There are many ways to get into and around London. Choose your method of transport from our helpful information below:
National Express operate a service between Luton Airport and London Victoria, which normally takes between one and two hours depending on traffic. National Express: 0871 781 8181*
*Calls to this number will cost up to 13p per minute plus your phone company's network access charge.
You have a couple of options avaialble, depending on where you want to go or travel from:
Stagecoach run a service into Luton town centre and Milton Keynes; simply jump on the 99
Other local services will take you to any of the above locations as well as St Albans, Stevenage, Hitchin and Harpenden
The most convenient station to access from Luton Airport is Luton Airport Parkway. From this station, services to London Kings Cross/St Pancras, London Bridge and Wimbledon can be caught; amongst others. This is the Bedford-Brighton service and it runs up to every 15 minutes during peak hours.
There is a train that connects Luton Airport Parkway with the airport itself and it only takes 4 minutes!
Although sometimes a slightly more expensive solution, getting a taxi can really take the hassle out of your journey. Choose a taxi to suit you and your passenger's needs, from executive travel to a minibus for larger groups or lots of luggage.
However, you could get a better price by booking your transfer in advance. Find a taxi company on our Luton Airport Taxis and Transfers page. Alternatively, there is a taxi rank in front of the terminal.
Lastly, be sure to leave plenty of journey time, especially for the ride to the airport. The journey time to central London is approximately 30 minutes, given the traffic so take this into consideration.
Getting an oyster card is generally the cheapest way to get around using public transport in London. You can get a pay as you go oyster card, meaning you don't have to worry about having the right change in your pocket.
You can use an oyster card on tubes, buses, DLR, trams, London Overground and some National rail trains. For more information on where you can use your Oyster card, visit TFL.
Just make sure you touch in with your card before boarding tubes and buses and Oyster will work out the cost of your journey at the end of the day. By doing this it means they can charge you less than the price of a day travelcard.
Luton Airport is easily accessible via road. Many passengers prefer driving to the airport themselves, parking on-airport or off-airport and collecting their vehicle upon return.
If you are planning to park your car at Luton airport while you're away then you may find cheaper quotes if you book online or by phone in advance. Take a look at our airport parking page to see prices, and compare car parks to find the cheapest deal for parking at Luton Airport.
Planning your journey once you arrive at Luton? Looking for car hire? Look no further, we have compared all the car rental companies operating from Luton, to help you find the best deal to suit your trip. We also have their details if you wish to contact them directly.
The easiest way to access London from Luton Airport is by using the M1. Luton airport is just 5 minutes from junction ten of the M1 and can be reached by following the M1 signs on the A1081. It takes just half an hour to get to North London from the airport.
Visit our Maps and Directions page for more information on driving to and from Luton Airport
Driving in and around Central London means that you have to pay the Congestion Charge. You may need to pay the charge if you are travelling in central London between the hours of 7am and 6pm from Monday - Friday and on Saturday to Sunday, it's 12pm to 6pm. The charge is £15 a day. The charge is £15 daily, and you will be notified by signs when you are approaching CC zones, are within them and exiting them.
You can pay the congestion charge in a number of ways - by SMS, phone, online, at a shop and by post. For more information on how to pay the charge, and where it applies, visit the Transport for London.
"So, how does the congestion charge work?" You'll notice that there are no toll booths or barriers, instead, you and your vehicle are monitored by a network of cameras covering the entrances and exits of the Congestion Charge zones. Images of vehicles are monitored daily and any vehicles recognised as paid are deleted from the system. However. if it gets to midnight and an image of the car is still there, an automatic fine is issued.
A fantastic way to reduce costs, pollution, congestion and parking is to lift share with someone who is making the same or a similar journey as you. You can then share a car with them, which is a great way to get to and from the airport. If you are interested in lift sharing with others who are making similar journeys, take a look at LondonLiftShare.
It's free to register and you enter your journey details and it will automatically display others who are making similar journeys on that day.
Once you have signed up, the system will send out an automatic email and get in contact with those you may wish to share the journey with. It will also calculate the CO2 and financial savings if you are to share a car, rather than driving alone.
Bicycles are permitted on the London Underground, however, some lines only allow non-folding bikes outside of peak times. Folding bicycles are permitted on the underground at all times, free of charge. You are not allowed to take non-folding bikes on moving escalators, at any time.
Overground trains will take folding bicycles, free of charge at all times, on all sections of the network. Non-folding bicycles may be allowed on some sections of the networks, outside of peak times.
London buses may allow folding bicycles, however, it is up to the driver. The same applies to pushchairs and large shopping luggage.
The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) accepts folded bicycles if they are in a container.
Tramlink will only accept folded bicycles, however, they do not have to be in a container.
There is bike parking available at most stations around London. To find out if a particular station has bike parking and for more information on cycling around London take a look at the Transport for London website.
