Last updated: 6 April 2024
How to travel by public transport between Luton airport and central London.
Luton airport is 32 miles (52km) north-west of London.
There are coaches or trains between the airport and London.
Luton airport does not have it’s own train station.There is a special shuttle train from Luton Parkway station to the airport which takes 4 minutes.
The train is quicker but more expensive than the coach. If you have a lot of luggage, it’s more convenient to take the National Express coach.
Travel to and from Luton airport: Summary
Scroll down for full details of each service between the airport and central London.
| Transport cost to and from Luton airport | ||
|---|---|---|
| Service | Single tickets | Time |
| National Express coach | £5–£12 | 65-85 mins |
| Train – Paper ticket (Mon-Fri) | £23.30a | 36-50 mins |
| Train – Paper ticket (Sat/Sun) | £17.90 | 36-50 mins |
| Train – Contactless off-peak | £11.70c | 36-50 mins |
| Train – Contactless peak | £15.90bc | 36-50 mins |
a:Standard on the day fare to Luton airport including DART shuttle
b: Contactless peak fare charged Monday-Thursday 06:30-09:30 (and from London to Luton 16:00-19:00).
c:This fare is to Luton Parkway. You will need to use your contactless card to pay for the connecting DART shuttle train from Luton Parkway to the airport (£4.90).
Please note that Oyster cards are not valid on the train to/from Luton airport. You can use a contactless card/device or buy a paper ticket
Trains to and from Luton airport
All trains stop/start at Luton Parkway station then you change to take the Luton DART, a high speed train taking you from the station to the airport in under 4 minutes.
How to take the train to London from Luton airport
- Buy your trian ticket from the Onward Travel Centre if you are not using contactless.
- Come out of the terminal, turn left and follow the ‘Trains’ signs.
- Go through the ticket barriers and take the first train that arrives. All trains go to Luton Parkway station.
- When you arrive at Luton Parkway, take the lift or escalator down to platform 1. All trains to London and Gatwick airport leave from platform 1.
Train Companies
Two train companies operate the Luton Airport–London route:
Thameslink and East Midlands trains.
Both companies leave from St Pancras International station. Thameslink also depart from other stations in London.
Thameslink trains – train stations
- London Bridge (LBG)
- London Blackfriars station (BFR)
- City Thameslink station (CTK) (no services on Sundays)
- Farringdon station (ZFD)
- St Pancras International station (STP)
- Luton airport (LUA)
East Midlands trains – Train stations
- St Pancras International station (STP)
- Luton airport (LUA)
Train journey time & frequency
The service to Luton is a 24-hour service with 6-8 trains per hour during the day and an hourly service overnight.
Check the National Rail website for train times.
London to Luton Airport train ticket prices
Tickets cost the same with both train companies
- Adults: £23.30 (child: £11.65) for an ‘Anytime single’ paper ticket.
- £17.90 for a ‘Super Off-Peak Single’ for travel on Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holidays (child: £8.95)
Contactless train fares to Luton airport
- It is possible to pay for this journey with a contactless card (NOT an Oyster card). £11.70 off-peak or £15.90 peak. Peak hours are Monday-Thursday 06:30-09:30 (and from London to Luton 16:00-19:00). Off-peak prices charged at all other times
- Please note that the contactless fare does not include the cost of the DART shuttle train from Luton Parkway to Luton Airport. This costs £4.90.
- Paper train tickets could be cheaper than the contactless fare if you have a Railcard, travel in a group of 3+, or buy ‘Advance’ single tickets.
Booking train tickets
Booking tickets in advance is not necessary, but if you want to they can be booked online directly from Thameslink or East Midlands.
Please note that cheaper ‘Advance’ singles are booked for a certain time and are non-refundable if you miss your train.
Tickets are available from the train station ticket machines and ticket offices.
National Express A1 coach to and from Luton airport
National Express has a frequent coach service to Luton Airport from Victoria Coach Station and other pick up points in central and north London.
Quickest route by coach
From Luton airport to London by coach, you are likely to reach your destination quicker if you take the coach to:
- Golders Green bus station and pick up the underground from there (Golders Green station on the Northern line). It’s an easy change; the coach stops next to the underground station and there are lifts down to the platforms.
- See Journey Planners to plan the route to your final destination
London departure points – A1
- London Victoria – Victoria Coach Station, Buckingham Palace Rd, SW1
- Victoria Rail Station – Stop 11, Buckingham Palace Rd (This stop is closer to Victoria underground and train station)
- Marble Arch – Stop 14, Park Lane (Near Speaker’s Corner)
- Paddington Train Station – Stop J, Bishops Bridge Rd (This stop is behind the train station)
- Baker St – Stop S, Allsop Arms, Gloucester Place
- St John’s Wood – Stop Z, Wellington Rd
- Finchley Rd Station – Stop CL, Finchley Rd
- Finchley Rd & Frognal – Stop FD, Finchley Rd
- Golders Green – Stops GD/GE, Golders Green bus station
Journey time and frequency
- Golders Green — 50 minutes
- Marble Arch — hour 30 minutes
- Victoria Rail Station —1 hour 42 minutes
- 24-hour service
See website for times.
Ticket prices
From £5 single/one way if you book in advance. Tickets bought close to departure day are around £14.
Booking tickets
Book tickets online with National Express. We recommend booking in advance, especially if you are travelling for an early flight from Luton or on a train strike day.
Tickets are also available from Victoria Coach Station and from Luton airport at the Onward Travel Centre (after baggage reclaim in the arrivals hall).