Upvote:1
If neither the train nor the bus are an option, e.g. because it's early in the morning (the last night bus is at 2.30am, while trains stop two hours earlier), different companies offer taxi services to and from Cambridge for around £50.
The cheapest ones I know are A1CabCo (prices: currently £46.50 STN to Cambridge) and CamCab (£50, although not reported here), but there are others.
Booking via telephone 24 hours in advance is advisable. Be sure to ask what payment methods are allowed: it's usually by cash or by card over the phone.
Upvote:6
The train would normally be the best option, being direct and taking 30 minutes. Another option which might be cheaper, or if there is engineering works going on, is the National Express 727 service, which is direct and takes around 45 minutes.
As for booking the train, in general, it is cheaper to book in advance, but not in this case. It doesn't matter which company you use to book the ticket with as they charge the same fares, however some charge additional fees. If you use Southern Railway - https://www.southernrailway.com/tickets they don't charge any fees. A flexible single (use anytime that day), is £10.40.
Upvote:18
There are direct train connections between Stansted Airport and Cambridge, but at some times it is quicker to take a local train towards London and change at Bishops Stortford or Stansted Mountfitchet. Check www.nationalrail.co.uk in advance, or when you get out from the baggage claim if you have a mobile device with a data plan that works in the UK.
The trip will take between 30 and 45 minutes, and most times of day you shouldn't need to wait more than half an hour for the train.
A ticket costs £10.40, and for this relation it does not get cheaper by buying in advance. The same ticket will be valid whether you catch a direct train or one with a change, so you don't need to know which train you will manage to catch when you buy a ticket at the machine.
Most of the trains are operated by Greater Anglia, but one train per hour is run by CrossCountry. The ordinary tickets you buy from the Greater Anglia ticket machines at the station are valid on CrossCountry too.