Buses - £7 from London in 35 minutes

The cheapest way to get to Luton Airport is by bus. Book your ticket here. Fares start at £7 one way. They sometimes have deals where kids travel free (use the code KIDSFREE).

The journey takes only 35 minutes from Golders Green in North London. Buses depart from destinations all over London. There are 51 buses a day that go to Luton Airport.

The buses are pretty nice too. They have leather seats, onboard toilets and complimentary Wi-Fi.

Book your bus ticket here.

How to get to London Luton airport by train?

How do I get to Luton Airport by Train? There are two train services from Central London to Luton Airport. The Thameslink and East Midlands Railway.

Both services depart from St Pancras Station. Although they take different routes and have a different journey times.

The East Midlands Railway journey can be as quick as 22 minutes from St Pancras. The journey time can be as long as 30 minutes.

The Thameslink takes between 32 minutes and 50 minutes from St Pancras.

As with all UK train tickets, it’s a rip-off when you buy your ticket at the train station. But much cheaper when you buy your ticket online.

A one way ticket costs £24 when purchased at the station. If you pre-book your train tickets here, prices start at £9.

A word about the Luton Airport Dart

All train services will end at Luton Airport Parkway. This is great, except that Luton Airport Parkway is 1 mile away from Luton Airport. You then need switch trains and take the Luton Airport Dart Shuttle to the terminal. Train tickets to Luton Airport include the journey on the Luton Airport Dart Shuttle.

The Luton Airport Dart Shuttle takes 4 minutes and runs 24 hours a day.

If this sounds like a faff, it’s because it is. But things are a lot better than they used to be. The Luton Airport Dart Shuttle only opened in 2023. Before that, you had to get a bus from Luton Airport Parkway to the airport.

Take a Taxi – Don’t take a black cab

If you’re coming from Central London, don’t take a black cab to Luton Airport. It will cost more than your flight. I just checked, and it costs £200 to Luton Airport from where I live in London.

I don’t take Uber either, as they’re crap. Uber.com has a 1.5* rating on Trustpilot.

I use Welcome Picks for my Airport Taxis. They have a 4.9* rating on Trustpilot. As they’re reliable and competitively priced. They operate in over 100 destinations worldwide.

Pre-Book your taxi here or use the booking form below.

Airport Parking – Two recommendations

Taking your own car to Luton Airport is super popular. Not surprising, as Luton isn’t that well connected by public transport.

I recommend P Parking as my chosen airport car park. I recommend them for all major UK airports. This is because they’re reliable and well priced. They have a 4.1* rating from Trustpilot. Not perfect but pretty good. I’ve never had a problem with them.

They operate nationwide in the UK. Book your stay here.

A 2nd Recommendation for free

For Luton Airport, there’s another car park that I recommend. Luton Airport Parking are very well regarded. They have a 4.6* rating on Trustpilot. They have a very strong reputation for competitive pricing and good quality service.

Watch out for the cowboys

As always, watch out for the cowboys, when it comes to airport parking. Many companies have very similar names. Make sure you choose a decent company.

It’s very easy to set up an ‘airport car parking company.’ Anyone can create a website with WordPress. And put a photo of a fenced compound on their front page. The people will meet you somewhere and collect your car. But who knows what they really do with your car?

I’ve heard so many horror stories. It’s very common for people to take your car and then park them on residential streets, fields or in pub car parks. Without permission. Often, these companies aren’t properly insured either.

Visit a Luton Airport Lounge for £18.30

And when you’re at Luton Airport. You’ve gone through security and you’ve started your holiday. Why not live it up by visiting an airport lounge?

Luton Airport Lounges are all about Priority Pass. There are two Priority Pass Lounges in Luton Airport. The No1 Lounge and the My Lounge.

I’ve visited the No1 Lounge (review here). It was excellent. Full English breakfast, unlimited drinks and alcohol, fast wi-fi, runway views and your own personal space. Next time I go to Luton, I’ll do a review of the My Lounge too.

Priority Pass is the Largest Airport Lounge Network in the world. Get access to over 1,800 airport lounges worldwide. They have lounges at every major UK airport. Sign up here and get a 30% discount. Membership starts at £48. Standard Plus costs £183 and comes with 10 free lounge visits. So each lounge visit costs £18.30

Sign up to Priority Pass Here and receive a 30% discount.

I love Priority Pass Lounges. They’re also a massive money saver for me, as airport terminals are so expensive. Big Smoke Taphouse is a restaurant in Luton Airport. They charge £16.95 for a full English breakfast. A tea costs £3 extra.

The No1 Lounge Luton has unlimited English breakfast from the buffet. As well as alcohol, tea/coffee and other amenities.

I got a photo of the English Breakfast at big Smoke Taphouse. Doesn’t look bad. Doesn’t look great either!

Hotel and Parking Packages – Save 25%

If you plan on parking your car at Luton airport, a popular option is to park at an airport hotel. You can combine this with a one night stay at the hotel. Which is great if you have an early morning flight.

Typically, all major hotel groups offer discounts if you book hotel stays and car parking together. But you can’t just turn up to the hotel on the day. You need to pre-book your stay, from the right landing pages. Expect to save 25% when you book together.

• Marriott landing page for airport hotel and parking packages
• IHG landing page for airport hotel and parking packages
• Hilton landing page for airport hotel and parking packages
• Radisson landing page for airport hotel and parking packages

You can also search below for airport hotel and parking packages.