# Getting from Luton into London

Trains don't reach the terminal: the Luton DART shuttle takes 4 minutes to Luton Airport Parkway station. From there the Luton Airport Express runs non-stop to St Pancras, and Thameslink runs on through the City to London Bridge, through most nights.

- Web page: https://lutonlayover.com/getting-to-the-city/
- Guide: [Luton Layover](https://lutonlayover.com/), an independent layover guide to London Luton Airport (LTN), part of City Layover
- Updated 7 November 2026; facts checked 7 November 2026

## What's the best way from Luton Airport into central London?

Take the Luton DART to Luton Airport Parkway, then the first train to St Pancras: the Luton Airport Express takes 22 minutes, Thameslink 24 to 45 and runs on to Farringdon, Blackfriars and London Bridge. By contactless, Thameslink costs £12.30 off-peak and the DART £4.90; Luton Airport Express tickets start at £10 in advance with the DART included. Allow about an hour from landing to the DART, about 45 minutes to St Pancras, and be back at Luton 2 hours before departure.

## At a glance

- **Luton DART**: 4 min to the station, £4.90, 24 hours
- **Luton Airport Express**: 22 min to St Pancras, from £10 in advance
- **Thameslink**: 24 to 45 min to St Pancras, £12.30 off-peak
- **Coach**: 60 to 90 min to Victoria, 24 hours
- **Train to St Albans**: About 11 min, £4.40 off-peak
- **Black cab**: Metered, from the rank by Bus Bay A

## Getting through the border

Before any train, you clear UK border control: London Luton Airport (LTN) has no transit area, so every arriving passenger does. The airport publishes no queue times, so plan on about an hour from landing to sitting on the DART shuttle, and more when several flights land together.

- **eGates** are the quick way through. You can normally use them if you have a biometric passport, are 8 or older (8 to 17-year-olds with an adult) and at least 120 cm tall, and are British or Irish, or hold a valid ETA or eVisa and come from the EU, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA.
- **Everyone else** queues at a staffed desk. Allow more time.
- **Bags**: on separate tickets you collect them in the baggage hall. Leave what you don't need with Excess Baggage Company in the check-in area, open daily 4am to 10pm.

## The options at a glance

| | Luton Airport Express | Thameslink | Coach | Black cab |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| To | St Pancras only | St Pancras, Farringdon, City Thameslink, Blackfriars, London Bridge | Baker Street, Marble Arch, Victoria, Paddington | Anywhere |
| Time | 22 min from the station, about 32 from the terminal | 24 to 45 min to St Pancras, about 46 to Blackfriars | 60 to 90 min | Not published |
| Single fare | From £10 in advance, DART included | £12.30 off-peak by contactless, plus the DART | Varies | Metered |
| Pay with | Tickets | Contactless, tickets | Tickets | Card, cash |

Both trains leave from Luton Airport Parkway, 4 minutes from the terminal on the Luton DART.

## The Luton DART: terminal to station

The DART is an automated shuttle between the terminal and Luton Airport Parkway station, 2.3 km away. The ride takes under 4 minutes, and it runs 24 hours a day, every 4 to 8 minutes by day and at least every 15 minutes at night, from 10pm to 4am.

- **Fare**: £4.90 for adults, £2.45 for children aged 5 to 15, and free for under-5s.
- **How to pay**: a train ticket to "Luton Airport" includes the DART. Otherwise buy a DART ticket online or pay by contactless at the machines in either DART station.
- **Walking instead**: the airport says it's about a mile, with a steep hill, and takes around half an hour.

## Thameslink: the most frequent, and the only night trains

Thameslink runs direct from Luton Airport Parkway through St Pancras, Farringdon, City Thameslink and Blackfriars to London Bridge, up to 8 trains an hour. The airport gives 24 to 45 minutes to St Pancras, depending on the train, and on average 41 minutes to Farringdon, 43 to City Thameslink, 46 to Blackfriars and 49 to London Bridge.

- **Fare**: £12.30 off-peak or £16.60 at peak times by contactless between Luton Airport Parkway and any of the London stations, by TfL's fare data, plus £4.90 for the DART. Advance tickets start at £6.50, without the DART. Oyster cards don't work here.
- **With children**: Thameslink's Kids for £2 offer covers up to four children at off-peak times.
- **City Thameslink** has no Sunday trains in the timetable, so on Sundays use Farringdon or Blackfriars.

