London Luton Airport ground transportation
London Luton is the airport for Luton and the north-western side of London. easyJet has its headquarters on the airfield, and the airport handled more than 17.5 million passengers in 2025. There is one terminal. Road and rail services both start outside it, so nobody has to deal with terminal changes. The question is just which mode gets you to your destination.
The rail link has two stages. The Luton DART is a driverless shuttle that runs about 900 metres between the terminal and Luton Airport Parkway station in roughly four minutes. It runs 24 hours a day apart from 25 and 26 December, up to every four minutes at peak and four to six times an hour overnight. A separate adult DART single is £4.90. If you buy a rail ticket to or from "Luton Airport" rather than "Luton Airport Parkway", the DART is included. At Parkway, East Midlands Railway's Luton Airport Express runs non-stop to St Pancras in about 22 minutes, up to twice an hour. Thameslink runs up to eight trains an hour through St Pancras, Farringdon, City Thameslink, Blackfriars and London Bridge, and keeps a reduced service going overnight.
Coaches leave from the bus station right outside the terminal doors. National Express runs the A1, A2 and A31 to Baker Street, Marble Arch and Victoria, and the A2 also serves Paddington. Between them there are up to 47 departures a day, fares start at £7 and the A2 runs through the night. Arriva's Greenline 757 runs to Buckingham Palace Road by Victoria every 30 minutes by day and hourly in the small hours. Longer National Express routes go to Oxford, Cambridge, Milton Keynes Coachway, Heathrow, Stansted, Birmingham and beyond. Arriva's busway services A, Z and X1 to X4 reach Luton town centre in 10 to 15 minutes.
Luton Borough Council licenses the metered black cabs that wait at the rank beyond bus bay A. No fixed fare to London is published. For central London, a pre-booked car usually costs less than a cab and is easier to plan around. Coaches on the M1 suffer from London traffic, while trains do not, so at rush hour the DART-plus-train route is the dependable one. In the middle of the night, coaches run more often than trains.
London Luton Airport to London city centre
Central London (St Pancras / King's Cross) is 55 km from LTN, about 35 min at the quickest. St Pancras is about 55 km from Luton Airport. The fastest route is the DART plus the Luton Airport Express, about 32 minutes in all. Thameslink runs all night, and coaches to Baker Street start at £7.
| Option | Time | Fare | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luton DART + Luton Airport Express (EMR) Fastest | 32 min | £15–25 | Every 30 min (Mon–Sat), regular on Sunday · Last from Luton Airport Parkway: Mon–Fri 23:25 · Sat 22:28 · Sun 21:58 |
| Luton DART + Thameslink | 40 min | £11–20 | Up to 8 trains/hour at peak; reduced overnight · Runs through the night |
| National Express A1 / A2 / A31 Cheapest | 1h 10m | £7–15 | Up to 47 departures a day, 24/7 · Around the clock (A2 runs overnight) |
| Private transfer | 1h 5m | £75–120 | On demand · 24/7 |
| Luton hackney carriage rank | 1h 5m | £85–120 | Rank, no booking · 24/7 |
Full guide: LTN to Central London (St Pancras / King's Cross)
Where are you heading?
Every destination from LTN: cheapest way and taxi fare
| Destination | Distance | Cheapest way | Taxi | Fastest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central London (St Pancras / King's Cross) | 55 km | National Express A1 / A2 / A31 · £7 | £85–120 | 35 min |
| London Victoria (Coach & Rail Station) | 60 km | National Express A31 / A1 / A2 · £7 | £85–125 | 1h |
| London Bridge | 62 km | National Express A1/A2/A31 + Tube · £7 | £90–130 | 1h |
| London Heathrow Airport | 60 km | National Express 230 / 240 · £21 | £95–150 | 50 min |
| Oxford (Gloucester Green) | 85 km | National Express 737 · £20 | £120–175 | 1h 55m |
| Cambridge (Parkside) | 75 km | National Express 786 · £13 | £135–170 | 1h 15m |
| Milton Keynes (Central) | 45 km | Arriva X1 · £3 | — | 45 min |
| Luton Town Centre (Station Interchange) | 5 km | Arriva A / Z (busway) · £3 | £13–20 | 12 min |
Buying tickets in London
Luton DART: buy a single at lutondart.com and keep it as a mobile wallet pass or PDF, or tap a contactless card at the barriers. Oyster cards are not accepted. An adult single is £4.90, a child (5–15) £2.45, and under-5s ride free. If you buy a National Rail ticket to or from Luton Airport with Thameslink, East Midlands Railway or Luton Airport Express, the DART is already included. A ticket to Luton Airport Parkway does not include it.
Trains: Advance fares from Luton Airport Parkway start at £6.50 on Thameslink and £10 on the Luton Airport Express, before the DART is added. Advance tickets tie you to one train. For a flight that could be delayed, an Off-Peak or Anytime ticket is the safer choice. Thameslink offers a third off for groups of 3 to 9 adults.
Coaches: book National Express at nationalexpress.com or in its app. The £1.50 booking fee is waived if you are logged in to My Account. Greenline 757 tickets are sold at the airport and London Victoria sales desks, online, or from the driver. Both operators sell tickets at the Onward Travel Centre just past Arrivals. Local Arriva and Stagecoach buses take contactless payment, and single fares are as low as £3.
Taxi scams & safety in London
Official taxis: the only rank is the one marked just beyond bus bay A, outside the terminal. The vehicles are Luton Borough Council-licensed hackney carriages on a meter. Before you set off on a long run, ask the driver for an estimate, because no fixed fare to London is published. Turn down anyone who offers a ride inside the terminal. Licensed private-hire cars cannot pick up unless you have booked them.
Pre-booked cars and lifts: the forecourt Drop Off and Pick Up Zone costs £7 for 10 minutes and then £1 a minute. Drivers usually pass this charge on, so ask whether your quote includes it. The free alternative is the Long Stay car park, which a free 24-hour shuttle bus links to the terminal about every 20 minutes.
Ticket traps: buying a train ticket from "Luton Airport Parkway" instead of "Luton Airport" leaves you £4.90 short at the DART barrier. Advance train and coach fares only cover the booked departure. On National Express Standard fares you can switch to a similar coach within 3 hours either side of your booked time.
Step-free access in London
The Luton DART is fully accessible and step-free between Luton Airport Parkway and the terminal entrance. Disability badge holders and older person's bus pass holders ride the DART free, but they must register first on the Luton DART concessions page and upload proof. Approval can take up to 72 hours.
- If you book assistance through your airline, the DART team will help with the connection between terminal and station.
- For help on the train, contact the Luton Airport Express (East Midlands Railway) or Thameslink assisted-travel teams directly.
- Scheduled coaches stop right outside the terminal, and all bus stops are 50–100 metres from the entrance. Check with the coach or bus operator that your service is accessible.
London Luton Airport transport — FAQ
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