Stansted Airport to Ely Transfer – Fixed Price, the Ship of the Fens

A Stansted Airport to Ely transfer is a fixed-price Mercedes chauffeur, around 60 to 75 minutes door to door and from £214 one way, running in both directions 24/7. The return leg, Ely to Stansted, is the same fixed fare and the same route in reverse.

This journey is one of the routes on our Stansted airport chauffeur page, which covers every destination we drive from the airport with the same Mercedes fleet, the same met-at-arrivals pickup and the same fixed-price promise.

See your fixed price

Ely sits 46 miles north of Stansted Airport, reached via the A10 heading straight up past Cambridge on our full long-distance route list. In clear traffic that’s around 60 to 75 minutes, with the M11 doing most of the work before the single-carriageway A10 north of Cambridge.

There’s a direct train between Stansted Airport and Ely, on the same CrossCountry service that continues on to Peterborough further up the line, taking roughly 45 to 53 minutes – genuinely quick, since Ely sits closer to Cambridge than either Peterborough or Norwich. Where the chauffeur still wins is certainty and convenience for groups: no juggling luggage on and off a train, one fare for the whole vehicle, and a fixed price whether it’s a single business traveller or a full vehicle. MILE5 is a TfL-licensed operator, licence 009161, with 15+ years and 50,000 completed transfers behind it and a five-star Google rating from real passengers – read what our clients say.

Stansted Airport to Ely Chauffeur Pricing

All prices are fixed and all-inclusive, agreed before you travel, in both directions. Final quote depends on exact pickup or drop-off address, vehicle choice and any additional stops. No surge pricing, no hidden fees.

Every fare includes in-terminal meet-and-greet inside the Stansted arrivals hall, flight tracking so a delayed landing doesn’t cost you the booking, and 60 minutes of complimentary waiting time. The £10 Express Set Down charge at the terminal is absorbed in the price shown, and there’s no ULEZ or Congestion Charge to think about on this route either way. Split seven ways in the V-Class, £320 works out under £46 a head for the whole run – a single known figure against a train that charges per passenger regardless of group size.

Where MILE5 Picks Up and Drops Off in Ely

Ely is one of England’s smallest cities, built almost entirely around its cathedral and the low hill – technically an island before the surrounding Fens were drained in the 17th century – that gave the area its old name, the Isle of Ely. Ely Cathedral, known locally as the Ship of the Fens for the way its octagonal lantern tower is visible for miles across the flat surrounding Fens, sits at the top of the town and is where most of MILE5’s Ely drop-offs head first. The city centre spreads downhill from there towards the River Great Ouse, past Oliver Cromwell’s House – the only surviving former home of the Lord Protector open to the public – and the Ely Museum, housed in the old town gaol.

Ely is one of the further East Anglia destinations MILE5 covers from Stansted, alongside Peterborough on the same rail line north, at its own fixed price.

What Visitors Come to Ely For

Ely Cathedral is the reason most visitors come – its Norman nave and the unique octagonal lantern tower, rebuilt in the 14th century after the original central tower collapsed, make it one of the most distinctive cathedral buildings in the country, and there’s genuinely nothing else quite like it in Europe. Oliver Cromwell’s House doubles as Ely’s tourist information centre and gives a rare look at a Lord Protector’s domestic life rather than his political one. Down by the river, Ely’s waterside – the Great Ouse riverfront around the old Maltings building, now a function and events venue – draws a steady flow of boating traffic and towpath walkers, and the short Eel Trail through town, a nod to the fact that Ely’s name is thought to derive from the Anglo-Saxon word for eel, is a popular add-on for anyone staying an extra hour.

Ely Chauffeur vs the Train vs a Hire Car

Ely is, if anything, an even stronger case for the train on pure speed than Peterborough or Norwich – it’s one of the closer stops on the same CrossCountry line and the journey is genuinely brief. The case for MILE5 here rests on the same ground as it does everywhere else on this route: one fixed fare regardless of party size, no juggling luggage on and off a train, and a driver who adjusts automatically if a flight lands late. For anyone weighing a pre-booked fixed fare against renting and driving yourself for a trip this length, MILE5’s guide to why hire a chauffeur instead of renting a car covers the practical case in more detail.

What Running This Route Has Taught Us

The A10 through Waterbeach and past the Milton interchange north of Cambridge is the one section of this route that can genuinely add time – it carries a lot of local commuter traffic in and out of Cambridge, on top of whatever’s happening on the Cambridge ring road itself. Inside Ely, the lanes down towards Waterside and the Maltings are narrow enough that MILE5 always asks for the precise drop-off address rather than just “the riverside” before confirming a booking.

Your Driver at Stansted Airport

Stansted has one terminal building – there’s no North or South side to specify, unlike Gatwick. Your driver waits inside the arrivals hall holding a name board, tracking your flight so a delay shifts the pickup time rather than costing you the booking. The Express Set Down area sits right next to the terminal, and the £10 charge there is already built into the fixed price above. Check the arrivals board and MILE5’s own Stansted Airport guide for terminal-specific detail on the day.

Written by Ian Silva, MILE5’s lead content author. This guide draws on MILE5’s 15+ years and 50,000+ airport transfers, plus first-hand research into terminal logistics, fleet operations, and London airport routes.

Stansted to Ely Chauffeur – Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a Stansted Airport to Ely transfer?

Fares start from £214 one way in the E-Class, £311 in the S-Class and £320 in the V-Class, fixed and agreed before you travel, the same in both directions.

Do you cover Ely to Stansted Airport transfers too?

Yes – every booking runs in both directions at the same fixed price, whether you’re travelling out to catch a flight or being collected from Ely on arrival.

How long does the drive from Stansted Airport to Ely take?

Around 60 to 75 minutes in normal traffic, mainly via the A10 heading north past Cambridge.

Is there a direct train between Stansted Airport and Ely?

Yes – CrossCountry runs a direct service, taking roughly 45 to 53 minutes. It’s genuinely quick; MILE5’s advantage is a fixed group price and no juggling luggage on and off a train.

What happens if my flight into Stansted is delayed?

Nothing changes on your end. Every Ely booking is flight-tracked, so a delayed landing shifts your driver’s pickup time automatically rather than costing you the fare or the booking.

Can I book a larger vehicle for a group travelling to Ely?

Yes – the V-Class seats up to seven with matching luggage space, and at £320 for the whole vehicle that works out under £46 a head for a full group.

Where does my driver meet me at Stansted Airport?

Inside the arrivals hall, holding a name board, for every Ely booking. Stansted has a single terminal, so there’s no terminal number or side to specify.

Do you serve the whole of Ely, not just the city centre?

Yes – drivers cover the full city and the surrounding villages, with the same fixed fare and door-to-door drop-off.

See your fixed price

TfL Licensed No. 009161 · MILE5 Limited · Companies House No. 09642693 · VAT No. 301016381