From Luton Airport to London City

If you take one of the budget airlines to London, i.e. EasyJet, there is a good chance your flight will end up at Luton Airport (LTN). It seems like a rather smallish and remote airport, when indeed it is quite frequented and well connected to London City.

You bridge the 50km to the capital by either taking the bus or the train. If you are flying EasyJet, you can purchase tickets for either prior to landing on the plane. Obviously the train will get you to London faster, but it will cost you more and requires you to ride a shuttle bus to the train station  Luton Airport Gateway first. After you board the train you will arrive at St. Pancras International Station after around 25 minutes.

The bus ride, in contrast, lasts considerably longer, but still may be the more convenient option for you. You find the 757 bus right outside the entrance of the airport; it leaves every 20 minutes. The bus driver will store your luggage for you and retrieve it for you later at your destination stop. You can exit the bus at one of the several bus stops, the last one being Victoria Station. The bus seemed more convenient for me because I didn't need to transfer, haul around my luggage or purchase an oyster card or tube tickets before arriving in Central London. Also, if you fly EasyJet you are eligible to purchase a discounted bus ticket for the Green Line for only £15.50. Note: When you board the bus, the driver will take your print-ticket and give you a ticket voucher in return for your ride back.

I got stuck in traffic (which is quite normal in London); so the bus ride took me 120 minutes instead of 80. You should take that in account when riding the bus back to Luton Airport and and you should also allow for an additional 20 minutes for security (and more if you need to check-in first). If you arrive early you can kill time in the lounge eating sandwiches or drinking pints before boarding. In summary the London Luton airport is quite comfortable inspite of or maybe precisely due to its compact size.

Wake me up when September ends

A small but fresh breeze makes me put on my turtleneck sweater that I brought along. An half empty glass of beer and my laptop computer sit on the garden table in front of me. Now and then I lean back in the matt white plastic chair and concentrate on the late summer's atmosphere:  the pastel-colored sky, the light smell of BBQ, the sound of a few crickets chirping and the occasional crowing of birds -- left, right and already far away.

There is no doubt that the summer that hasn't really been there for me is coming to an end. A weak feeling of sadness rises up as I realize that it's been almost a year since my last blog post. I'm telling myself that it surely must have been the amount of work rather than the lack of exciting things that kept me from writing.

Outside I try to enjoy the last signs of summer. But it's already dark now at 8PM and it's getting cold. I quickly  finish what's left of my beer before I go inside.