Last updated: 13 April 2023
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 (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.
Train strikes are planned on Wednesday 31 May and Saturday 3 June. More details will be available nearer the time
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 | from £11 |
65-85 mins |
| Train – Paper ticket (Mon-Fri) | £22.40a | 36-50 mins |
| Train – Paper ticket (Sat/Sun) | £17.30 | 36-50 mins |
| Train – Contactless off-peak | £15.20c | 36-50 mins |
| Train – Contactless peak | £17.50bc | 36-50 mins |
a:Standard on the day fare
b: Contactless peak fare charged Monday-Friday 06:30-09:30 (and from London to Luton 16:00-19:00).
c:This fare is to Luton Parkway. You will need to pay extra 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.
Trains to and from Luton airport
There is no train station at Luton Airport. All trains stop/start at Luton Parkway station then you can take the Luton DART, a high speed train taking you from Luton Parkway station to the Airport in under 4 minutes.
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.
Departure points – Thameslink trains
- 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)
Departure points – East Midlands trains
- 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: £22.40 (child: £11.20) for an ‘Anytime single’ paper ticket.
- £17.30 for a ‘Super Off-Peak Single’ for travel on Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holidays (child: £8.65)
- single
- It is possible to pay for this journey with a contactless card (NOT with an Oyster card). £12.40 off-peak or £15.20 peak. Peak hours are Monday-Friday 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. We do not recommend booking advance tickets from the airport to London.
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 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 £11 single/one way.
Booking tickets
Book tickets online with National Express. We recommend booking in advance, especially if you are travelling for an early flight from Luton.
Tickets are also available from Victoria Coach Station and from Luton airport at the Onward Travel Centre (after baggage reclaim in the arrivals hall).