Luton is London’s fourth busiest airport, located 34 miles Northwest of the city.
The quickest option is generally to take the train, although there are two train operators and multiple destination stations to choose from. Read on for all the details.
Trains
Price: From £17 (depending on time and ticket type)
Duration: 25-45 minutes
Frequency: Every 7-12 minutes
Luton Airport is well connected to Central London, with East Midlands Railway running a fast non-stop service to St Pancras, and Thameslink running slightly slower trains that continue from St Pancras on to other destinations in London, including Farringdon, Blackfriars and London Bridge.
Contactless payment is accepted, even though the airport is outside of London itself. You can also purchase tickets online or at the station if you prefer.
Luton Airport Parkway station is actually a mile away from the airport itself – in order to get between the airport and the train station, the Luton Airport ‘DART’ shuttle train runs 24/7, up to every 5 minutes. This shuttle is not free to use, but contactless is accepted and it is also included with train tickets issued to or from Luton Airport.
Read the detailed guide on how to take the train from Luton Airport here.
Bus/Coach – National Express
Price: Variable – from £7
Duration: 40 minutes – 2 hours, depending on time and route
Frequency: Every 30 minutes
National Express run coaches from Luton Airport to a number of destinations in central London. All coaches are air-conditioned and have toilets. Everyone gets a seat, no standing is permitted. Luggage goes in the bottom of the coach, although you can take smaller items with you to your seat.
Generally coaches are slower than the train, but can be cheaper, and serve different direct destinations.
National Express’ most frequent service is the A1, which runs every 30 minutes, and calls at:
- Golders Green
- Finchley Road
- St John’s Wood
- Baker Street
- Victoria Station
When booking online, you select a specific service, but can add ‘Change and Go’ for an additional £5, which will let you get on any service 12 hours before or after your booked time. This is handy when arriving into the airport, as you can’t be sure whether your plane will be delayed.
View routes and buy tickets on the National Express website.
Taxi
If you don’t want to use public transport, or are travelling with lots of luggage, the other option is to get a taxi. However, the trip into London by road takes longer than by train, often between 40-90 minutes depending on your destination.
Luton is not in London, so there is no rank of black cabs waiting at the airport. Instead, it’s advisable to pre-book a car service such as Welcome Pickups, and the driver will be waiting for you at arrivals, holding a sign with your name on. Expect to pay £70-140 depending on where you want to go in London.