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London Luton (LTN)

First of all, it's worth looking at the excellent Journey Planner website, if you're headed to London. It will plot a route for you, using public transport, with timings, costs and detailed destination and walking route maps.

Train

Details on the First Capital Connect and Midland Mainline websites.

Fares:

• Varies according to distance.
• £10.90 single to Central London in Standard Class
• £11.00 day return to Central London in Standard Class
• £17.60 single to Central London in First Class*
• £50 'flyaway' fare for any First Capital Connect return for up to 4 people

* Note that not all trains contain a First Class section. Check before travel. The timetable will show a '1' in white on black if there is one.

Carnets and combination fares available, along with through tickets to London Underground destinations. London Transport travelcards are not valid, although extensions can be bought.

There is a slight discount on these fares if you use West Hampstead or Kentish Town stations to change.

Destinations:

• King's Cross St Pancras has Tube connections to the Victoria, Northern (City Branch), Piccadilly, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines. It is also adjacent to King's Cross station for GNER long distance services to York, the East Coast and Scotland, and First Capital Connect services to Cambridge and Peterborough.
• First Capital Connect services continue to Gatwick, the South Coast and South London.
• Connection on slow trains only at West Hampstead to the Jubilee Line and North London Line. Note that there are many stairs to climb here, and a short walk between the (close) stations.
• Connection on slow trains only at Kentish Town to the Northern Line. There are steps here. Note that Northern Line trains (which serve many destinations in London) may go 'via Charing Cross' or 'via Bank' (City Branch) after Camden Town. This connection is useful for the Charing Cross branch, which is not served by the Northern Line at King's Cross St Pancras.
• The First Capital Connect service also continues North to intermediate stations to Bedford.
• The Midland Mainline service continues to the East Midlands.

Pros:

• Fast and comfortable. This is the speediest connection to London.
• Excellent Tube connections at King's Cross St Pancras.

Cons:

• Expensive, particularly for multiple travellers.
• This is a prime commuter route, and can be rather full at peak times.
• Note, and note again, that the station is called 'Luton Airport Parkway'. 'Parkway' is a UK rail euphemism for 'miles away from'. You cannot walk from the station to the terminal. It is a bus journey. Allow extra time for this. At busy times, you may have to wait for the second bus to turn up. LCCs will not accept this as an excuse for being late for check-in. Just watch the television show 'Airline' (the UK one) to find out...
• The train service finishes at about midnight. Because LTN is primarily an LCC airport, there are lots of early and late departures and arrivals. Should you hold a ticket, and you miss the last train, tough.
• The First Capital Connect services can get very crowded, and have become extremely run down recently (FCC have just started a refurbishment programme - this, however, does not address the bizarrely angled seats!)
• They are less frequent (and go from a different platform!) but the Midland Mainline services to St Pancras are faster and more comfortable by far than the FCC services (and have much more luggage storage). However, not that St Pancras is currently under heavy construction due to the new Eurostar Terminal, so there is quite a walk from the new station building to the Tube. There is, however, a taxi rank just outside.

Tips:

• I'll say it again - the station is not near the terminal. Allow time for the bus.
• Note that the station is 'Luton Airport Parkway', but that there is another station called 'Luton'. Don't get off at the latter.
• If you're early for your train to the airport, take a moment to have a look around St Pancras station. It really is quite a stunning building (although it is quite heavily under construction at the moment for the new Eurostar terminal in November 2007).
• If you can't see a direct Midland Mainline service to your destination in the East Midlands or South Yorkshire, then you may be able to connect, via First Capital Connect, in Luton (not Luton Airport Parkway) or Bedford.

Rank Taxis

Note that Luton Airport is outside Greater London, and so black cabs do not pick up here. Instead, the airport has two preferred operators, Alpha Taxis and CABCO Taxis.

Fares:

• Varies according to length of journey.
• Expect £60-70 for Central London - this is a guesstimate - please let me know if you have more accurate information

Pros:

• Convenient.
• The fares are fixed, with many standard rates, so you're not at risk of ridiculous fares due to traffic queues.
• For some cheap off-airport car parks and hotels, they may well be your only option.

Cons:

• Rather expensive. You're still saving vs tra8h in a large group, though.
• These are effective minicabs, albeit with a degree of regulation if the companies want to maintain the lucrative airport contract. However, that still means much lighter regulation than the official London Taxis. While I personally have had nothing but good experiences with the companies mentioned above, it is extremely important only to deal with reputable private hire ('minicab') companies in London. The PCO (website above) has a licencing scheme, which is a good indicator. You can also go on personal recommendations. But, I cannot stress enough, do not just get into a 'taxi'. Black cabs are fine, decent minicab companies are fine. But there are instances of all sorts of problems reported in London, from dangerous vehicles and driving, through to armed robbery and rape in illegal minicabs. Never take a taxi from a tout.
• London Taxis ('black cabs') are not obliged to take you to Luton Airport. If they do agree, negotiate the fare, rather than running on the meter, unless you like taxi fares that resemble phone numbers.

