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# Luton Airport

A major low-cost and leisure airport northwest of London, serving many European and holiday routes.

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## Role

Luton is a major low-cost and leisure airport with a dense European network and routes into the Middle East and North Africa. See [Airlines and routes](page:62930) and [History](page:62931).

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## Location

Near the town of Luton in Bedfordshire, northwest of central London.

> [!MAP]
> 51.8747, -0.3683
> Luton Airport (LTN), northwest of London.

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## Codes

- **IATA:** LTN
- **ICAO:** EGGW

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## Ground transport

Rail passengers use Luton Airport Parkway plus the Luton DART; direct coaches are also important, especially at night. See [Getting there](page:62929).

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## Terminal and DART

Luton has one main passenger terminal. Trains from London stop at Luton Airport Parkway; the Luton DART automated link connects the station with the terminal. When comparing fares and journey times, treat the mainline train and DART as one door-to-door trip.

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## Best for

- Budget European routes
- Package holidays
- North and northwest London access
- Travellers near the M1 corridor

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## Coach tickets

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### Book a timed departure

If you are taking a coach from Luton into central London, buying the first ticket you see at the terminal can be a bad trade-off. In practice, tickets sold by the terminal machine may be valid for the day without reserving a specific departure, while tickets bought in the operator's app can be tied to a particular coach. Passengers booked for that departure are boarded first. If the coach fills up, a flexible same-day ticket may leave you waiting for the next one — or several — even when you reached the stop earlier.

A useful routine is to check the [National Express app](block:62908) while leaving the terminal and, if a coach is due soon and still has space, buy that timed departure instead of the flexible machine ticket. This can save anything from one missed coach to well over an hour at busy times.

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## Watch-outs

Account for the transfer between rail services and the terminal. Early-morning departures may require a coach, taxi, hotel stay, or careful timetable planning.

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## Links here

- [London Airports](/smee-again/530-london-airports/en)
- [Airport-to-airport transfers](page:62885)
- [Apps and live services](page:62907)
- [Best airport by London area](page:62887)
- [Choosing the Right Airport](page:539)
- [Early and late flights](page:62886)
- [Getting there](page:62929)
- [Ground Transport](page:538)
- [History of London's airports](page:62999)
- [Tickets and payment](page:62884)