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Luton Airport to West end

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  • 09-02-2014 10:44am
    #1
    OU812
    Registered Users Posts: 6,035 ✭✭✭


    Thinking of bringing an 8 year old to Lindon for a show as a birthday treat.

    Can get great fare to Luton , but then stuck with getting to the city centre.

    Does anyone know how easy/difficult it is and how much it costs?

    It may be possible to do it in a day (matinee), is this really doable?


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    #2
    delta_bravo
    Registered Users Posts: 4,567 ✭✭✭delta_bravo


    I got the easybus last time and it was a good service. If you book in advance it can be very cheap, £2. It goes every 30 mins i think. However If I recall it was a good 90 minute journey and that was at off peak time.


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    #3
    Marcusm
    Registered Users Posts: 10,217 ✭✭✭✭Marcusm


    Luton is the least easily accessed of all the London airports - even the rail option requires a bus transfer from the airport to the train station. I suspect with a child that a coach transfer like easybus would be less stressful (ie fewer changes). However, if you're flexible with dates, I would try to find tickets for a more accessible airport especially if you plan a day trip - a 30 minute train is a lot easier than a 90 min coach and less susceptible to traffic disruption.


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    #4
    AngryLips
    Registered Users Posts: 2,681 ✭✭✭AngryLips


    There is a shuttle bus from Luton to the nearest Thameslink station, from the the train will have you into the centre in no time.


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    #5
    athtrasna
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,420 ✭✭✭✭athtrasna


    I frequently do theatre day trips but always fly into Gatwick, it gives the best value for the day, 8am flight out, usually in central London by 10. Do something in the morning, have lunch, matinee, dinner and then 9.30pm flight home. Luton is a lot more hassle and more time is needed to get to and from the airport


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    #6
    timmy4u2
    Registered Users Posts: 1,079 ✭✭✭timmy4u2


    You will be at the train station in no time on the shuttle bus and into London in another 35 min or so.
    Get your ticket -return-to your final destination and you will not need to buy a ticket for the tube

    Presently showing £24.74 off peak return for adult and child from airport to Blackfriars.
    Time varies from 55 mins to 60 mins.
    Enjoy the show.


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    #7
    Toast4532
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,613 ✭✭✭Toast4532


    You can get trains from Luton Airport directly into Luton town train station, and a train then from Luton town into London city. The journey from Luton to London is about 40 minutes each way.

    I searched for Feb 13th on National Rail and it returned these times, so if you enter in your own dates it will show times, prices etc.

    http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/LUA/LUT/130214/1000/dep/130214/1900/dep

    You can also go from Luton airport into London city there is a bus from the airport to the train service (not sure where or how to get the bus though, sorry)

    http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/LUA/London/130214/1000/dep/130214/1900/dep


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    #8
    timmy4u2
    Registered Users Posts: 1,079 ✭✭✭timmy4u2


    Toast4532 wrote: »
    You can get trains from Luton Airport directly into Luton town train station, and a train then from Luton town into London city. The journey from Luton to London is about 40 minutes each way.
    Its a shuttle bus from the airport to the train station; unless they ran a railway line in the c last week


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    #9
    sawdoubters
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,289 ✭✭✭sawdoubters


    http://www.visitlondon.com/traveller-information/travel-to-london/airport/luton-airport


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    #10
    timmy4u2
    Registered Users Posts: 1,079 ✭✭✭timmy4u2


    sawdoubters wrote: »
    http://www.visitlondon.com/traveller-information/travel-to-london/airport/luton-airport
    From the link
    A regular shuttle bus links the airport to Luton Airport Parkway train station in around 10 minutes. From there, frequent rail services travel to Central London and take as little as 21 minutes with East Midlands Trains and 25 minutes with First Capital Connect. First Capital Connect services connect to stations including St Pancras International, Farringdon, London Bridge and Blackfriars in Central London. Trains run throughout the day and night and a standard single costs £13.50.
    They are taking a few liberties with the train times but not far off


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    #11
    grimm2005
    Registered Users Posts: 2,891 ✭✭✭grimm2005


    Have got the easybus service to and from Luton on a few occasions and it's more like 60 minutes to London rather than the 90 minutes mentioned here, a little less on a few occasions, pretty much the same as Stansted IMO (provided you get the coach from there also). Gatwick is a good bit faster with the train getting you there in about 30 minutes (standard cheap train rather then the Gatwick express which is unnecessarily expensive). Heathrow is something like 15 minutes on their express train, not sure about the tube, probably a fair chunk longer.

