Thinking of driving to Stansted? Here’s why the Finsbury Park coach is cheaper, easier and less stressful than doing it yourself.
I’ve travelled to Stansted dozens of times over the years as a travel blogger. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the journey to the airport can make or break the start of a trip. I used to drive every time, convinced it gave me more control. Then I worked out what I was actually spending on parking, petrol, and the stress of the M11 and A120 on a bad day, and I started looking at alternatives.
These days, when I’m heading out to Stansted on my own, I almost always take the coach instead. It’s become such a habit that I genuinely look forward to it now, which isn’t something I ever thought I’d say about getting to an airport. In this post, I’m sharing the seven reasons why I think more people should be doing the same, from the cost savings to the sheer convenience of skipping the car altogether.
1. It’s ridiculously easy to book and incredibly good value
Let’s start with the obvious one: cost. A flibco Finsbury Park to Stansted coach ticket starts from just £8.99 if you book online, which is a fraction of what you’d spend on petrol and parking for the same journey. I’ve paid more for a coffee and a pastry at the airport than I have for some of my coach tickets. Booking takes two minutes on your phone, and that’s it. No faffing about with apps for parking spaces or trying to remember which terminal car park you left your car in three weeks ago.
2. You skip the parking nightmare entirely
This is the one that sold me originally. Stansted’s car parks aren’t cheap, and even the “drop and go” options come with a cost if your flight’s delayed and you’re cutting it fine. I swear, every year they add some sort of new charge to squeeze more money out of you. Well, with the coach, none of that exists. You get off, you walk into the terminal, and that’s it. No barriers, no tickets to keep track of, no wondering if you remembered where you parked when you land back exhausted at midnight.
3. The direct route from Finsbury Park is properly convenient for North Londoners
If you live anywhere near Finsbury Park, Wood Green, or Enfield, this route is so simple. You don’t need to drag your case into central London first, which is what a lot of people assume they have to do. Finsbury Park itself is one of the busiest transport interchanges in the city, served by the Victoria line, the Piccadilly line, and National Rail, so getting there from pretty much anywhere in North London is straightforward. From Finsbury Park, the coach gets you to Stansted in around 90 minutes, which on a good traffic day is comparable to driving. On a bad traffic day, it’s considerably faster.
4. Coaches run every 45 minutes, day and night
One of the things that used to put me off coach travel in general was the fear of missing my bus and being stuck. That’s not an issue here. Services run every 45 minutes around the clock, which means even if you’re catching an early morning flight or landing on a delayed late flight, there’s always another one coming. I’ve turned up later than planned more than once thanks to traffic on the way to the stop, and I’ve never had to panic about it.
5. Your ticket is valid all day, so delays don’t ruin your plans
This is a small detail that makes a surprisingly big difference. Your ticket isn’t tied to one specific departure; it’s valid for any coach that day, right up until 4am the next morning. If your flight gets delayed, or you simply misjudge your timing, you just hop on the next one. I’ve had this happen to me with a delayed inbound flight, and not having to rebook or pay a fee for missing my “slot” took one less thing off my plate when I was already tired and irritable from travelling.
6. It’s actually a relaxing way to start or end your trip
There’s something genuinely nice about being driven somewhere rather than driving yourself, especially after a long flight. I can get my phone out, catch up on messages, or just stare out of the window listening to music. The coaches themselves are modern and comfortable, and luggage is included in your ticket price too. As I said, it’s all really easy!
7. It’s a more sustainable way to travel
I try to be mindful of this when I can, without being precious about it. Taking a shared coach instead of driving solo to the airport is a simple way to cut down on unnecessary emissions, particularly if you’d otherwise be making the round trip twice – once to drop off, once to collect. It’s not going to offset a long-haul flight, but every sensible decision along the way adds up, and this is one of the easiest ones to make.
If you’re planning a trip out of Stansted and you live anywhere near North London, I’d genuinely encourage you to give the coach a try at least once. I was sceptical the first time, mostly out of habit, but it’s become my default option now. Sometimes the easiest, cheapest choice really is the best one.
