London Luton Airport to London Heathrow Airport

Treat it as a self-connection

Booked separately, a Luton-to-Heathrow connection is your own responsibility. Your first airline will not transfer your bag, the second will not hold its flight, and you will have to collect your luggage, travel 60 km and check in again. Most people find that four to five hours between landing at Luton and departing from Heathrow is enough. Anything shorter depends on the M25 being clear.

The direct coach

National Express runs between the two airports from Luton's bus station, stands N, P or Q. Most departures are route 230 (the Nottingham–Gatwick line), with some 240 journeys. National Express advertises up to 25 services a day, with fares from £20.50 one way. Booking through a My Account login removes the £1.50 fee included in that price.

In the timetable valid from 21 October 2026, the 230 leaves Luton Airport on weekdays at 01:50, 03:50, 04:35, 06:05, 08:10, 09:40, 11:25, 13:30, 15:25, 16:05, 17:20 and 19:00. It reaches Heathrow Central Bus Station, for Terminals 2 and 3, in about 50 minutes at night and 60–70 minutes in the daytime. Most journeys then continue to Terminal 5 about 15 minutes later, and a few call at Terminal 4. The bus station is a covered walk from Terminals 2 and 3. For Terminal 4, use the free Heathrow transfer services from Central if your coach does not stop there.

The hold takes one big suitcase, or two medium ones, per person, and you keep a soft bag with you. A Standard ticket can move to a comparable coach leaving up to three hours earlier or later. That helps if your Luton flight is late, but only if a coach is running in that window.

Why not the train?

You can do it by rail: DART to Luton Airport Parkway, Thameslink to Farringdon, then the Elizabeth line to Heathrow. It involves two changes, steps and platforms with luggage, and usually about 1 hour 45 minutes, which is far longer than the coach. Rail is only better at peak times when the M25 is jammed and the next coach is a long way off, or if you need to stop in central London on the way.

A car with flight tracking

For a tight connection, a pre-booked car is the safest option. Transfer firms generally take your inbound flight number and say they adjust the pick-up time if you land late. Booking platforms quote about £85–£105 for a standard sedan between the two airports, with a journey time of about 45–55 minutes on the M1 and M25 in light traffic. The driver can also go straight to the correct Heathrow terminal, which the coach does not always do.

Luton's metered black cabs, at the rank next to bus bay A, will go to Heathrow, but no fixed fare is published. On a 60 km motorway trip, agreeing a price in advance is better than relying on the meter.

Late and very early transfers

The 01:50 coach reaches Heathrow Central at about 02:40, and the 03:50 at about 04:40. Both suit early-morning long-haul departures. If you land at Luton in the early evening and fly from Heathrow the next morning, taking the 19:00 coach or a car to a Heathrow hotel that night is less stressful than relying on the 01:50.

Checklist

• Know your Heathrow terminal before you buy the coach ticket.
• Add the coach journey time to Heathrow's own check-in and bag-drop deadlines.
• Coaches use the M25. On Friday afternoons and around bank holidays, choose an earlier departure than the timetable alone would suggest.

Heathrow to Luton

In the other direction, route 230 leaves Heathrow Central Bus Station on weekdays at about 07:30, 08:30, 10:50, 12:20, 13:40, 15:00, 17:30, 19:00, 20:00, 21:30, 23:00 and 00:30. Some journeys start earlier at Terminal 5 or Terminal 4. They reach Luton Airport 55–80 minutes later, with the 00:30 arriving at 01:30. If you are arriving at Heathrow on a long-haul flight for an evening easyJet departure from Luton, the 13:40 or 15:00 leaves a reasonable margin.