Luton Transfers to Central London

If you are organizing a trip to the City and you land in Luton, here are the best options to get to your hotel or to the city center.

Vicky Del Moral

Vicky Del Moral

6 min read

Luton Transfers to Central London

Aircraft landing | © Fotis Christopoulos

Luton airport is about 50 kilometers from London and there are different ways to get between the airport and the city, although for me, the most advisable is to book a shared or private transfer. I'll tell you why below.

1. The best transfers between Luton Airport and London

Luton airport shuttle| ©James
Luton airport shuttle| ©James

The most convenient and fastest way to get to your hotel is to book a door-to-door transfer. This service can be booked exclusively for you and your companions (private option) or you can share it with other travelers to make it more affordable.

Book a shared airport transfer to London

2. Shared Luton to London airport transfer

London traffic| ©Andrew
London traffic| ©Andrew

This is, in my opinion, the best way to get from Luton to central London and back. A driver will be waiting for you upon arrival at the airport and will drop you off directly at the door of your hotel. The fact that you can share it with up to 15 other travelers makes it much more affordable and you are guaranteed not to make more than 3 intermediate stops to drop off other travelers.

Luggage

The driver will help you with your luggage and will drop you off at the door of your accommodation. The limitation is one large suitcase and one carry-on bag per passenger.

Meeting point

The meeting point with your driver is in front of the Costa Coffee shop, where a driver will be waiting for you with a blue City Transfers UK sign, leaving you up to 90 minutes to disembark, collect your luggage and get to the pick-up point.

Book a shared transfer from the airport to London

Shared transfer back from your hotel in central London to Luton

The car sharing service between London and Luton is the same there and back and lasts approximately 1 hour, depending on traffic during the journey, and can carry a maximum of 15 passengers.

48 hours before the pick-up at your hotel to take you back to Luton airport, you will be asked to reconfirm the time and place of pick-up. The driver will wait for you in the lobby of your hotel up to 30 minutes from the scheduled pick-up time and if you are staying in private accommodation you will be advised of his arrival by knocking on the door or calling your contact number.

Book a shared transfer from London to the airport

What is included in the shared car transfer service between Luton and London?

  • Professional driver
  • Transportation in minivan or air-conditioned car
  • Travel ticket on your mobile device
  • Transfer to your accommodation in central London/Luton airport in a shared vehicle with other travelers, 15 max.

What is not included in the shared car transfer service between Luton and London?

  • Food and beverages
  • Tips

Luton to London carpooling service timetables:

This service operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When you make the reservation you must indicate the time and place of pick-up so that a vehicle and driver can be assigned to you.

Book a shared London to London airport transfer

3. Private Transfer from Luton Airport to London

Private Transfer| ©Dan Gold
Private Transfer| ©Dan Gold

If you are looking for a door to door transfer but even faster, there is the possibility to book a private transfer between Luton and your accommodation in London. The operation is the same as the shared transfer, but in this case you do not have to share the vehicle with other travelers.

Luggage Allowance

Normally you are allowed to take a large suitcase and a backpack, but if you are traveling alone, it is normal that you can have more capacity in the vehicle. However, if you are carrying bulky luggage, I recommend that you send an email to make sure that there is no space problem.

Duration

The duration of the trip will be a little faster than with the shared transfer, as you will not have to make intermediate stops to drop off any passengers.

Private transfer back, from your hotel to Luton airport

For your return to the airport, you can book this private transfer from your hotel in London to Luton. With this service, the driver will pick you up (you and your companion/s) at the address you have indicated at the requested time and take you directly to the airport. When confirming when you want to be picked up, make the calculation with enough time in case there is traffic on the way to the airport.

Book a shared airport transfer to London

4. Other ways to get from Luton to London

Luigi Manga| ©Luigi Manga
Luigi Manga| ©Luigi Manga

As I said, there are different ways to get there, each one implies a different budget and waiting time, so I have simplified them all in this table so you can compare them at a glance and go directly for the one that best suits your needs:

  • Private or shared transfer
  • 1 hour
  • From 30 Euros approx.
  • Destination: your hotel
  • Train (with transfer)
  • 1 hour
  • From €18
  • Destination: several stops
  • Bus
  • 1h:30
  • From €5
  • Destination: several stops
  • Uber
  • 1 hour
  • From €100
  • Destination: personalized

5. How to travel by train between London and Luton airport

Luton Airport Parkway Station| ©DSH Transport
Luton Airport Parkway Station| ©DSH Transport

Luton does not have its own train station, so it is not the most convenient, as you will have to take up to three means of transport to get to your accommodation: bus from the airport to Luton Airport Parkway station, from there on one of the two train lines to the center of London and from there take cab, bus or subway to your hotel.

Book a shared airport transfer to London

6. How to travel by bus between Luton airport and London

Easybus bus| ©Chris Sampson
Easybus bus| ©Chris Sampson

As in all London airports, the cheapest way to get from Luton Airport to the city center is on board one of the four bus lines available, ranging from 7 to 25 euros depending on the route and the company chosen: EasyBus, Terravision, National Express and Greenline 757. However, the bus is the slowest option: it takes an hour or more to get to the destination.

Easybus

Easybus is the cheapest bus company to get from Luton to London city centre and vice versa, although it takes the longest to get to London Victoria, taking 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Terravision

Terravision buses take slightly less time than Easybus buses to travel between Luton and central London, with 1 hour to reach Brent Cross, Baker Street, Marble Arch and London Victoria stations.

National Express

The National Express bus company is the most used by travelers arriving in London from Luton Airport. In 1 hour or 1 hour and 40 minutes, you can reach one of their final destinations, depending on your convenience, London Victoria or Paddington, after making several stops along the way.

Book a shared airport transfer to London

7. Other options: Uber or cab

Typical London cab| ©Simone Mascellari
Typical London cab| ©Simone Mascellari

Ordering an Uber is another of the most comfortable options you have to get to London from Luton airport. It will always be a little cheaper than taking a cab, which can cost around 130 euros per ride. In any case, these two options are by far the most expensive.

8. How to get from other London airports to the city

Millennium Bridge, London| ©Anthony DELANOIX
Millennium Bridge, London| ©Anthony DELANOIX

Don't worry if your flight doesn't arrive at Luton, because all the types of transport we've discussed in this article are available at all other London airports. In fact, I have written a guide on how to get around from each of them, so I leave them linked below so you can find out which one suits you best.

9. What to do when arriving in London?

If you prefer to start organizing your trip by buying your flight and transportation, but you still don't know what you will do when you arrive in London, I recommend you to take a look at my posts about the city, as they are full of practical tips for you to decide how you want to spend your time during your trip. Here are the most complete ones so you can organize your ideas. Have a safe trip!