London Luton Airport (LTN) is located approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of London. It is one of the fastest growing airports in the UK and is the fourth largest in terms of annual passengers. It can be a good alternative to Heathrow or Gatwick airports, especially for travelers on a lower budget. Luton primarily serves other European airports and includes primarily budget airline flights.
Story
Luton opened in 1938 and was used as a base for Royal Air Force fighter jets during World War II. It is located in the Chiltern Hills, north London, near the River Lea valley. Since the end of the war, it has been a commercial airport of one iteration or another, hosting business jets, charter airlines, and commercial package delivery companies.
It was renamed from Luton Airport to London Luton Airport in 1990, in part to reiterate that it was relatively close to the capital of England.
Getting to and from the airport
If you are flying into Luton, please note that it is a bit further from central London than other UK airports. So you will need a plan to get from Luton to central London if you are flying there.
While there are many options available, such as rail, tube, taxi and bus, London is a large city with a complex transit system. Don’t wait until you get there before making a plan on how you will get to the city.
Traveling by train
The Luton Airport Parkway station is close to the airport, and a regular shuttle bus connects the two. Passengers can buy train tickets that include the price of the bus service. The shuttle takes about 10 minutes.
- Thameslink operates trains from Luton Airport Parkway to central London stations such as Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon and Kings Cross St Pancras International. Trains run every 10 minutes at peak times, and the service runs 24 hours.
- East Midlands Trains operate an hourly service between Luton Airport Parkway and St Pancras International.
Duration: between 25 and 45 minutes, depending on the route.
Traveling by bus
Please note that the following services often operate on the same bus.
- Green Line route 757 operates a 24-hour service with up to four buses per hour to and from London Victoria, Marble Arch, Baker Street, Finchley Road and Brent Cross.
- Duration: about 70 minutes.
- The easyBus service to and from London Victoria operates every 20 to 30 minutes, 24 hours a day.
- Duration: about 80 minutes.
- Terravision operates to and from London Victoria via Marble Arch, Baker Street, Finchley Road and Brent Cross. The service operates every 20 to 30 minutes, 24 hours a day.
- Duration: about 65 minutes.
Get a taxi
You can usually find a black taxi line outside the terminal or go to one of the approved taxi counters. Fares are subject to fees, but beware of additional charges, such as overnight or weekend travel fees. Tipping is not required, but is generally expected.
Duration: between 60 and 90 minutes, depending on traffic.