    If you're definitely going through Luton, personally I'd stick with easyBus, just seems like less hassle for the sake of 20 - 30mins unless you're really stuck for time. Stansted might be a better choice as it's normally just as cheap or close enough and will give you better flexibility as Ryanair operate more frequent flights there.


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    #12
    timmy4u2
    Registered Users Posts: 1,079 ✭✭✭timmy4u2


    grimm2005 wrote: »
    Have got the easybus service to and from Luton on a few occasions and it's more like 60 minutes to London rather than the 90 minutes mentioned here, a little less on a few occasions, pretty much the same as Stansted IMO (provided you get the coach from there also). Gatwick is a good bit faster with the train getting you there in about 30 minutes (standard cheap train rather then the Gatwick express which is unnecessarily expensive). Heathrow is something like 15 minutes on their express train, not sure about the tube, probably a fair chunk longer.

    If you're definitely going through Luton, personally I'd stick with easyBus, just seems like less hassle for the sake of 20 - 30mins unless you're really stuck for time. Stansted might be a better choice as it's normally just as cheap or close enough and will give you better flexibility as Ryanair operate more frequent flights there.
    I think she is committed to Luton as the flight fare suits her.
    Gatwick is fine but its a busier airport and heathrow can take quite a while to get through.

    I dislike Stansted, its a cattle mart and you are out on a limb when something happens. The train is handy at the station but not the cheapest.
    Bus from Luton, can be good and can be bad time wise and at certain times can be booked out.
    I like Luton, easy to get there, easy at security and easy to get to London


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    #13
    Pudders
    Registered Users Posts: 822 ✭✭✭Pudders


    I've lived in London for over 20 years.

    Luton is a brilliant airport for North London and the West End. And also a brilliant airport for travelling through as it is still relatively small.

    Security is very quick and as it is a small airport you get through it a lot quicker than

    There is a shuttle bus which leaves from the airport every 10 minutes to Luton Parkway train station which is only about a 5 minute journey. From Luton Parkway there are trains every 10-15 minutes. They take between 30-40 minutes (there is a fast train that takes 20 minutes but limited the number of trains - it is the fast train to Nottingham) into St Pancras. From St Pancras you can get the Picadilly line into the west end in 10 minutes.

    Definitely doable in a day if you leave 2 hours from landing to show time and back. The train will cost about £28 return for you, not sure about a child.

    I have got out of Luton and into the west end in under an hour once on the train.

    Bus will be a cheaper option but longer.


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    #14
    rainbow kirby
    Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 26,928 Mod ✭✭✭✭rainbow kirby


    timmy4u2 wrote: »
    I dislike Stansted, its a cattle mart and you are out on a limb when something happens. The train is handy at the station but not the cheapest.
    Book the Stansted Express online in advance and it's £11, which is cheaper than the £15 it will cost you to get from Luton to St Pancras.


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    #15
    timmy4u2
    Registered Users Posts: 1,079 ✭✭✭timmy4u2


    rainbow kirby wrote: »
    Book the Stansted Express online in advance and it's £11, which is cheaper than the £15 it will cost you to get from Luton to St Pancras.
    £24.74 return off peak Blackfriars for adult and child. Nothing wrong with that, along with the great rates into and out of Luton.

    I like the compactness of Luton and the fast and easy security and no long, long, long walks.


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    #16
    fr336
    Registered Users Posts: 10,179 ✭✭✭✭fr336


    If you go on weekend the trains are really cheap - super off peak.

    I also think the trains and Luton are so easy - you hop on a shuttle outside the terminal (it's the first bus out of the door), 5-10 min trip to Luton Airport Parkway train station which is really small and easy to get around, then hop on a train which at best will get you to London St Pancras in 25 mins (East Midlands trains; don't run as often but still a fair bit) at worst 60 mins (First Capital Connect, though they have a fast train also which is about 35-40 mins).


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    #17
    fr336
    Registered Users Posts: 10,179 ✭✭✭✭fr336


    Oh and look into the travelcard for London - gives you zones 1-6 on the tube which gets you everywhere in central and can be cheaper bought as part of your ticket from Luton!


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