These are the first and last trains in Thameslink's timetable C, valid until 11 December 2026 on weekdays, 12 December on Saturdays and 6 December on Sundays. TfL's Journey Planner gave the same late trains for Tuesday 10, Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November 2026. A time after midnight belongs to the night before: Saturday's 12:58am leaves early on Sunday morning.

**First trains from Luton Airport Parkway**

| To | Monday to Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| St Pancras and St Albans City | 4:12am | 4:12am | 6:26am |
| Blackfriars | 4:12am | 4:12am | 8:45am |
| London Bridge | 4:41am | 4:41am | 8:45am |

**Last trains back to Luton Airport Parkway**, before the night service

| From | Monday to Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| St Pancras | 12:58am | 12:58am | 12:46am |
| Blackfriars | 12:51am | 12:51am | 12:38am |
| London Bridge | 11:36pm | 11:36pm | 11:36pm |
| St Albans City | 12:58am | 12:58am | 12:50am |

After these, Thameslink keeps running from St Pancras and Blackfriars about once an hour through the night, except on Saturday nights, when the last train leaves St Pancras at 1:44am. No night trains run through London Bridge. The night trains are slower, about 45 minutes from St Pancras. Engineering works change these times, mostly late at night and at weekends, so check Thameslink on the day.

## Luton Airport Express: fastest to St Pancras

East Midlands Railway's Luton Airport Express runs non-stop between Luton Airport Parkway and the upper level at St Pancras in 22 minutes, every 30 minutes from Monday to Saturday and regularly on Sundays. The airport puts the whole trip, terminal to St Pancras, at as little as 32 minutes.

- **Hours from St Pancras**: Monday to Friday from 5:45am to 11:55pm; Saturdays from 5:33am to 10:18pm; Sundays from 12:14pm to 10:12pm.
- **Last trains to St Pancras** from Luton Airport Parkway: 11:25pm Monday to Friday, 10:28pm on Saturdays and 9:58pm on Sundays.
- **Fare**: Advance tickets from £10 one way, including the DART if you book to "Luton Airport". Anytime and off-peak tickets are sold too.
- **On board**: free Wi-Fi, and up to three pieces of luggage each, no more than two of them large.

For the late trains back, Thameslink is the one to know: it runs long after the last Luton Airport Express.

## Coaches: National Express and Green Line

Coaches leave from the bus station right outside the terminal, 24 hours a day. National Express routes A1 and A31 run to Victoria Coach Station and A2 to Paddington, calling at Baker Street; Green Line 757 runs to Victoria via Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner, every 30 minutes by day and hourly through the night. The airport puts the ride at 60 to 90 minutes, depending on traffic. For a layover it's slower than the train, but it runs all night every night, Saturday included.

## Taxis and pre-booked cars

- **Black cabs**: licensed Hackney carriages wait at the rank just beyond Bus Bay A, around the clock, and take most credit cards. They're metered, and the airport suggests them for groups going to St Pancras or Euston. No fare to London is published.
- **Pre-booked cars** meet you in the Pick Up Zone, which charges drivers from £7, usually added to your fare.
- **When a car beats the train**: with a group splitting the fare, lots of luggage, or a destination far from Thameslink. Alone with hand luggage, the train is cheaper.

## St Albans instead of London

St Albans is closer than central London: Thameslink takes about 11 minutes from Luton Airport Parkway to St Albans City, for £4.40 off-peak by contactless (£5.90 at peak times), and the cathedral is a 20-minute walk from the station. It's the only plan in this guide that fits a 5.5-hour layover. The last trains back leave St Albans City at 12:58am (12:50am on Sundays). See [St Albans Cathedral and Verulamium](https://lutonlayover.com/itineraries/#st-albans-cathedral-and-verulamium).

## Storing bags

Leave bags at the airport before you go: Excess Baggage Company, in the check-in area, is open daily 4am to 10pm, and you can pay on the day or book ahead online. In town, app-booked storage near King's Cross helps if you've already carried them in. You'll need to: the British Museum, the National Gallery and the Tower of London all turn away suitcases.

