Luton is a large town in Bedfordshire, some north of London. It's a multicultural town with a population of about 200,000. It used to have a straw and hat-making trade, hence "The Hatters" nickname of Luton football club; a couple of factories remain along the Old Bedford Road. Luton later produced Vauxhall cars and Whitbread beers, but little of these remain. Most people only come here for London Luton Airport, a major hub for budget & charter flights. The airport is described below but the focus of this page is the town itself.
Luton's Tourist Information Centre has helpfully been placed from town, in Dunstable, so little good it will do you.
London Luton Airport (IATA: LTN), 51.8794°, -0.3760°. Luton is London's fourth airport, 35 miles north of the city. It's a major hub for the budget airlines easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air, and for charter flights by Tui (formerly Thomsons). This means it particularly feels the peaks and troughs of holiday travel: Easter here can be chaotic. Most flights are to Europe, plus a few to Tel Aviv, the Gulf states and the Red Sea resorts. UK flights are to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and Belfast. See below for transport, and allow extra time because the access routes and parking lots are still being excavated. However, building work on the interior is complete for the time being. There are a couple of cafes and an exchange desk ground side, then a large retail and waiting area in airside departures, plus a multi-faith prayer room. Exchange kiosks are run by ICE: they don't display their rates, but these are about 25% off the official rate for major currencies - poor but average for a UK airport. "Duty-free" liquor is 10% more expensive than UK supermarket prices. Consider printing your boarding pass even if it's on your phone, as mobile / Wifi coverage is scratchy within the terminal building; you can use airport Wifi (non-secure) free for up to 4 hours. 2019-04-18
For public transport to central London see Luton Airport. It's a choice between a train (shuttle bus to Luton Airport Parkway then train to London St Pancras), or a bus from the airport to London Victoria.
Local buses: Arriva Bus A runs every 15 mins between the airport and Luton town railway station (15 mins) and Dunstable (30 mins). Bus 100 runs every 30 mins to Hitchin and Stevenage.
From the other London airports, it may be quicker to use the inter-airport transfer bus then come into Luton on the town bus, rather than travel into central London then out again.
National Express runs from Heathrow Airport (IATA: LHR) (all terminals) to Luton Airport every 30 mins; non-stop Bus 707 takes 50 mins, Bus 787 via Hemel Hempstead takes 70 mins. Fares are demand priced, £18-30 single.
Some of these buses start from Gatwick Airport (IATA: LGW), but the direct trains (Brighton-Bedford) are much quicker for the same fare. National Express Bus 777 runs between Stansted Airport (IATA: STN) and Luton Airport every hour or so via Hitchin and Stevenage, journey time 90 min, single fare £16.
Luton has three railway stations, one in the town centre, one close to the airport and one towards the north of the town.
Luton Station, 51.882269°, -0.414319°. Served by Thameslink and East Midlands trains. From Luton, trains go north to Bedford, Kettering, Corby. Peak hours only: Leicester, Loughborough and Nottingham. Southbound trains go to Luton Airport Parkway, St Albans, London St Pancras, Gatwick Airport, Brighton, Rainham. Peak hours only: Wimbledon, Sutton, Sevenoaks, Orpington, East Grinstead. 2018-07-15 The typical off-peak service from this station is as follows:
Thameslink trains serve several stations in Central London, including St Pancras International and Blackfriars
Luton Airport Parkway railway station, 51.873°, -0.396°. South-east of Luton and west of the airport. A shuttle bus operates between the station and the airport, with a journey time of about ten minutes. 2022-06-21
The station is on the East Midland Line and is served by Thameslink and East Midland trains. From the station, you can travel north to Bedford, Kettering, Leicester, Loughborough and Nottingham. Passengers can also travel south to St Albans, London St. Pancras International, Rainham, Gatwick Airport and Brighton. The typical off-peak service from this station is as follows:
Leagrave railway station. 2022-06-21
Luton is easily accessible by car about 5 minutes from the M1 junctions 10 and 11, travelling from the south/London and the north respectively. The A505 provides a link via Hitchin to the A1(M), and the Cambridge/Hertfordshire area.
Standard shop brands such as Marks & Spencer, Primark, Wilkinson, TK Maxx
More interesting shopping is to be found in nearby towns: St Albans, Hitchin and Welwyn Garden City.
There are also franchises like Costa, Gregg's, and McDonald's. Aroma, the Asian restaurant in the Galaxy, offers an incredible (though pricey) buffet; for cheaper prices, go for lunch.
Generally, if you keep your wits about you, you should not run in to any great trouble. Do avoid travelling on your own between midnight and 4am, as drunk people are often looking for fights. If a drunk makes a gesture towards you it is best to ignore them and keep walking. If you have been on a night out it is safest to get a licensed taxi, of which there are plenty.
It is not advised to wear a Watford FC shirt in town, especially in evenings or on Saturdays. Despite lacking the great success and history of the Hatters, Watford are considered rivals of Luton Town FC, and Watford shirts are by no means inconspicuous (their team colour is bright yellow). Wearing a Watford shirt is unlikely to attract more than verbal abuse but could turn ugly if you are not careful. It is similarly not advised to wear a Millwall FC shirt in Luton.
Luton is very well-placed for travelling to many other interesting places.