To arrive at the airport at 5am for a 6:20am flight?

God, this is making me retrospectively tense about the many times we've dropped the kids off at the Stansted midstay bus two hours before their flights.

God not Stansted esp if it’s Ryanair it’s horrendous

I would say that's fine but to be honest around the normal time I aim to arrive at standard before a flight - I'm quite a laid back traveller

As someone else has said pay for fast track.
we overslept - and I have never done that before ever even when much much younger - we had the same as you and fast track. We were very lucky and had plenty of time for a coffee and bacon butty - but it was stressful on the way to the airport

DH used to fly from Stansted regularly, and it was always extremely busy first thing in the morning.

Also, I keep getting newsflashes with advice to arrive at the airport at least two hours before a shorthaul flight. There is no way I would allow so little time TBH. Our train service is woefully unreliable these days.

Manchester 7am flight last weekend and had bags. We whizzed through. We didn't have to take liquids out of bags so security was fast. Not been from Stansted recently though.

Definitely doable but you'll want to pay ahead for fast track security

Gatwick would be fine. I have got off the train, monorail to North Terminal and through security within 15 minutes many times

Stansted not a chance. Their security is awful and they seem to do a lot more “random” bag checks than other airports I go through so there is a risk you get caught up waiting for your bag to be manually checked

Do the buses (either from Victoria or Liverpool St) work out better time wise? At that time of day the roads won’t be that busy

If it's like birmingham last weekend there is no way. Also keep in mind that the gate is likely to close well before take off. I'd say you need at least 2 hours if already checked in and not dropping a bag......

At that time of the morning you'll be fine

get an uber or bolt which will be cheaper than a hotel. But I would just get a hotel personally ..

Like others have said it can take ages to get off the platform at the railway station. Last time we got it there was 1 ticket inspector who wasn’t even attempting to hurry checking tickets and railcards and another 1-2 people stopping people from going through. We were so glad we were early as there was a massive crowd trying to get through and it was stressful.

I'm not familiar with Stansted but I regularly travel from Gatwick and Heathrow short haul with hand luggage only & checked in online beforehand. 1 hour 20 is perfectly adequate for that.

I'd pay for fast track security if you can, and be 100% sure your hand luggage contents are entirely within security rules to mitigate the risk of it being pulled for second search.

I went through Stansted last week. They're trialling new scanners which mean you don't have to put your liquids in separate bags, but you're only selected for that trial once you've already faffed about putting liquids in bags so you then need to put everything back in your bag. The queues were massive and added at least 30/45 mins to processing times.

Edited to add that because they're not sure how accurate the new scanners are yet, lots of bags and people were beinv pulled for second scans.

What's the latest you can get there the night before? I'd not chance that short a time, but I'd pretty happily turn up at midnight and just have a long wait in the airport. Save the cost of a hotel, which there is no chance I'd pay for.

Presuming no DC with you of course. I'd suck up the hotel cost then.

There’s just no margin for anything going wrong and I would be so stressed it wouldn’t be worth it. Depends how bothered you are about missing the flight. A longed for holiday then worth it to stay the night before. A work trip then yes I can get it’s more of your free time to stay the night before.

DH often cuts it fine for work trips! Always aims to get to the airport about an hour and a half before.

I can recommend the Stanstead Novotel.

I wouldn't. Fly from stanstead a lot and sometimes it's quick but other times security has taken so long. We were in the queue for an hour and a half few weeks ago.

I’d disagree.

I’ve often arrived for flights with one hour 20 to spare if hand luggage only at stansted.

I suppose it depends on consequences if you miss it.

it is tight though! Which is why you’re asking, but definitely possible if you arrive on time.

No chance.
DS missed a flight at Heathrow thanks to a train which just didn't get there when it should have done.
It cost him an additional £400 to get on the next flight, not to mention the six hour wait for it.

Also, if you think you will need the loo between arriving at Stansted and getting on the plane, be prepared to queue for that as well. Everyone else has done the same as you- got up early and had a big coffee to get themselves, er, moving. Anyway I'll leave that thought with you.

In my experience Stansted security can be horrendous, way worse than Heathrow or Gatwick. I don't why they seem to make it so difficult when othet airports seem to cope much better.

I’d take the national express instead and plan to arrive 4:30am, or pay for fast track (£10 max I think), in which case 1h20 will be enough.

Stansted security can be 30 mins / then 12 mins walk at pace beyond there / then transit train to gates or on foot - another 15 mins min.

Lots of flights go out first thing, no delays normally that time of day.
I don’t think you can wait in the Stansted terminal overnight.

Hotel - 3 best options - Hilton Hampton - walking distance 6 mins before terminal / Raddison - similar - after terminal. Or Premier Inn at 2 miles and involving regular transfer buses.

Coach option mentioned above sounds a good choice?