Reading to Stansted Airport - Public Transport Guide
Travel west into leafy Berkshire, and you come to the thriving town of Reading. This once-sleepy market town is now the centre of the UK's own 'Silicon Valley' for the tech industry. It's also a great place to live! If you're based in Reading and travelling to Europe to attend a conference on the latest tech developments or searching for some sunshine for a family holiday, Stansted is a great starting point for your travels abroad.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at how to get from Reading to Stansted and what transport options are available to make your journey easier. We'll consider the costs and the pros and cons of each transport option so you can get from Reading to Stansted Airport quickly, easily, and for the best price.
Where is Reading?
Reading sits to the west of London and is approximately 136km (85 miles) by road from Stansted Airport. The M4 is the most direct route from Reading to London for drivers, using Junction 12 to access the eastbound carriageway from the A329(M). However, to get to Stansted, you will also have to run the gauntlet of the infamous M25, joining the motorway at Junction 4B and following the motorway clockwise to Junction 27. The rest of the journey is via the M11 and takes between one hour and 40 minutes and two hours and 40 minutes, depending on the traffic.
If you decide to travel by car, you must also factor in parking fees, petrol, and the M25's notorious reputation for miles of tailbacks!
Is there an easier way to get from Reading to Stansted? Let's consider your options.
Route 1 -The benefits of the bus
Rather than going all the way around London, head into the capital using the GWR train service or the Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) to Paddington Station. Trains are regular and quick, with tickets costing around £17 for a single. The connection between the Paddington and Stratford on the Elizabeth Line is super-easy, and if you want to take a break before the next part of your journey, there are plenty of cafés on offer. The trip to Stratford from Paddington takes around 35 minutes, and tickets are around £6.70.
Once you arrive at Stratford, it’s just a two-minute walk to Airport Bus Express departures at Bus Stop 20 without worrying about negotiating escalators or underground tunnels. You can buy a ticket on the day for just £16.00, or cut your costs even more to as little as £9* if you book up to 30 days in advance. Using the combined train and bus option will cost you around £30 if you book in advance – that’s a lot less than the cost of petrol and parking if you drive!
Route 2 – Take the train all the way
The alternative is to let the train take the strain. Catch the GWR train or Elizabeth Line to Paddington Station as before (again, costing around £17.00). Once you arrive, take the Elizabeth Line Paddington to Liverpool Street service, which should take around 15 minutes. Here, you can switch to the Stansted Express, which takes a further 35 minutes to reach Stansted Airport and will cost you around £23 for a standard single ticket.
The Stansted Express terminates at the underground platform beneath Stansted Terminal and is a fast, easy, and comfortable way to travel. Bear in mind, though, that the service does not run 24/7, so if you're travelling very late at night or before 04:30 a.m., you won't be able to travel from Reading to Stansted by train.
Which is best?
If you prefer the luxury of your own space and don’t mind either the cost or the prospect of battling your way through the M25 rush hour, driving is a comfortable way of travelling from Reading to Stansted Airport.
However, if you prefer to let public transport do the hard work for you, your two options are by train or by bus. Of the two, the bus is cheaper - even when you add the extra expense of getting from Reading to London and across the capital. You can cut those costs right down if you book in advance, and this also ensures your seat on the bus.
The new Elizabeth Line has revolutionised transport across London, making it far simpler to cross the city without repeatedly changing trains. Once you arrive at Stratford, there are no underground corridors or escalators to contend with, and your bus departure point is just two minutes away from the underground link.
With state-of-the-art facilities and a friendly welcome from your driver, the Reading to Stansted Airport bus service is our choice for comfort, economy, and reliability.
*Price for a standard single ticket booked online 30 days in advance. Prices are subject to change.
Ricky