Posted on January 05, 2010 by Fiona Hilliard

So you’ve just landed in London’s compact and bijou Luton Airport.  You’re eager to get out there and explore the sights, smells and sounds of the British capital – where do you go first?
Well, let’s start at the beginning.  Firstly, you’ll have to pick-up your car.  Car hire Luton desks are situated in the arrivals hall of the airport.  Once you’ve landed and collected your luggage, follow signs for car hire and you’ll find a range of Luton car rental agencies.  If you’ve pre-booked your rental car, you should at this stage have all of your documentation ready, as well as your licence and passport.  You’ll also need to dig out your credit card, as you’ll need this to pay for the rental vehicle.

Once you’ve signed all the necessary papers and confirmed your insurance, you’ll be directed to your vehicle in the airport’s parking lot.  Where you decide to go from here is entirely up to you.

Luton airport is conveniently located around 40 miles (65km) north of London.  The main routes to the city centre are the M1 and M25 motorways and the A5 dual carriageway. 

The M1 will take you the towns of Hendon and Brent Cross in North London (southern end), but leads to the north of England if you take the North bound route. Meanwhile, the M25 route encircles the greater London area and is the best option for those looking to see the bright lights of the city.