London Luton Airport to Cambridge (Parkside)
Cambridge is about 75 km north-east of Luton Airport. National Express 786 runs direct six times a day in about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, from £12.50. A pre-booked car costs roughly £135–£170.
Cambridge has six direct coaches a day from Luton. National Express 786 leaves the airport bus station, calls at Trumpington Park & Ride on the southern edge of the city, and ends at Parkside, close to the centre. If your flight lands at an awkward time, the alternative is a train journey via London or a fixed-price car.
How far is Cambridge (Parkside) from London Luton Airport?
Cambridge (Parkside) is 75 km (47 miles) from London Luton Airport by road, about 1h 15m by car outside rush hour. In a straight line it is 50 km. By public transport, National Express 786 takes about 1h 20m and costs £12.5.
Every way to get there
Our verdict: National Express 786 is the one to take: £12.5 with no change, and about as quick as going by car. Timetable: Daily 01:20, 04:30, 09:05, 12:40, 17:25, 21:10.
What it costs for your group
The bus / shuttle is charged per person, while a private transfer is one price for the whole car — so the more of you there are, the better door-to-door value looks.
| Group | Bus / shuttle (per person) | Private transfer (per car) | Best value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo · 1 traveller | £13 | £135 | Bus / shuttle |
| Couple · 2 travellers | £25 | £135 | Bus / shuttle |
| Family of 4 · 4 travellers | £50 | £135 | Bus / shuttle |
Which option should you choose?
| If your priority is… | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | National Express 786 | From £12.5, about 1h 20m, no change needed. |
| Speed | Private transfer | 1h 15m and door-to-door, from £135. |
| A group of 4 | National Express 786 | Four tickets still come to about £50 — less than a car. |
| A late-night arrival | Taxi or pre-booked transfer | National Express 786 stops overnight — timetable: Daily 01:20, 04:30, 09:05, 12:40, 17:25, 21:10. |
By transport mode
Bus / shuttle
Calls at Trumpington Park & Ride, then Cambridge Parkside. About 1 h 15 min to 1 h 30 min. From £12.50 including £1.50 fee.
Where to catch it: Airport bus station, stands N, P or Q
Times: Daily 01:20, 04:30, 09:05, 12:40, 17:25, 21:10
Best for solo & budget travellersPrivate transfer
Leaves when you land, whatever the timetable gaps. Fixed fare for up to 4 passengers.
Where to catch it: Arrivals, at a meeting point set by the operator
Times: 24/7
Best for families, groups & late arrivalsTaxi
Metered, with no published fare to Cambridge. Agree a price before setting off. Expect at least what transfer firms quote (estimate).
Where to catch it: Taxi rank beyond bus bay A
Times: 24/7
Best for small groups in a hurryCambridge (Parkside) & London in photos
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.
Getting from LTN to Cambridge (Parkside)
Six departures
The whole Luton–Cambridge coach service is six departures a day, the same every day of the week, from stands N, P or Q at the airport bus station. Timetable valid from 21 October 2026:
- 01:20, arriving at Parkside 02:35
- 04:30, arriving 05:45
- 09:05, arriving 10:25
- 12:40, arriving 14:00
- 17:25, arriving 18:55 (18:45 at weekends)
- 21:10, arriving 22:25
The longest gap is between 12:40 and 17:25. A flight landing at 13:00 therefore means a four-hour wait, a train via London, or a car. National Express sells this route from £12.50 one way. As with all National Express prices, £1.50 of that is a booking fee you avoid by signing in first. Each passenger can bring a big suitcase and a soft bag.
Trumpington or Parkside?
The coach stops first at the Trumpington Park & Ride bus terminal, about 10–15 minutes before Parkside. That stop suits the Biomedical Campus and Addenbrooke's, and anywhere in the south of the city. Everyone else should stay on to Parkside, the express coach stops beside Parker's Piece. From there it is a short walk to the centre and the colleges, and there is a taxi rank and local buses at the stop.
Delayed flights
Coach tickets are booked for a specific departure. On a Standard fare, National Express allows you to switch to a similar coach up to three hours before or after the one you booked. With six coaches a day, that cover may not reach the next departure, so a fully flexible fare is better if your landing time is uncertain.
The rail alternative
Luton and Cambridge are not on the same rail line. If you want to go by train, take the Luton DART to Luton Airport Parkway, then a Thameslink train south into London. Some Thameslink services from St Pancras run to Cambridge, and Great Northern trains run from King's Cross next door. You will make at least one change, and the total journey is usually around two hours or more, with a higher fare than the coach. It is worth considering when the next 786 is hours away and you want to keep moving rather than wait in the bus station.
A car, priced as a group
Fixed-price transfer companies quote around £135 for a saloon from Luton Airport to Cambridge, and £165–£170 for an executive car. Kiwitaxi starts from about £137. The big advantage is that the car leaves when you arrive, whatever the timetable. For four people the cost per head is not far above four coach tickets bought on the day. By road it is about 75 km, roughly an hour and a quarter in normal traffic.
The black cabs at the Luton rank are metered and licensed by Luton Borough Council, and there is no published fare to Cambridge. Agree a price before you leave the rank, or book a fixed-price car.
Late flights
The 21:10 is the last evening coach. After that, the 01:20 runs every night and reaches Parkside at 02:35. That is an odd hour to arrive, but there is a taxi rank at the stop. If you land after 21:10 and do not want to wait in the terminal, a pre-booked car is the realistic choice.
Before you travel
- Check which Cambridge stop your accommodation is closer to before deciding where to get off.
- The airport's own coach page lists route 786 for Cambridge. On National Express, search Luton Airport to Cambridge rather than a route number.
- For heavy luggage, the coach hold is easier than changing trains at St Pancras or King's Cross.
From Cambridge to the airport
In the opposite direction, the 786 leaves Parkside every day at 02:50, 06:00, 10:40, 14:15, 19:10 and 22:40, picking up at Trumpington Park & Ride about ten minutes later. It reaches the Luton Airport bus station at 04:00, 07:20, 12:00, 15:35, 20:25 and 23:55. The 02:50 is useful for the early easyJet and Wizz departures. With six coaches a day, missing one can mean missing your flight, so allow plenty of extra time.
LTN to Cambridge (Parkside) — FAQ
How far is Luton Airport from Cambridge?
Is there a direct bus from Luton Airport to Cambridge?
What is the cheapest way?
What is the fastest way?
How much is a taxi from Luton Airport to Cambridge?
When is the last coach to Cambridge?
I land at 23:00. What should I do?
Can I get to Cambridge (Parkside) by public transport late at night?
Sources
Fares and times on this page were last held against their official sources on 21 October 2026. Operators change prices without notice — if you spot a difference, the operator’s own page is the authority. How we check fares.
- National Express 786 timetable Luton Airport–Cambridge (valid 21 Oct 2026) · checked 2026-10-21
- National Express – Luton Airport to Cambridge · checked 2026-10-21
- London Luton Airport – countrywide coach links (National Express services and bays) · checked 2026-10-21
- British Airport Transfers – Luton Airport to Cambridge · checked 2026-10-21
- Kiwitaxi – Luton Airport to Cambridge · checked 2026-10-21
- London Luton Airport – trains to and from London (Thameslink/EMR table, 26 Mar 2026) · checked 2026-10-21
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