AirportCosts logo AirportCosts

Travel cost guide

Left Luggage at London Airports 2026: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton

Left luggage desk locations, opening hours and prices at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, plus when an off-airport storage app is the cheaper choice.

Quick answer

Excess Baggage Company runs the staffed left luggage desks at all four airports. Heathrow and Gatwick publish identical rates per item: £10 for up to 3 hours, £15 for up to 24 hours, £27.50 for up to 48 hours and £40 for up to 72 hours. Stansted and Luton have desks too, but their airport websites publish no price list, so get a written quote when you book. None of the four airports offers self-service lockers. Storage apps advertise from £1.49 per bag per day, but their storage points are hotels and shops away from the terminals.

By , founder of AirportCosts · Last updated: 2026-09-14 · How we check costs

Decision guide

How to choose

Who runs the desks and how booking works

Excess Baggage Company operates left luggage at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton alongside bag wrapping, shipping and luggage scales. For Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted you can pre-book on the operator's left-baggage.co.uk site or walk up and pay at the desk. Luton is the odd one out: the airport points bookings to the operator's main excess-baggage.com site, and you can also pay in store on the day. Storage is priced per item, so two bags cost twice the listed rate.

Heathrow: desks in all four terminals

Heathrow has left luggage desks for Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5, listed as open 06:00 to 22:00 daily on the operator's booking site. The published rates per item are £10 for up to 3 hours, £15 for up to 24 hours, £27.50 for up to 48 hours and £40 for up to 72 hours. Beyond that, Heathrow lists £12.50 per additional day, dropping to £10 per day after 7 days, so a fortnight of storage is realistic as well as an afternoon. The desk phone number is 020 8759 3344.

Gatwick: both terminals, before security

Gatwick's desks sit before security in both terminals: North Terminal on Level 1 next to Costa Coffee, and South Terminal on Level 2 behind check-in zone E. The airport publishes the same per-item scale as Heathrow, from £10 for up to 3 hours to £40 for up to 72 hours. The airport page lists 04:00 to 22:00 for both desks, while the operator's booking site shows the South Terminal desk from 05:00, so confirm before a very early drop. Gatwick states plainly that there are no lockers at the airport.

Stansted and Luton: one desk each

Stansted's Excess Baggage desk is in the Arrivals Hall. The airport lists 06:00 to 22:00 daily, while the operator's booking site describes the Stansted desk as 24 hours, so check on the day if you rely on a late collection. Luton's desk is in the check-in area, open 04:00 to 22:00 daily, with short and long-term storage. Neither airport publishes a rate card online; booking ahead fixes the price in writing before you travel.

Storage apps: cheaper, but off-airport

App networks such as Stasher, Bounce, Radical Storage and LuggageHero price by the bag per day, and Stasher advertises from £1.49 per bag per day for its Heathrow listings. The catch is the location. These are hotels, convenience stores and similar businesses near stations or in town, not counters inside the terminal; Stasher describes its nearest Heathrow point as about a 15 minute walk from the airport. That trade works well for a London day between hotel check-out and an evening flight, and poorly when the bags need to stay at the airport between flights.

Rules that catch people out

The bands are per item and they step sharply: a bag collected at hour 25 costs £27.50 instead of £15 at Heathrow or Gatwick. Desk hours matter more than most people expect, because a bag can only be collected while the desk is staffed, and the first departures of the day leave before some desks open. Prices and hours on this page were checked against the airport and operator websites on 14 September 2026; both can change, so treat the booking confirmation as the binding figure.

2026 comparison

London airport left luggage compared

The same operator runs all four airports, but the published prices, hours and desk locations differ. Rates shown are per item.

AirportDesk locationOpening hoursPublished price per item
HeathrowExcess Baggage desks in Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 506:00 to 22:00 daily£10 up to 3 hours; £15 up to 24 hours; £27.50 up to 48 hours; £40 up to 72 hours; then £12.50 per day
GatwickNorth Terminal Level 1; South Terminal Level 2; both before security04:00 to 22:00 (operator lists South Terminal from 05:00)Same scale as Heathrow: £10 up to 3 hours through £40 up to 72 hours
StanstedArrivals Hall06:00 to 22:00 per the airport; operator lists 24 hoursNot published; quoted when you book online
LutonCheck-in area04:00 to 22:00 dailyNot published; book online or pay at the desk

Checked against heathrow.com, gatwickairport.com, stanstedairport.com, london-luton.co.uk and left-baggage.co.uk on 14 September 2026.

Practical checks

Before you choose this route

These checks keep the guide useful for real journeys rather than just repeating the headline fare or fastest advertised journey time.

Check the desk hours against the flight

A bag can only be dropped or collected while the desk is staffed. Stansted’s airport page lists 06:00 to 22:00 and Gatwick’s operator listing shows South Terminal from 05:00, so an early departure or a late arrival is worth checking the day before.

Price both bands before deciding

The 24-hour and 48-hour boundaries change the bill sharply at Heathrow and Gatwick. If collection is likely to slip past a band, price the next band up front rather than discovering it at the desk.

Match the storage to the day you are planning

Bags needed at the terminal between flights belong at the airport desk. Bags stored for a London day can go to an app point near your route, but add the walk and the travel time before calling it cheaper.

Specific guidance

Where Travellers Usually Misjudge The Journey

These are the details that change the real-world value of the route after the headline fare or journey time has already caught attention.

One Operator, Two Booking Sites

Excess Baggage Company runs the desks at all four airports, but bookings split across two sites: left-baggage.co.uk covers Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, while the Luton airport page points to the operator’s main excess-baggage.com site. If Luton is missing from the first site, that is why, not because the desk has closed.

