Stansted airport free set down area

This is a helpful blog post to explain Stansted Airport’s free set-down area.

Back in 2015, it was still possible to be dropped off at Stansted Airport’s departure entrance; this has now changed.

Those were the good old days of air travel, and now it looks like most UK airports have followed Stansted Airport’s footsteps and offer an express drop-off fee.

I was just at Newcastle International Airport and they now also charge for express drop-off.

In 2015, a barrier was installed at the drop-off zone near Stansted Airport’s departure gates.

Now, the barrier has been removed altogether, and you must pay for a Stansted Airport express drop-off fee of £10 online using your car’s number plate.

If you forget to pay this fee, you might be fined up to £100! So don’t forget: £50 for quicker payment of the fine; you have been warned.

It’s since increased from the introductory price of £2 to £2.50, and since April 2016 it’s gone up once more to £3.

As of November 2021, there has been a further increase, and it is now £7 for up to 15 minutes.

In 2026, it has now gone up to a whopping £10! How’s that for inflation!

You think this would be the end of it, but it’s not, sadly. I’m sure this won’t be the last time I will have to update the fee.

This fee entitles you to under 15 minutes in the drop-off zone. No more, no less. If you go over 15 minutes, this increases to £28.00.

Avoid a hefty £28 charge

(It used to be easier to fly from London Stansted)

If you happen to encounter traffic at the exit gate and exceed your 10-minute allocation, you will be subject to a £25 charge.

Some readers have reported paying up to £25, as some drivers struggle to leave the drop-off zone within 15 minutes.

This could be due to a traffic jam situation where your car is stuck and can no longer move to exit the area.

This was my reason for wanting to first write about this horrible fee, as it’s simply unfair to the driver, who may be doing a good deed for the holidaymaker.

Whilst you go off and enjoy your holiday, your friend or family member who offered to drop you off gets stuck into this fee-paying trap!

Now the barriers have been removed, this will hopefully speed up the drop-off time; it’s important that you don’t forget to pay the £10 online to avoid the late payment fines.

Stansted airport free set down area

(Please read this section carefully to help avoid this horrible situation from happening.)

Be a good person and plan your journey to Stansted Airport in advance, and find out what to do and which steps to take.

Avoid landing into the same problem as many other passengers have faced in the past.

First of all, please add an additional 30 minutes to your travel time to Stansted Airport.

This method is free but does require more time to reach the airport.

If you are in a rush, your only choice is to fork out the high £10 fee and be dropped off in the Express drop-off zone. You have been warned.

The above method is the only method without being fined, landing in trouble or having to pay the overpriced drop-off fee.

Stansted Airport has a free set-down area located in the Mid-stay car park.

How the free Stansted airport set down area works

(Simply follow the signs to the “Free set down” area. )

Here you will find a free bus transfer to the departure gates.

They run every 10 minutes and take around 5 minutes for the journey.

You can stay in this zone for free for up to 1 hour/60 minutes.

For an additional £5 you can stay for 2 hours/120 minutes.

24 hours is £30 and any additional 24 hours will cost an extra £30 0n top.

Now that’s a lot better than possibly landing yourself into a £25 charge for going over 15 minutes!

This method works for pick up and collection too

This method works for both pickup and drop-off.

A short walk from the Mid-stay car park, you can find a McDonald’s to grab a coffee whilst you wait, or take the free bus to the arrival terminal and wait there; plenty of options without any shocking fees.

If you do stop off at McDonald’s, be sure to purchase an item and register your number plate with the staff, as they do operate a fine system for non-customers.

This is a recently introduced feature, which is why I wrote an update post on the situation.

Still, many drivers are getting caught by this overpriced drop-off zone fee.

Now you have a solution to the problem. I hope this makes the situation a bit better.

Still, I will highlight that charging for drop-off is purely unfair, and running over 15 minutes is unfair if you get caught in a jam at the exit barrier.

Sometimes 15 minutes isn’t enough, but I hope the above situation helps avoid having to pay a possible £28.

Do’s and dont’s

(The free shuttle bus from the mid stay car park is a hassle but it’s the easiest solution to deal with this problem. )

Do not get dropped off at the Radisson hotel, which was once advised. Since the introduction of the drop-off fee, the hotel has installed a fine system for non-customers using the car park facilities.

Do not drop off at the barrier roundabout; CCTV cameras are located in these areas, and the area is marked with double yellow lines. It is against the law to drop off here.

Do not walk up to the barriers on foot and into the departure zone; it’s clearly signposted that this is not allowed, and you could cause trouble. Police are present around this area.

Thank you for reading

Thank you for reading my blog post all about Stansted Airport’s free set-down area. I hope you’ve found it useful and that this resolves the situation for your next visit to Stansted Airport.

I hope you have a wonderful trip and onward journey.

Have you just been caught by the drop-off fee? Have you used the Mid-stay car park shuttle service? Let me know what you think in the comment section below. Thank you for reading and happy travels!