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Travel from Luton Airport. Timing of train reservations

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My husband and I are taking an Easy Jet flight from Nice, France on a Thursday in May that lands at Luton Airport at 11:55 AM.
We are using public transit and want to get to Portsmouth and Southsea Station in Portsmouth where we are spending a few nights before going on to the Isle of Wight.

I would like to buy tickets ahead but have a few questions:
- What’s a reasonable time estimate to expect to be through customs and Immigration after landing at Luton? Note: We will have checked luggage to retrieve.
- Some of the Itineraries from Luton go through Waterloo Station. Should I buy tickets ahead for that part of the journey?

Note: This journey and a return to Heathrow from the Isle of Wight a week later are the only train trips that are planned.
Any advice is appreciated.

Posted by
531 posts

It might be easier to take the service from Luton Airport to Gatwick Airport and board the train to Portsmouth and Southsea there

Posted by
8712 posts

The travel time of Luton Airport to East Croydon (is the official change point) then East Croydon to Portsmouth is the same as the cross London Transfer via Waterloo. In either event buy a through ticket but you don't get assigned seats on any train.

Note that the through tickets via Waterloo (very attractively priced) don't transfer across London by tube- they are Thameslink to London Bridge, train to Waterloo East, train from Waterloo (Waterloo East and Waterloo are joined stations).

Book tickets from Luton Airport (station code LUA) not Luton Airport Parkway as tickets from LUA include the Luton DART (the train down from the airport to Luton Airport Station).

If the E-gates are working for passport control and if the flight is on time then an hour or so (thus a train after about 1315 (allowing for the DART as well) should be ample.

Buying the cheap Advance Tickets for timed trains off a flight will always be a gamble- you either have too little or too much time.
I would just go for an Open Single at about £56.

Coming back you can and should buy a through Advance Fare from any Isle of Wight station to Waterloo- which includes the Isle of Wight train and the fast ferry from Ryde Pier Head.
Even just for these two journeys buy a Two Together Railcard this week (before the price goes up)- it will be worth it.

Posted by
34507 posts

Remember that before you reach the UK in May you must have applied for an ETA for each person.

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