Cheap Airport Parking: Luton Airport hints, tips ...

[MSE Archna]

What’s this about? Parking at the airport can cost a fortune. Yet there are many ways to cut this cost. The first point of call is read the full Cheap Airport Parking guide. Then having found the cheapest it can find you, this discussion is specifically to talk about local parking and tips for

Cheap Luton Airport Parking

If you want to discuss airport parking in general please go to the Cheap Airport Parking Discussion.

If you’ve got a suggestion/tip

Simply click reply and add your suggestion, though its worth scanning down first to check it's not been duplicated.


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[squidworth]

Luton's my local airport and I always go to the Luton Airport Parkway train station and get the rail-air bus from there, the car park costs about a fiver a day (less for longer stays). There are always loads of spaces in the modern multi-storey so just turn up!

If you're coming off the M1 motorway its clearly signposted just off the dual carriageway between the M1 and the airport by a couple of mini roundabouts (its not the station in Luton town centre!).

There is a regular shuttle bus which takes about ten minutes to drop you off right outside departures. This used to be free, but new fancy buses now charge £1.50 each way (£1 if coming by train).

Incidentally, if you're heading down the motorway for a day in London its also great for a place to jump on a train before you hit the traffic, the trains go to the new St Pancras International for Eurostar and then on thru London down to Brighton without changing.

Its also my favourite airport, owned by the local Luton Borough Council and not some foreign conglomerate that has huge debts to pay...

Added the following May 2010...

The multi-storey car park is just a nice modern train station car park, just drive in and upon return pay on the way back to the car, the machine (takes cash and cards) works out the weekly rates etc. As its barrier access (more secure) and not pay-n-display I don't think the scratch cards are an option...

The costs of parking are currently £6/weekday* (£2/day for weekends and bank holidays) or £27.50/week

* note that first day is £3 if arriving after 10am or £2 after 5pm

The bus should be a quid each way, tickets from the normal train station ticket office or a machine at the bus stop at the airport. Up to you whether you bother lol

"There is a regular shuttle bus service between Luton Airport Parkway and London Luton Airport terminal. The service runs every ten minutes between 05:00 and midnight and also connects with all trains calling at Luton Airport Parkway overnight" - so it still runs well after midnight

The car park is at the Luton Airport Parkway station, just come off the M1 at Junction 10 and its well signposted (new layout, I think its carry on straight and then left at the first traffic lights you come to, a quick right/left at the pair of mini roundabouts and the car park is on the right as you enter the station)

The address is Parkway Road, Luton, LU1 3JW

You can see it here!

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?oe=UTF...,0.011362&z=17

And here's the chap collecting the quid's for the bus...

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?oe=UTF...,0.011362&z=17

[jpb2001]

squidworth,

Thanks for the valuable info on Luton airport, it'll come in handy later this month when I fly from Luton. Do you know a website or how I can find out the exact prices for the parking as I've been quoted £49 for 8 days parking with HolidayExtras and would like to use the Parkway parking and bus service if that works out cheaper?

Thanks and regards,
JB

[eugenet]

squidworth, I added your tip about the parkway station to http://en.parkopedia.com/parking/uk/luton_airport/. Thanks.

jpb2001, parkway car park is operated by NCP, I don't believe you can pre-book it.

[KTF]

Details on the Parkway car park can be found here: https://fcc.zonepark.co.uk/SeasonTic...aspx?Q=1&ID=21

To get the cheap week rate you have to phone the number on that page and book it in advance otherwise you get charged 7x the daily rate instead.

The car park is also walkable (if you are feeling adventurous) to the airport if you have to be at the airport outside of the shuttle bus times.

[wallbash]

Its also my (very ) local airport
and is normally very good, BUT since last week has started to charge for a trolly. Luckily there is no incentive to return the trolly to the 'stand'

Be a devil abandon your trolly so others can use it for free.

[dapperdan]

Am planning to use this car park as we're off for 10 days.
Weekly tickets cost £24 (according to lady on the phone - and at time of writing) can be topped up by buying individual days on top and are best bought from the station on arrival.
We're arriving during the day, so will use the bus to get to the airport.
Unfortunately, we don't get back until 1:00 in the morning, so we'll grab a taxi from the airport back to the car - and it'll still be less than 1/2 the price of the other 'official' options!

