What is the easiest and most cost effective way to get from Piccadilly Circus to Luton Airport on a Saturday afternoon in July?

You have two main options. Take the national rail from King's Cross/Euston station (approx 35min excluding free shuttle to airport - another 10min) or bus coach from Victoria Station. The latter would be cheaper but may take longer. I have only done the former - RT rail ticket was about $18 to the best of my memory. Check the link below.

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/planmy...quirements.asp

Victoria coach may be a good option since you are only 1 stop away (take victoria line on the tube for stop from Green Park).

You ask for the "easiest and most cost effective" - which of these requirements matters to you more?

Another option would be to consider the Easybus (www.easybus.co.uk) which goes from near Baker Street to Luton Airport in about an hour. Prices start from around £2 I think (although you may pay more if you have lots of luggage).

This would probably be no more hassle than the other options but there's the risk you get stuck in traffic and your journey takes longer.

I agree - "easiest and most cost effective" are seldom the same thing. You often must pay for ease/convenience.

In any case - whichever you choose, you have to factor in traveling from P. Circus to either Victoria Coach station, Baker St or Kings Cross.

the tube to Vic. is the shortest - but also probably the most hassle since you have to change lines at Green Park and then walk 3 blocks to Vic. Coach Station. There are direct tube links to the other two - but some walking/congestion involved.

If it were me, the trip was during the day, and I had luggage -- I'd probably just fork over for a cab to whichever one you decide on (Victoria Coach, Kings Cross, or Easybus). It won't be cheap but will save some hassle.

If you opt for a taxi to Victoria Coach terminal tell the driver which bus you are looking for. When we did it he dropped us off right in front of a Luton bus just in time to board it. Victoria train station is a bit of a hike from the coach terminal if you have stuff to carry. Search Google for Green Line 757 for fare and timetable info. We saved a couple of pounds by buying online prior to departure.

We are taking EasyBus from Luton to Baker then I guess a short tube ride to Bayswater for our hotel.

Can someone tell me how to get to Gatwick, cheapest but with some rolling luggage? I assume tube from Bayswater to Victoria and then Gatwick Express?

If you want the cheapest service to Gatwick then don't use the Gatwick Express. Southern trains from Victoria are just as frequent and take an average of five minutes longer. Check schedules on www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Thanks for the feedback. I think I will take the Greenline coach out of Victoria Station.

1) DON'T get a coach. Have you ever tried getting out from Central London on a Saturday afternoon in July? It will take forever and any few pounds you save are likely to be lost when you miss your flight.

2) Mainline trains go from Kings Cross THAMESLINK or ST PANCRAS. The direct trains are from Thameslink and I don't recommend trying to go from St Pancras because of the work going on around the station at the moment - it's quite a trek from the tube and it's tricky/takes forever for cabs to pull up at the front.

Below is the journey I take when flying from Luton and leaving from my office by Piccadilly Circus.

* Take the Piccadilly Line (purple line) to Kings Cross - takes about 10 minutes and trains go every 2-3 minutes during the day. When you get off the tube bear RIGHT down the platform, following the signs for THAMESLINK.

* Buy your ticket from the machine by the kiosk as you go up the steps to the platform (it will be obvious) - it takes all cards - as Thameslink trains don't allow you to buy the ticket on the train and they will fine you (unless, say, the machine isn't working). A return costs around 10 GBP.

* The trains go to Luton Airport Parkway approximately every 15 minutes and take 32 minutes. When you arrive you will need to jump on the (free) shuttle bus to the terminal. It takes about 15 minutes and you can't miss it - right outside the door as you exit the station.

Would anyone be able to direct me to the link that provides a timetable for King's Cross station to Luton? I was just on the Thameslink web site and I was not able to find the timetable.

The timetable is accessible from www.thameslink.co.uk/main.php?page_id=37

For Kings Cross to Luton you want the Brighton-Bedford ttable. For the airport to KX it's the Bedford-Brighton one.

Tallulah-
Is train/tube a better option from Luton to our Bayswater hotel, better than EasyBus for a 9am arrival from Paris into Luton? We just need to find a shuttle outside the terminal to the train, and can purchase with credit card at the train? Thank you.

Tracy: If you're not in any rush to get to your hotel and if you can book on an Easybus for £2 per person, go for it. (I wouldn't mind doing it from airport to hotel but would never risk it when going from hotel to airport).

But...

1) They only go every 3/4 hour so you could be hanging around for ages if you've just missed one. The trains are more like every 15 minutes (look out for the faster ones, some stop everywhere but still only take about 40 minutes)

2) The timetable states the bus takes an hour - take that with a pinch of salt as it will be dependent on the time of day. But if you're not in a rush it's a better way to see some of the outskirts of London... The train takes 32 minutes (the fast one, but most are fast)

3) When you get to London, assuming you plan to get the tube to Bayswater, in both cases you will have to get the Circle Line (yellow one) - one will take 13 minutes from Kings Cross and the other 8 minutes from Baker Street. So really it's negligible.

I think I'm saying that for a bit more money, the train will be better - more space, quicker, more reliable (despite what you've heard about UK railways!) and the only extra 'hassle' is getting the bus from the airport to the station but it's really quick and goes every 5-10 minutes.

And yes, you can always use a card to pay for the ticket to London at the station.

Whichever you choose, I hope you have a great time!