Car rental prices at London Stansted Airport

For November 2026 at London Stansted Airport, a typical price booked around a month before your trip is $40 a day for a Compact, such as a Volkswagen Golf, so use that to judge your quote. An Economy, such as an Opel Corsa, averages $34 a day, while a Mini, such as a Fiat 500, averages $29 for the same pickups. In the last 2 weeks before pickup, the Compact car averages $36 a day, which is $4 less a day. Check the price checker for your exact dates before deciding whether your quote is good.

For November 2026 at STN, wait until around 2 weeks before your trip: a Compact car averages $36 a day then, versus $45 across the year at that lead time. For November 2026, a Compact car averages $40 a day around a month before pickup, so the last 2 weeks cost $4 less a day. Across the year, a Compact car averages $65 a day around 9 months before pickup and $45 around 2 weeks before, so you have not missed the lower prices by leaving it later. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 65% of our customers booked within a month of pickup, so booking late is not unusual.

Dollar is cheapest at London Stansted Airport for a Compact car, averaging $42 a day over the last 12 months from 535 prices, but you need a credit card for its deposit. Dollar scores 88/100 from 44 recent reviews and holds a typical $992 deposit, so check your available credit before booking. Budget averages $44 a day for a Compact car over the last 12 months, which is $2 more a day, and accepts a debit card. Budget scores 80/100 from 171 recent reviews, so compare its card access against Dollar's higher score.

The cheapest company can cost you a longer queue or a bigger deposit, so check the review score and desk wait beside each car in the results before you book.

Dollar is joint best-reviewed at London Stansted Airport, scoring 88/100 from 44 recent reviews with a 13-minute average desk wait, and is also cheapest for a Compact car, so you can shortlist it on both measures. Dollar averages $42 a day for a Compact car over the last 12 months, from 535 prices. National also scores 88/100, from 118 recent reviews, but its desk wait averages 24 minutes. National averages $63 a day for a Compact car over the last 12 months, from 1,058 prices, which is $21 more a day, so choose Dollar if price and collection time matter more to you than the larger review count.

Review scores are CarTrawler customers' own, from the last five months; the score and the desk wait sit beside each car in the results.

At London Stansted Airport, typical deposits range from $66 with U-Save to $2,380 with Drivalia, and 5 of the 13 desks accept a debit card, so check card access before choosing a price. Sixt accepts a debit card for some cars only, while 7 desks require a credit card. If you need to use a debit card, filter for it before comparing prices and check the deposit and card rule beside each car. Extras charged at the desk are listed under each car with their prices.

If you bring your own child seat, check your airline's rules first: most carry one free, some charge.

At London Stansted Airport, check the deposit card rule and leave time for collection, because credit-only desks and waits can disrupt your onward plans. 7 of the 13 desks require a credit card, so do not arrive relying on a debit card unless your chosen car explicitly allows it. Sixt accepts debit cards for some cars only, so check the rule for the car you select. Alamo's desk wait averages 28 minutes against 10 minutes at Avis, so allow more collection time if you choose Alamo.

Only 42% of prices at London Stansted Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

At London Stansted Airport, choose a Compact, such as a Volkswagen Golf, at $40 a day in November 2026 if your luggage fits: it seats 5 but takes only 3 bags. For November 2026 pickups priced around a month before your trip, an Economy such as an Opel Corsa costs $34 a day but takes only 2 bags despite seating 5; an Intermediate such as a Nissan Qashqai costs $45 a day and seats 5 but takes 4 bags. Over the last 12 months, 58% of cars offered are automatic, so you have a broad choice when you tick that filter. Across the full pricing period, an automatic Compact car averages $65 a day against $53 for a manual Compact car, which is $12 more a day, so budget for the transmission you want. Electric cars account for 6% of cars offered and hybrids for 2% over the last 12 months, so filter for your preferred power type rather than expecting it in every result.