London Southend Airport SEN Transfer & Departures

Flying from/to London Southend Airport

Get straight from London Southend Airport to the city centre without dither—booking your ticket in advance means you can zoom through the airport and be on your way to the city. We, at Omio, have collected information on the facilities that you have after landing, and the main places worth stopping at in the city centre to make planning your trip easier.

 Travel from London city centre to London Southend Airport 

London Southend Airport can claim to be the capital's newest flight hub. Since its redevelopment and extension in 2010, it has become a base for budget airlines and short-haul European routes, with around one and a half million passengers passing through its terminal annually.  It is well connected to the capital thanks to its own rail terminal, served by frequent trains from central London heading to the seaside. Trains are the obvious choice for transfers from central London, although night coaches are available for those travellers who booked a 6:30 a.m. flight to Faro. London Southend Airport has also become the capital's hub for flights to the Scottish Highlands and Islands, thanks to several Logan Air routes operating from the Essex airport. 

What's the best way to get to the airport from the city centre?

public transportation connections from London city centre to London Southend Airport are very straightforward, with the terminal having its own railway station with direct services from London Liverpool Street Station. Greater Anglia trains from the London terminus are on the mainline route to Southend-on-Sea and there are around eight trains an hour at peak times and at least two or three services every hour throughout the day and evening until late at night.  Due to the frequency and speed of the train connections, coach services from London are limited, but there is a handy night coach departure, the Jetlink X1 provided by Ensign coaches,  from London Victoria Coach Station, which gets to London Southend Airport in plenty of time for very early morning flights.  

How far is it from the city centre to the airport?

London Southend Airport is located about 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of central London. Train departures from London Liverpool Street to the airport take 53 minutes, although some Sunday services may be a little slower. Passengers taking the Jetlink X1 night coach from London Victoria Station  depart London at 3:00 a.m. and arrive at the airport at 4:30 a.m. with London traffic relatively light in the early hours. Taxi journeys from central London, in addition to being costly, will be slower than taking a direct train service.   

What facilities are there at the airport?

Although  London Southend Airport is a very small terminal compared to Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted, facilities at the airport cover most travellers' requirements. There are long and short stay parking lots close to the terminal, which has step-free access. Passenger amenities in the departures hall  include coffee shops, restaurants, a champagne bar and a traditional British pub with global cuisine and a children's menu. Stores and services include an electronics chain, a news vendor and convenience store, a currency exchange desk and beauty salon, while coachiness travellers will find lounges, free WiFi and charging ports. 

How accessible is the route for those with limited mobility?

Greater Anglia Trains offer assistance for wheelchair users, available at Liverpool Street Station and at London Southend Airport. Passenger elevators are available for platform access and there is step-free access from the station to the terminal building. The airport departures hall is on the ground floor so elevator access is not an issue. The ticket desk in the entrance concourse is the airport assistance meeting point, with wheelchairs and staff available to assist.

Local tips: how to travel to the airport like a local

With frequent services direct to the terminal, train travel to London Southend Airport is the most convenient option as well as the quickest. travellers taking the train should be aware that walk-up fares are usually the most expensive. Passengers with flights booked from London Southend Airport should also pre-book their rail connections well in advance.  Off-peak journeys on the Greater Anglia route from London Liverpool Street may qualify for Advance Single tickets which are often less than half the price of a ticket bought on the day of travel. The Jetlink X1 night coach is a useful and inexpensive option for travellers with early flight times. Taxi travel from London is prohibitively expensive and vulnerable to congested traffic conditions on the A13 or A127 east of the capital.