Best route from Luton Airport to Trafalgar Square

[elena]

Hello,

I'm new here and my English is not very good.

I will arrive at Luton Airport on October 9th approximately at 2pm. What is the best route to Trafalgar Square (Northumberland Avenue WC2N)?

I'm planning to use FCC and buy Print@Home tickets via http://www.mobitix.thetrainline.com/fcc

My doubt is if it's better to stop at St Pancras International, walk to King's Cross tube station and take the Northern Line, towards Charing Cross; or continue until Farringdon tube station and then take the tube until Embankment.

Thank you very much for your hep

Elena

 

[Daniel]

The Northern Line at Kings Cross is the Bank Branch, not the Charing's Cross branch.

Personally, I would travel into St Pancras, take the Piccadilly Line Southbound until Leicester Square, then the Northern Line Southbound one stop to Charing Cross.


However if anyone else can suggest a quicker/easier route I'm sure it would be just as helpfull

 

[Julian G]

From St.Pancras Thameslink, Go to Kings Cross Underground
Take the Victoria Line to Oxford Circus and change there for the Bakerloo Line for Charing Cross

 

[jopsuk]

Neither! You're best catching the Picadilly line from Kings Cross-St Pancras Underground station to Leicester Square, and walking the short distance to Trafalgar Square.

If you look at this map, You can see Kings Cross-St Pancras underground station top-middle- where the black, light blue, dark blue, yellow, maroon and pink Undeground lines meet. The Dark Blue is the Picadilly line. Trafalgar Square is almost due south of where it meets the Northern Line (black) at Leicester Square, just to the left and below the centre of the map.

Faringdon is the first stop (marked by circles) on the pink, yellow and maroon lines to the east (right) of Kings Cross-St Pancras. Changing here, to get to Embankment your train would go off round through Liverpool Street and Aldgate- a rather long way out of the way.

 

[elena]

Thank you very much for your suggestions. As I'm not familiar with the tube, I think I will take Picadilly line from Kings Cross-St Pancras Underground station to Leicester Square and walk until Trafalgar Square. Thus I will avoid changes.

By the way, do you know if the Print@Home tickets http://www.mobitix.thetrainline.com/fcc/advancePurchase.aspx are valid for the "Two for one" offers?
http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/attraction-types/2for1london.aspx

Do you think the Print@Home tickets are a good choice? I like the fee and the fact that there is a two hour frame for the trips, as my flight might be late. Or do you think it is saver to buy Any Time tickets online? I don't quite understand what is de difference between Any Time and off Peek, etc.

Thanks again for your help.

Elena

 

[devon_metro]

There are entrances at Trafalgar Square that go directly into Charing Cross tube if that helps.

 

[Nick W]

Can I be controversial and suggest staying on the FCC train till blakfriars and then catching the district line west to Embankment?

 

[Edvid]

I hope I'm not late in adding my 2p worth...

You don't need a reservation to travel on the railway, so 'normal' tickets may be a better bet. The Print @ Home tickets are generally of poorer value, especially with their two-hour validity 'slots'; in addition, 'normal' tickets can be used to get the 'Two for one' offers but I don't know if Print @ Home tickets also allow you to do that.

The cheapest 'normal' ticket available from Luton Airport is an Anytime Day Single, which costs £11.90 per person. Unfortunately you can't print them out at home but you can buy them at the airport, and in my experience the queues for rail tickets there are short.

As for your arrival in London, I agree with Nick's suggestion of changing at Blackfriars - when you get there, a single to Embankment costs £4 on the Tube or £2 on the bus, unless you have (or decide to get) an Oyster card (cost £3 each unless you load season Travelcards onto them at the same time) since they offer cheaper single fares. There's more fares info on travel within London on this TFL document if you're interested.

 

[class 313]

The Northern Line at Kings Cross is the Bank Branch, not the Charing's Cross branch.

Personally, I would travel into St Pancras, take the Piccadilly Line Southbound until Leicester Square, then the Northern Line Southbound one stop to Charing Cross.


However if anyone else can suggest a quicker/easier route I'm sure it would be just as helpfull

Luton AP- London Bridge - Charing Cross.

 

[paul1609]

Personally i wouldnt bother with the train to Trafalgar Square. Get the Easybus direct from the Airport to Baker Street. Walk 200 metres round the corner to Baker Street Underground and get on the Bakerloo southbound to Charing Cross. It would be competitive timewise and cheaper. You can book on line here for the bus:http://www.easybus.co.uk At the tube station if you intend going out that night dont buy a single ticket buy a zone 1-2 day off peak travelcard (£5.30). If your a tourist to London and want to see the city I'd suggest walking past the underground to bus stop D where the 453 bus leaves directly to Trafalgar Square every 10 mins. it takes around 30 mins but you need a ticket before boarding.

Using the train you need to get a bus from the terminal to Luton Airport Parkway station which is about 2 km from the airport. FCC to central London isnt anything special to be honest.

 

[elena]

Thank you all, for your suggestions.

I think I will finally take the FCC. The tickets are a little bit more expensive than the easyBus tickets, but I will be able to use them on the 2FOR1 offers.

I tried buying the tickets online but it did not work for me (the system would not accept my credit card, and it is normally working fine everywhere else), so I will buy the tickets at the Luton Airport, if I can, or at the Luton Parkway.

FCC confirmed that Print@Home tickets are not valid for the 2FOR1 offers.

As for the route, I think I will do King's Cross + Tube to Leicester. It seems to be the straightest route and walking from Leicester square to Trafalgar squares is not to bad.

Thanks, again, for all your suggestions.

Elena

 

[class 313]

I think I will do King's Cross + Tube to Leicester.

Elena

What a trip that will be