London Luton to Heraklion
2733 km great-circle distance, typically flown in 3h 49m with 4 airlines operating direct service from London Luton (LTN) to Heraklion (HER). Cheapest fares are usually in January (around £113 return), with peak prices in August (around £280). Departures on a Tuesday tend to undercut weekend prices on this corridor.
Flying from London Luton
Luton is Wizz Air and easyJet country, with secondary routes from Ryanair and TUI. The airport sits 32 miles north of central London with a direct Thameslink train via Luton Airport Parkway — there's now a DART shuttle bridging the station to the terminal. Fare structures lean budget; if you're after Eastern European, Greek island or Spanish-coast routes, Luton often beats the bigger London airports on price.
Arriving in Crete
Heraklion Airport is 4 km east of central Heraklion, the largest city in Crete. Bus 1 runs every 15 minutes to the city centre. The May–October leisure schedule is intense; winter capacity drops sharply but doesn't disappear. Crete's size means you can fly into Heraklion (HER) or Chania (CHQ) — match the airport to your accommodation cluster to save the 2-hour cross-island drive.
Who flies LTN to HER?
| Airline | IATA | Flight time | Cabin |
| Wizz Air | W6 | 3h 49m | Economy |
| easyJet | U2 | 3h 49m | Economy |
| Ryanair | FR | 3h 49m | Economy |
| TUI Airways | BY | 3h 49m | Economy |
4 carriers fly direct on this corridor. Frequencies vary by season — summer and winter holiday peaks see additional flights.
Best time to fly LTN→HER
Synthesised from 12-month price aggregates. Cheapest months in green, peak in red.
Estimated baseline. Prices update on a 30-day cadence as Travelpayouts data refreshes. Cheapest day-of-week typically Tuesday.
London to Crete FAQs
Direct flights from London Luton (LTN) to Heraklion (HER) take approximately 3h 49m for the 2733 km journey, plus 30–60 minutes of taxi, climb and descent. Total airport-to-airport time depends on cruise winds and air-traffic queueing on approach.
January is typically the cheapest month on this route, with one-way fares from £86. August is the peak — expect prices 2–3× higher. Book 4–8 weeks ahead for best fares; last-minute prices on this corridor rise sharply inside two weeks of departure.
4 carriers operate direct service from London Luton (LTN) to Heraklion (HER): Wizz Air, easyJet, Ryanair and TUI Airways. Frequencies vary by season and carrier — Wizz Air typically operates the highest weekly count on this corridor.
UK passport holders generally do not need a visa for short stays in Greece (Schengen-area members allow 90 days in any 180-day window). ETIAS pre-authorisation will apply once live for European destinations. Always check gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/greece before booking.
Heraklion (HER) is the primary international airport for Crete. Allow 30–60 minutes for the ground transfer by train, express bus or taxi, depending on traffic and time of day. Most European hub airports sit 10–25 km from their host city centre. See the airport's official website for current train and shuttle timetables.