Luton International Airport is the 4th largest airport to serve the London area, with over 10 million passengers per year. It is the 5th busiest airport in the UK and flies to over 90 destinations in Europe and North Africa. If you have car hire at Luton Airport, the town of Luton is just 3 km away and London is a 51 km drive.
Luton Airport has one terminal divided into a check-in concourse and a departures lounge. There are numerous facilities available including the Someries Business Lounge, which can be booked in advance for a fee. There are ATMs and currency exchange facilities for all your money needs and Wi-Fi access and internet kiosks, if you need to check emails. The Voyager games centre will keep you busy or you can shop around the terminal. For the latest fashion, head for Monsoon and for electronic gadgets, try Dixons Travel. You can shop for duty free bargains at Travel Galleria and there is also a Boots and WHSmith store for those last minute items. When you get hungry, there are a selection of cafes and bars with everything from sandwiches at Pret et Manger and Asian food at Yam Yam To Go to the EST Restaurant and Bar des Voyagers.
Luton is a multicultural town that used to be known for its hat making industry, which barely remains today. To understand more about the town visit the Luton Museum and Art Gallery, set in a Victorian mansion in Wardown Park with its pretty lakeside setting. Take a picnic and head for the park at Stockwood Park Museum, and then enjoy a little more culture. You can shop at the Arndale Centre or for something different, see the temple of Guru Nanak Gurdwara. Out and about with car hire in Luton, you can see George Bernard Shaw’s old residence in the nearby village of Ayot St Lawrence and explore Someries Castle. The beautiful rolling countryside of the Dunstable Downs is just a short drive as is the pretty village of Streatley. Further afield, head for the city of London and discover all its landmarks. Watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and take a trip on the London Eye. Stroll through Hyde Park and shop until you drop at Harrods. Visit the Tower of London and see Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, by a cruise on the River Thames.
