Using the Southern or Thameslink trains to get from Gatwick Airport to Central London is easy, fast and affordable. This guide shows you exactly how to do it.
Determine Your Route
Thameslink trains run every 10-15 minutes from Luton to stations including:
- St Pancras (for Victoria, Northern, Piccadilly, Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City tube lines, as well as King’s Cross rail station).
- Farringdon (for the Elizabeth Line)
- City Thameslink
- Blackfriars (for the District and Circle lines)
- London Bridge (for the Jubilee and Northern Lines)
In addition, East Midlands Railway (EMR) runs a fast train every 30 minutes, which runs non-stop to St Pancras. However, it’s not so much faster that it’s worth waiting around for, if the next train is a Thameslink.
If you’re not sure which station in London you need to head to, use transit directions within Google/Apple Maps, or download the Citymapper app. These apps will give you step-by-step instructions on which trains and stations to use to get to your destination.
Alternatively, if your accommodation is in central London and you have heavy bags, you could get the first train to St Pancras and pick up a taxi from there to your destination (see below).
Find the DART Shuttle to the Station
The station at Luton is actually located around a mile away from the airport. In recent years, the airport have opened an automated shuttle train (called the DART) to take you between the airport and the station.
Therefore, follow signs to the train station, and you will be directed towards the DART terminal.
Buy Tickets, or Use Contactless
Once you get to the DART terminal, you’ll see machines selling tickets, and a row of ticket gates.
You have three options to chose from to pay for your travel:
- Use contactless – The easiest way to travel is to use a contactless credit/debit card or device, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay on a phone. This way, you don’t need to buy a ticket at all – simply walk up to the ticket gate and touch your card or phone on the reader. The gate will open, and you can walk through with your luggage. Each adult needs their own card or device. The Luton DART costs £4.90, and then the fare for the train to stations in central London is £12.30 or £16.60 during the weekday morning peak (Mon-Fri 6:30am – 9:30am).
- Buy Tickets Online – You can use the EMR or Thameslink websites to purchase tickets in advance, and then display them on your phone as e-tickets. The price varies depending on where you need to get to. It’s often cheaper to purchase a return ticket in one transaction. Make sure you buy your ticket from ‘Luton Airport’ and not ‘Luton Airport Parkway’, as tickets from the airport itself will include a trip on the DART shuttle. Beware – the cheapest tickets are often ‘Advance Singles’ which are only valid on the specific train selected. This isn’t ideal when you’re coming from a flight. Instead, look for the ‘Anytime’ or ‘Off-Peak’ tickets, which are valid on any train that day, regardless of whether the train you get is EMR or Thameslink (subject to peak time restrictions on ‘Off-Peak’ tickets).
- Buy a paper ticket from the machine – you can also use the machines to buy tickets at the airport. Given the large number of routes and stations served from the airport, it can be slightly confusing to know which option to select. Ask staff if you’re not sure.
Children: Children under 5 travel free and do not need a ticket. Children 5-15 can purchase discounted child tickets – either in advance via the website, or using the ticket machines at the station.
Ride the DART and Locate the Correct Platform
After you’ve passed the ticket barriers, the DART is straight ahead. Ride the shuttle, and you’ll be at the train station within a few minutes. You’ll then have to go through two further sets of ticket barriers – one to leave the DART platforms, and another to get into the rail station (which is straight ahead). If you’ve got a through ticket, keep scanning the same ticket and it will open all the barriers.
Luton Airport station has four platforms. When you’re passing through the ticket gates at the station, look at the screens to see which trains are leaving from which platforms. If you’re not sure which platform you need, ask staff. Thameslink trains to London tend to leave from platform 1, and EMR trains from platform 3.
Follow the signage and take the lifts of escalators down to the platform you need. Once on the platform, screens and announcements will let you know when your train is coming
Ride the Train
When the train arrives, board and take any seat. You can either keep your luggage with you where you sit, or place it in the racks by the doors. Screens and announcements will announce upcoming stations, so it’s easy to know when to get off.
Onward Travel by Taxi
If you have lots of luggage, you may find it easier to get a London taxi (black cab) to your final destination. If you’re leaving the train at St Pancras, follow signs to the taxi rank, which is on the ground level. The taxis can take 5 or 6 people plus luggage, and take cash or card.
Onward Travel by Tube / Elizabeth Line
St Pancras is served by the Victoria, Northern, Piccadilly, Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City tube lines. There is only one tube station at St Pancras, but it has multiple entrances, so simply look around and follow signs for the ‘Underground’. The station is step-free, so it’s possible to use lifts (elevators) to get to the platforms if you have heavy luggage.
Farringdon is served by the Elizabeth Line. It’s a very simple change – follow the signs and take escalators or lifts (elevators) down to the Elizabeth Line.
It’s easiest and cheapest to use contactless cards or devices to pay for the Underground & Elizabeth Line, however there are also ticket machines to purchase paper tickets or Oyster Cards.
If you want to plan a route on the Underground or Elizabeth Line, use transit directions within Google/Apple Maps, or download the Citymapper app.