Luton Airport Parkway Station

The best way to describe Luton Airport Parkway station is functional. It’s primary purpose is to provide a gateway to London for those flying into Luton airport and you can usually make that trip in about 45 minutes.
Its roughly a 5 minute bus drive away from the airport so the transfer doesn’t take long. The shuttle bus used to be free but there is now a small charge. If you buy your train ticket at the airport this will cover your shuttle bus too, this is the cheapest and most efficient way to do things.
When you arrive at the station it is usually a bit of a free for all at the barriers so be prepared for a scrum. There’s a handy display just across from the doors with times for the trains to key destinations. It’s worth a quick glance up here if you’re heading to London as the next train heading that way isn’t always the quickest. There’s often an express train due 10 minutes after a train that stops everywhere.
The station itself is pretty spartan, just 4 platforms and a small café. London trains usually leave from platform 1 which is a bit of a hike from the main entry: either a slow lift ride or 4 escalators up, a walk across the bridge and then stairs or a lift down, so you might have to move quickly it if you’ve only got a couple of minutes until your train. The platforms are pretty open so it can get cold in the winter but there are a few sheltered cubicle spaces at the side.
Luton Airport Parkway station definitely isn’t a destination in itself, but it is the best way to get into London from the airport.

Another entry in the «Jody goes to London and accidentally goes through Luton» saga. It’s not a secret that i’m not a huge fan of the Luton airport, and the fact that to get there and back again requires not only a shuttle but this station, does not help that fact.
Going to or from the airport requires a ten minute shuttle that leaves every fifteen minutes on a loop. Which is fine if you’re arriving at Luton with a bit of time to kill, but keep a close eye on those times if you’re headed towards departures. For a domestic flight, it means tacking on another half hour to your travel time just to deal with the shuttles. Fun!
The station itself, like the airport, isn’t horrible but it’s very… meh. Grey walls. Staff that are minimally helpful. The signage is half decent, I will give them that. Overall, it gets the job done but there is nothing pleasant about it. It’s utilitarian to a tee.

When travelling to London using Thameslink, all trains go to St Pancras. Observe the signs as only less calls indicate a fast train, it’s not always obvious! It may help to ask people without suitcases (they may be familiar with the train system and more important — which are the fast trains).

Luton airport parkway station is located some distance from the airport itself. Services arrive here frequently from Kings Cross. Although there is a shuttle available to the airport, be aware that the queues for this can get very long. I nearly missed an Easyjet flight and ended up catching a taxi with four strangers (basically we all ran at the taxi as it approached the station and managed to get in it first!) to make my flight in time. Be sure to arrive here early if you are flying.

My Friends hate travelling to Luton airport and part of the reason given is its location and the station. Fair point, I’m from South London, but if I want to get a cheap flight to East or Central Europe then Luton is the only way to go.
So, first things first. This station is always staffed unless there is no trains and they love to make sure you pay for your ride, so buy a ticket in advance as there is barriers and ticket inceptors who dont like those on a free ride. The station is called PARKWAY because you will need a shuttle bus to get to and from the airport. These go every 15 minutes and take about 10 minutes, so allow that into your journey and don’t miss your plane.
Getting here is possible from the Midlands on trains to London from Derby/​Nottingham/​Leciseter on First trains or from the old Thameslink line from Brighton via Gatwick, Sutton via Herne Hill and Wimbledon or central london stations like Kings Cross, Blackfriers and St Paul Thameslink as well as places like West Hampstead and Kentish town for links to the tube, so you can get home but it takes about an hour.
The station has good toilet and waiting room facilities but trynot to wait on the platform as the wind wips up and it can be bitterly cold waiting there. May I suggest the waiting room area on the first floor above the entrance/​exit for the shuttle bus?