyster system more like contactless which will allow a way round the limits of the old Oyster system, but there is no current plan.

I will be happy when contactless is accepted though as I live on the route to Stansted so will make my commute easier.

It is possible to use Oyster to get to Gatwick but you can't get out at intervening stations such as Redhill. 

MilesT6060842

Parking at Stansted can be expensive, although there are cheaper offsite options/long term (out by the Noveltel fka Hilton, bus transfers, cheaper for even one day), and some of the hotels offer stay&Park bundles which can be helpful