The Published Scale Rewards Short And Very Long Stays

Heathrow and Gatwick use the same front-loaded per-item scale: £10 for the first three hours, £15 for the first day, £27.50 by the second and £40 by the third. After 72 hours the added cost falls to £12.50 per day, and after a week £10 per day, so the awkward zone is the two-to-three-day middle.

Apps And Desks Solve Different Problems

An app storage point suits a traveller heading into London anyway, because the bag sits near a station or attraction at a per-day price. The terminal desk suits a traveller staying at the airport, because the bag never leaves the building. Comparing the two on price alone hides the travel time that the cheaper option quietly adds.

Where The Official Pages Disagree

The airport and operator websites conflict on two details: Stansted’s hours (06:00 to 22:00 on the airport page, 24 hours on the operator’s booking site) and Gatwick South Terminal’s opening (04:00 against 05:00). This guide quotes both rather than guessing. For a booking that depends on either detail, confirm with the operator on 020 8759 3344 before travelling.

Related airports

Airport guides

LHR

Heathrow Airport

Heathrow has the widest rail choice, but the cheapest, fastest and easiest option depends heavily on your terminal and final London stop.
LGW

Gatwick Airport

Gatwick has direct rail links to Victoria and several central London stations, but the best route depends on the final stop and whether the flight uses North or South Terminal.
STN

Stansted Airport

A practical cost guide for Stansted Airport: compare the railway station under the terminal, 24-hour coaches, road charges, pickup, luggage and early-flight options before paying.
LTN

London Luton Airport

A practical Luton Airport cost guide covering Luton Airport Parkway, the DART, trains, coaches, parking, drop-off, pickup, luggage and early flights.

Cost signals

Fees and friction to compare

AirportOne public transport optionDrop-off feeMain caution
Heathrow Airport Heathrow Express GBP 7 per entry A 15-minute train is not a 15-minute hotel journey
Gatwick Airport Gatwick Express GBP 10 for 10 minutes The station is at South Terminal
Stansted Airport Stansted Express £10 for up to 15 minutes An early flight can start before the railway does
London Luton Airport Train plus Luton DART £9 for up to 12 minutes Parkway and the terminal are different places

Save money

Money-saving tips

Small changes that cut the real cost of this journey.

  • Time the collection against the band: at Heathrow and Gatwick a bag collected within 24 hours costs £15, and the same bag at hour 25 costs £27.50.
  • Use the £10 3-hour band for short gaps such as a meeting, a meal away from the terminal or a terminal change with time to spare.
  • Storing bags for a London sightseeing day? An app storage point near your route can undercut the airport desk, if you accept the walk and the travel time.
  • For a week or more, Heathrow lists £10 per day after day 7, which is cheaper per day than the opening bands of the scale.
  • Pricing is per item, so one larger case costs half as much to store as the same contents split across two small bags.

Traveller questions

Questions Travellers Ask Before Booking

These answers focus on the decision points that change the real cost, not just the advertised journey time.

Can I leave luggage at Heathrow Airport?

Yes. Excess Baggage Company runs left luggage desks at Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5, listed as open 06:00 to 22:00 daily. Heathrow publishes the rates per item: £10 for up to 3 hours, £15 for up to 24 hours, £27.50 for up to 48 hours and £40 for up to 72 hours.

How much is left luggage at Heathrow for a week or more?

Heathrow lists £12.50 per additional day after the first 72 hours, dropping to £10 per day after 7 days. The later days of a long stay therefore cost less per day than the opening bands of the published scale.

Does Gatwick Airport have left luggage?

Yes, at both terminals, before security: North Terminal on Level 1 next to Costa Coffee and South Terminal on Level 2 behind check-in zone E. Gatwick publishes the same per-item scale as Heathrow, from £10 for up to 3 hours to £40 for up to 72 hours.

Are there luggage lockers at Gatwick or the other London airports?

No. Gatwick states there are no lockers at the airport, and Heathrow, Stansted and Luton all use staffed Excess Baggage Company desks rather than self-service lockers. You hand the bag over at a counter and collect it the same way.

Does Stansted Airport have left luggage?

Yes. The Excess Baggage desk is in the Arrivals Hall. The airport lists it as open 06:00 to 22:00 daily, while the operator’s booking site describes Stansted as 24 hours, so confirm the hours on the day if you need a late collection. Prices are not published on the airport site; booking online gives a fixed quote.

Does Luton Airport have luggage storage?

Yes. Excess Baggage Company runs storage from the check-in area, open 04:00 to 22:00 daily, for both short and long stays. The airport publishes no rate card, so book online through the operator or pay at the desk on the day.

What is the cheapest way to store luggage near a London airport?

It depends where the bag needs to be. Inside the terminal, the desks charge £15 per item for up to 24 hours at Heathrow and Gatwick. For a London day, app networks such as Stasher advertise from £1.49 per bag per day near Heathrow, but the storage points are hotels and shops away from the terminal, so add the walk and travel time before calling it cheaper.

Can I book London airport luggage storage in advance?

Yes. left-baggage.co.uk takes advance bookings for Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, and Luton bookings go through the operator’s excess-baggage.com site. Walking up and paying at the desk is also possible.

Can I store a bag overnight between flights?

Yes. The 24-hour band covers an overnight stay for £15 per item at Heathrow and Gatwick. Check the desk hours as well as the price: the bag can only be collected while the desk is open, which matters for a very early onward flight.

Is luggage storage charged per bag or per booking?

Per item. Heathrow and Gatwick both publish per-item rates, so two suitcases stored for a day cost £30 rather than £15. Packing one larger case instead of two small bags halves the desk cost for the same trip.

How we keep this accurate: fares and fees are checked against official operator and airport sources, last reviewed 2026-09-14. We update the figures when operators change them, but prices can change without notice, so confirm the live fare before you book.

More: how we check costs · editorial policy · about AirportCosts