[p0stie]

i am going to try this in oct.........just phoned 21 50 per week and 1 extra day at 5.00.........bus to air port 1 50 and it runs 0500 to mid night.
odd buses out of hours if train due.may suit you dapperdan

[Jamesawellis]

Hi. Seeing as I got this tip from this forum I thought it was only decent to pass on my recent findings. I called NCP and was told that Luton Airport Parkway car park is barrier controlled rather than pay on exit or pay and display, so you cannot in fact buy a scratch card as stated on the First Capitol Connect website https://fcc.zonepark.co.uk/SeasonTicketDetail.aspx?Q=1&ID=21

People wishing to use the car park have to purchase a season ticket or individual days at the 24hr office as you enter the car park. Weekly tickets are available at £24 and you can buy a combination of weeks and days as necessary. This option is around £35 cheaper than the cheapest official 'airport car park' Airparks. I have actually called NCP about this twice and got the same story both times (a good sign!), although I am a little nervous about turning up without some form of agreement to park, like a scratch car or booking. Can anybody else confirm this method to be correct?

And while we are on the subject, I have no idea why Luton airport does not have more affordable options (£80+ for an 11 day holiday!!) because my normal regional airport, Bristol, has plenty of farms within 5mins that offer the same service (shuttle bus, secure parking etc.) for about 40% of the cost of Luton Airparks. I think, from memory, Gatwick also has several cheaper options as well. I think a few struggling Bedfordshire farmers might want to look at providing a similar service to the Bristol model (an excellent example here http://www.goblincombefarm.com/?gclid=CPGW6uWYzJUCFRuD1QodDDDCiQ – really nice people who actually phone you up if you are 5 minutes late to see if you are alright!) to help force prices down a little at Luton.

[KTF]

Yes, there is a 24 hour office on the left hand side as you go in to the car park. It is manned 24/7 except when he is out on patrol (a sign appears in the window when the guard isnt there).

You dont have to book in advance as its just a large multi story car park which spits out a ticket as you enter and you feed in to a ticket machine at the end.

[moneypooh]

We always use the long term car park at Luton, but we book early. I usually wait until about end Jan/Feb for an August holiday. For the past two years it's only cost about £64 for 15 days (£4.26 a day). It's a good service with buses every 10-15 mins (even in the early hours) and always plenty of places to park.
A little off topic: We only send one person to the car park though, as it's difficult with small children and transfers. We get dropped at departures + luggage, OH parks car while we queue by check-in. He doesn't have any hassle of bags and we're usually near the front of the queue by the time he catchs up with us. One the way home he fetches the car while we stay warm and relaxed in the terminal (usually early morning flights) and then we get picked up at arrivals.
It's so much easier with younger children.

[gaz_jones]

I always use a company called central car storage. You park your car there and they give you a lift up to the airport in a minibus. They also pick you up when you return obviously. Always a good idea to ring them when your waiting for your bags though if its cold outside. Better them wait for you than you wait for them LOL

Unsure on price but sure you can google it =)

[benmullen]

I booked into Luton Airparks via Holiday Extra
on 12 October and paid £42. I now see they are quoting £36.50. So its not always cheaper to book early. I wonder if they will refund me the difference if I ask them?

[BattleToy]

Can somebody please give me a update about Luton Airport Parkway train station as I am planning to go to Luton Airport in April this year? Is it still secure to park my car in this station? Many thanks in advance.

[asking04]

Originally Posted by BattleToy

Can somebody please give me a update about Luton Airport Parkway train station as I am planning to go to Luton Airport in April this year? Is it still secure to park my car in this station? Many thanks in advance.

Am planning using this also - any updates would be great!

How much is it now? Do you pay in advance?

[KTF]

The multi story is as secure as any I guess and its manned 24/7.

Charges are:

£6.00 - Daily Monday - Friday
£3.00 - Off-peak Monday - Friday after 1000
£2.00 - Off-peak (Mon - Fri evenings after 1700, Saturday, Sunday, public holidays)
£27.50 - Weekly Season
£100 - Monthly Season

From: http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk...iCmsPageId=350

You used to be able to buy parking in advance when you arrived (rather than pay on exit) which saved a few pounds off the weekly parking cost. I havent used it for a while now so not sure if you can still do that.

Either way its cheaper than the on airport parking.

[Japtastic]

Can I just turn up on Friday to the Luton Parkway NCP car park and pay for two weeks?

[KTF]

Yes, you can do that.

[Japtastic]

I hope it works out as I guess it's a risk if it's full then I have to pay full fare at the long stay at Luton?

What other ways are there to pay/reserve/book?

[KTF]

The car park is massive so I would be amazed if it was full. Its mainly used by commuters going to/from London as a lot of people dont realise it can be used as an alternative to the airport parking.