London Luton Airport

An easyJet plane taking off at London Luton Airport

Little Luton Airport, 33 miles from London, is a hub for several low-cost airlines like easyJet, Ryanair, and Wizz

EasyJet, Ryanair, Wizz, and other no-frills/low-cost European airlines are making little London Luton Airport (airport code: LTN), 33 miles northwest of the city, into a busy hub for their budget flights from other parts of Britain and the Continent.

How to get between London Luton Airport and central London

In summary:

In a hurry? Use the train.
Saving money? Use the shuttle bus.
Want a private ride door-to-door?
- For 1–2 people, use a taxi.
- For 2–3 people consider a private car shared transfer.
- For 4 or more people, book a private car.

Full details and tips are below, but in brief:

Method	Per person	Duration
Shuttle bus / coach	£0.95–£11 ($1.40–$16)	75–105 min.
Train	£15.50 ($23)	35–65 min.
Private car	£18–£47 ($26–$69)	55 min.
Taxi	£55–£85 ($81–$125)	55 min.

By bus: £0.95–£11 ($1.40–$16); 75–105 min.

From Luton Airport, easyBus (Easybus.com) runs the cheapest service, twice per hour to London Victoria Coach Station (105 min.), with stops at several Tube stations along the way, including central ones like Baker Street (75 min.) and Marble Arch (90 min.). Fares are lowest when booked in advance, starting as low as 95p a month or more out—though more like £3.95–£7.95 when booked within the month, topping out at £9.95.

Also, National Express (Nationalexpress.com) coaches depart for London's Victoria Coach station (80 min.) for £8–£11 (the cheaper rates are when you book a few days ahead of time). It is the fastest of the three bus services (because it doesn't make any intervening stops), but generally the priciest.

Finally, Terravision (Terravision.eu) runs 2–3 shuttle bus coaches per hour to London's Victoria Station (105 min.), with a few intermediate stops including Baker Street (60–65 min.) and Marble Arch (75–80 min.). Tickets are a flat £10.

By train: £15.50 ($23); 35–65 min.

Trains to Luton leave London from the St. Pancras (35–40 min.) or Blackfriars stations (60–65 min.). (Thetrainline.com)

Trains actually arrive in Luton at the Luton Airport Parkway Station, a 10-minute shuttle bus ride from the airport itself. You can buy through tickets that include the train and bus ride, but if you fail (or forget to) you can also just pay the supplement for the bus on the spot (£1.60 if you already have a rail ticket, £2 if you don't).

By private car: £18–£47 ($26–$69); 55 min.

The easiest way to book a private transfer is through Viator.com.

Note that the "private" transfers (with the lowest lead price) are per person but for the entire vehicle—so you'll only pay that lowest per-person rate if you stuff it with eight people. The per-person price goes up the fewer people you have in the car, so it only really makes sense if you have at least four people in your party (paying roughly £29/$43 a piece).