## Timing your return

Be back at Luton 2 hours before departure, with your onward boarding pass. That's what the airport says airlines recommend for check-in and bag drop, and on a Luton connection you'll often have a bag to drop. Luton has no exit passport control, and the airport says gates close 30 minutes before departure.

| Layover | Time in town |
| --- | --- |
| 5.5 hours | About 1.5 hours in St Albans |
| 6 hours | About 1 hour in London |
| 8 hours | About 3 hours |
| 10 hours | About 5 hours |
| 12 hours | About 7 hours |

These assume about an hour from landing to sitting on the DART, about 45 minutes from the terminal to St Pancras and an hour back (25 minutes to St Albans and 40 back), and being back 2 hours before departure. That's your layover minus 4 hours 45 minutes for central London, or minus 4 hours 5 minutes for St Albans, rounded to the half hour, with a quarter hour rounded down: a 6-hour layover gives 1 hour 15 minutes in London, shown as about 1 hour.

## Questions people ask

### Which is better, Thameslink or the Luton Airport Express?

Whichever leaves first, for St Pancras. The Luton Airport Express is non-stop, 22 minutes from Luton Airport Parkway, but runs only every 30 minutes and stops earlier in the evening. Thameslink takes 24 to 45 minutes, runs up to 8 trains an hour, goes on to Farringdon, Blackfriars and London Bridge, and runs through most nights.

### Do I need a separate ticket for the Luton DART?

Not if you book your train ticket to Luton Airport, which includes the DART. A ticket to Luton Airport Parkway doesn't, and by contactless you pay the DART separately: £4.90 for adults and £2.45 for children aged 5 to 15, at the DART's machines or online.

### Can I pay by contactless from Luton Airport to London?

Yes, in two steps. Pay the DART at its machines by contactless, then tap in at Luton Airport Parkway for Thameslink: £12.30 off-peak or £16.60 at peak times to St Pancras, Blackfriars or London Bridge. Oyster cards don't work at either station.

### How long does it take to get out of Luton Airport after landing?

Allow about an hour from landing to sitting on the DART, more if you queue at a staffed border desk or wait for checked bags. Luton doesn't publish a figure; it warns that the arrivals hall gets busy when several flights land together.

### Are there trains from London to Luton Airport at night?

Yes, on most nights. Thameslink runs from St Pancras and Blackfriars until about 1am every 15 to 30 minutes, then about once an hour through the night, except after 1:44am on Saturday nights. The DART runs 24 hours. Coaches to Luton also run 24 hours.

### How do I get from Luton Airport to St Albans?

Take the DART to Luton Airport Parkway, then a Thameslink train south: about 11 minutes to St Albans City, £4.40 off-peak by contactless. The cathedral is a 20-minute walk from the station.

## Sources (checked 7 November 2026)

- [London Luton Airport: trains to and from central London (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.london-luton.co.uk/to-and-from-lla/trains/to-from-london)
- [London Luton Airport: the Luton DART (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.london-luton.co.uk/to-and-from-lla/trains/luton-dart)
- [Luton DART: tickets and fares (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.lutondart.com/tickets-fares/)
- [London Luton Airport: Luton Airport Express (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.london-luton.co.uk/to-and-from-lla/trains/luton-airport-express)
- [Thameslink: how to get to London Luton Airport by train (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.thameslinkrailway.com/travel-inspiration/trains-to-luton/how-to-take-the-train-to-london-luton-airport)
- [Thameslink: timetables, table C valid to 11 December 2026 (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.thameslinkrailway.com/service-updates/timetables)
- [TfL: Journey Planner (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/)
- [TfL: single fare finder (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/single-fare-finder)
- [London Luton Airport: coach and bus to central London (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.london-luton.co.uk/to-and-from-lla/bus-and-coach/to-from-london)
- [London Luton Airport: taxis (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.london-luton.co.uk/to-and-from-lla/taxi)
- [London Luton Airport: your complete guide to LLA (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.london-luton.co.uk/complete-guide-to-lla)
- [GOV.UK: faster travel through the UK border (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/getting-through-the-uk-border-faster/faster-travel-through-the-uk-border)
- [London Luton Airport: Excess Baggage Company (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.london-luton.co.uk/excess-baggage-company)
- [St Albans Cathedral: plan your visit (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.stalbanscathedral.org/pages/faqs/category/plan-your-visit)
- [National Rail: Christmas and New Year 2026/27 (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-information/christmas/)