Published 27 October 2026 | Updated 27 October 2026 by Kate Acaster
The Luton airport drop off charge is £9 for up to 12 minutes, then £1 for each extra minute, up to a 30-minute limit. Stay past 30 minutes and the charge is £95, or £55 if you pay within 14 days. The Long Stay car park is free for up to two hours, with a free shuttle bus to the terminal.
Advertisement
What the Luton airport drop off zone charges
The Drop Off and Pick Up Zone is a short five-minute walk from the terminal. There are no barriers. Cameras read your number plate when you enter, and you pay online by midnight the following day. It takes cars and minibuses of up to 19 seats.
| What the airport charges | Price |
|---|---|
| Up to 12 minutes | £9 |
| After 12 minutes | £1 for each extra minute |
| Maximum stay | 30 minutes |
| Enforcement charge for overstaying | £95, or £55 if paid within 14 days |
Use postcode LU2 9QT. On the approach to the roundabout before the tunnel, ignore your satellite navigation and follow the signs to the zone. It has two entrances. Don’t leave your vehicle unattended, because it can be towed away. If you can’t pay online, contact APCOA, the car park operator.
Free and cheaper ways to drop off at Luton
One option costs nothing. Drop off at the Long Stay car park and you can stay up to two hours free, then £7 for up to three hours. The trade-off is the transfer. The free shuttle bus to and from Bay B runs about every 20 minutes, and the ride takes around ten minutes.
| Where | What it costs | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Drop Off and Pick Up Zone | £9 up to 12 minutes, then £1 a minute | Maximum stay 30 minutes. A short 5-minute walk to the terminal. |
| Long Stay car park | Free up to 2 hours, then £7 for 2 to 3 hours | Free shuttle bus from Bay B, about every 20 minutes, around 10 minutes to the terminal. |
Long Stay has 24-hour patrols and no height restrictions.
“The free drop-off at Luton is real. It’s in the Long Stay car park, with a shuttle bus about every 20 minutes. If your passenger is cutting it fine for the flight, pay the £9 and use the zone.”
Kate Acaster, Chief Editor, Flight Tribe
Luton airport parking prices if you turn up
The airport sells official parking in five car parks at different distances from the terminal. Priority Parking Drop & Go is a three-minute walk, Terminal Car Park 2 a five-minute walk, and Terminal Car Park 1 is a short walk across a link bridge. Mid Stay is about a ten-minute walk, and Long Stay is a ten-minute shuttle ride. Pre-booking saves up to 65% against on-the-day prices, subject to availability. Our guide to booking airport parking in advance explains the gap.
| Car park | On the day | To the terminal |
|---|---|---|
| Mid Stay | £15 up to 60 minutes, then £40 for each subsequent day or part of a day | About a 10-minute walk |
| Long Stay | Free up to 2 hours, £7 to 3 hours, £35 each day | About 10 minutes by free shuttle bus |
The minimum pre-bookable stay is 24 hours. Blue Badge spaces are in every car park, and the airport recommends Terminal Car Park 1 for the shortest walk.
Getting to Luton by train and DART
Trains from central London run to Luton Airport Parkway, then the Luton DART takes you to the terminal. Journeys can take as little as 32 minutes from London St Pancras, with up to ten trains an hour at peak times and trains through the night. You can tap in with contactless on the trains.
| When | Every |
|---|---|
| Peak, 06:00 to 09:30 and 14:00 to 18:00 | 5 minutes |
| Off-peak, all other times | 8 minutes |
| Super off-peak, 22:00 to 04:00 | 15 minutes |
The DART replaced the shuttle bus in March 2023. It covers 2.3km, takes under four minutes and is fully automated.
A separate DART ticket is £4.90 for an adult single, or you can buy a through ticket by choosing Luton Airport as your destination. East Midlands Railway’s first train from St Pancras leaves at about 05:45 on weekdays and the last at about 23:51, according to the airport’s timetable. Thameslink runs through the night.
Check-in and bag drop at Luton
If you have a hold bag, go to your airline’s bag drop desk in the check-in area. With hand luggage only, head straight to departures. Flying before 9am with easyJet, Jet2 or Wizz Air? You can drop bags the night before through Jet2’s Twilight Check-In or easyJet’s and Wizz Air’s Twilight Bag Drop. Check with your airline. There are no lockers, but Luggage Point stores bags 24 hours a day.
Before you set off
Our guides to how early to arrive at the airport and whether airport fast track is worth it cover the rest, and the airport sells its own Fast Track Security. Charges, car park prices and train details come from London Luton Airport’s own pages, read on 27 October 2026. They change, so check before you travel. Flying from elsewhere in London? Our Stansted terminal guide and Gatwick terminals guide cover those airports.
Luton Airport Drop Off FAQs
How much is drop-off at Luton Airport?
£9 for up to 12 minutes, then £1 for every extra minute. The maximum stay is 30 minutes, and you pay online only, by midnight the day after your visit.
Is there free drop-off at Luton Airport?
Yes, at the Long Stay car park. You can drop off for up to two hours free, then £7 for two to three hours. A free shuttle bus takes around ten minutes to the terminal.
What happens if I overstay at the Luton drop-off zone?
You pay a £95 enforcement charge, reduced to £55 if you settle within 14 days. Mobile CCTV cameras enforce the 30-minute limit.
How do I pay the Luton airport drop-off charge?
You pay online, by midnight the day after your visit. Cameras capture your number plate on entry. If you can’t pay online, contact APCOA’s customer service team.
How long does the Luton DART take?
Under four minutes over 2.3km between Luton Airport Parkway and the terminal. It runs 24 hours a day, and a separate adult single is £4.90.
How long is the train from London to Luton Airport?
From as little as 32 minutes from London St Pancras to the terminal, the airport says.
Can I drop my bags the night before at Luton?
Yes, for flights before 9am with easyJet, Jet2 or Wizz Air. Jet2 runs Twilight Check-In, and easyJet and Wizz Air run Twilight Bag Drop. Check with your airline.
Kate Acaster is Chief Editor at Flight Tribe. She writes about practical travel planning, budget airlines, baggage rules, city breaks, beach holidays and good hotels that do not cost daft money.
Kate has travelled through Europe, South America and beyond, usually with a notebook, a half-formed plan and a strong opinion on airport snacks. At Flight Tribe, her work focuses on helping UK travellers understand what is included, what costs extra, and whether a trip is worth booking at the price shown.
How Kate works
Kate checks the details that can change the value of a trip, including cabin-bag rules, airline fees, hotel location, seasonality, travel dates and booking conditions. She is especially interested in offers that look useful on the surface but need a proper reader-first check before they are worth recommending.
Editorial standards
Flight Tribe covers deals and travel advice for readers first. Affiliate links do not decide whether an offer is worth writing about.
