Coach and Minibus Hire in the United Kingdom

Coming through Luton with your group

Luton has a single terminal and some very specific rules about which vehicle goes where. Once you know whether you've booked a coach or a minibus, the rest of the arrival falls neatly into place.

Bay M, for coaches only

Private hire coaches collect groups from bay M in the bus bay area just outside the terminal. A coach isn't allowed into that area until your flight is on the ground. Before that, it can sit for as long as four hours in the Coach Layover Area over in Mid Stay.

Coaches drive in and reverse out of Bay M, and your driver works the gate while everyone climbs aboard. The bay is kept for coaches of 20-plus seats that have reversing cameras, so a smaller vehicle won't be there.

Mercedes-Benz V-Class passenger van, front view
Mercedes-Benz V-Class passenger van, front view

Minibuses of up to 19 seats

Smaller vehicles, cars included, head for the Drop Off and Pick Up Zone, roughly five minutes on foot from the terminal. It takes vehicles of up to 19 seats, which covers most family and wedding-party minibuses. With little ones and cases, allow a few extra minutes for the walk.

The zone is charged and paid online only, by midnight the following day, and there's no Blue Badge concession there. If that matters for someone in your party, raise it when you book so the pickup can be planned around it.

The terminals

  • Single passenger terminal

Good to know at London Luton Airport

  • Free drop-off is available in the Long Stay car park, which has no height restriction, linked to the terminal by a shuttle bus of about 10 minutes.
  • The Drop Off and Pick Up Zone, about a five-minute walk from the terminal, takes cars and minibuses of up to 19 seats; it is charged, paid online only by midnight the following day, with no Blue Badge concession there.
  • Bay M is only for coaches of at least 20 seats fitted with reversing cameras; smaller vehicles, or those without cameras, use the standard drop-off and pick-up areas.

Into London

It's about 34 miles to Trafalgar Square, roughly an hour in light traffic and more when the roads are busy. If you're flying in for a weekend of shows or a family celebration, a pickup straight to the hotel door saves wrestling luggage on and off trains.

Your questions

Can a 16-seat minibus use Bay M?

No. Bay M takes only larger coaches, ones with a reversing camera and 20 or more seats. Your minibus waits in the zone for cars and smaller vehicles instead, a short walk away.

How long can the vehicle wait if we're held up?

Coaches get a four-hour allowance in the Mid Stay layover area. For a minibus, send your flight number with the booking so the driver's timing follows your actual landing.

Does the driver need a permit to collect us?

A coach does. The driver either buys it on the day or pre-books it from the Mid Stay car parking desk, where arrival times are also on show. That's for the operator to sort out, not you.

Is there anywhere free to be dropped off on the way home?

The Long Stay car park has free drop-off and no height restriction. A shuttle bus of about 10 minutes links it with the terminal, so leave time for that.

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