Tips:

• If you find yourself arriving late, have missed the last train, and either can't face the coach or find there are huge queues for it, speak up! You won't be the only person in this situation, and it's not uncommon for groups of strangers to share a taxi into London. Obviously, use common sense as to who your fellow passengers are.
• In that above situation, don't expect an LCC to pay your cab fare.

Pre-Booked Taxis

Fares:

• Varies according to length of journey and company involved.
• Flyertalkers have noted Addison Lee and Airport Direct as options.
• Expect fares of £50-60 for Central London, including pick-up fees. The return to the airport is cheaper (in the £40-50 region) - this is a guesstimate, please update with more accurate info

Pros:

• Cheaper than an airport taxi, and cheaper than the train in a group.
• Fixed rate means no worries about ridiculous fares due to traffic problems.
• You will get met at arrivals.
• You can order MPV taxis, usually seating up to 7.

Cons:

• Much lighter regulation than the official London Taxis. While I personally have had nothing but good experiences with the companies mentioned above, it is extremely important only to deal with reputable private hire ('minicab') companies in London. The PCO (website above) has a licencing scheme, which is a good indicator. You can also go on personal recommendations. But, I cannot stress enough, do not just get into a 'taxi'. Black cabs are fine, decent minicab companies are fine. But there are instances of all sorts of problems reported in London, from dangerous vehicles and driving, through to armed robbery and rape in illegal minicabs. Never take a taxi from a tout.
• Credit cards are not generally accepted.
• You are still subject to the vagaries of London traffic, without the ability to use bus lanes.
• In case of delays, you may well be charged extra for waiting time. An LCC will not take responsibility for this.

Tips:

• Private hire companies are not bound by per-mile or other fee regulations. Always agree a price beforehand.
• Unless you specify otherwise, a taxi will sit 3, 4 at a push.
• 7am-10am and 4pm-7pm are the peak times in London. Yes, they are that long. Be warned.

Coach Links

National Express run a series of coach (bus) services to Central London from Luton. They also run direct, long-distance buses further afield.

The NX timetables above include Green Line services, which run from London Victoria to Luton.

See also the easyBus service.

Fares:

• Search on the National Express website above for fare details, as these vary according to many factors, but Central London fares are:
• From £1-£5 single on easyBus (requires pre-booking for cheap fares, and you must buy a seat for large luggage)
• £7 single on National Express
• Green Line £9 return for easyJet customers

Destinations:

• easyBus goes to/from Hendon Central, on the Northern Line (London Underground).
• National Express coaches go to London Victoria, for rail and Tube (Victoria, Circle, District Lines) connections.
• National Express coaches also call at several stops within London, useful for those areas, and for Tube connections, as follows:
  1. Brent Cross (Northern Line for North London)
  2. Finchley Road (Metropolitan and Jubilee Line for NW London)
  3. Baker Street (Jubilee, Bakerloo, Metropolitan, Circle, Hammersmith & City Lines)
  4. Marble Arch for West End (Central Line)
• Note that you may not be able to unload luggage at intermediate stops on National Express services. Check before travel.

Pros:

• Opens up a number more direct destinations within London, and around. Of particular interest are:
  1. Cambridge
  2. Birmingham, NEC and Airport
  3. Nottingham East Midlands Airport
  4. Gatwick Airport (this does take a long time)
  5. Heathrow Airport
  6. Stansted Airport
• Dedicated luggage storage on National Express.
• Reasonably priced option, particularly on longer distances.
• Absolute bargain on easyBus.

Cons:

• Again, traffic.
• Also, for longer distances, they're not always the most comfortable.

Tips:

• The National Express and easyBus websites allow online booking of e-tickets.
• You can buy a ticket at the National Express counter at Stansted, or on the bus (cash only on the bus).

Bus Links

There is a limited local bus service from Luton Airport to the surrounding areas. Routes 8 and 9 serve Luton, Watford, St Albans, Milton Keynes, Leighton Buzzard, Harpenden and Dunstable.

Fares:

• Vary according to distance and operator.
• This is outside London, so no London tickets apply.

Pros:

• Cheaper than a taxi.

Cons:

• It can be difficult to know where to get off.
• Not good with a lot of luggage.

Tips:

• If you're not sure where to alight, don't be shy: ask the driver!
• Have some change ready. Many buses are exact fare only, and those that aren't tend not to take banknotes.

Will update with other airports, and inter-airport links when I get the chance. Comments, corrections, etc, all welcome in the meantime.