Many a traveller has been caught out by the lack of locker facilities at London train stations. Sometimes you just need somewhere to dump your heavy suitcase for a while – whether you’ve just arrived hours before you can check in to your hotel, or perhaps you’re just passing through with a long layover. While you can’t get a personal locker, Excess Baggage operates Left Luggage stations throughout London’s airports and train stations so you can move around freely and see as much of London as you can. You can store your luggage at the Piccadilly circus luggage storage and move around in London freely or make the most of the London city airport luggage storage.
Hotels and Luggage Storage
Many of the West End hotels in London such as the London Piccadilly Hotel do not allow guests to check-in until around 2 pm. They will often stipulate check-out time at anywhere between 10 am and 12 pm, though you can sometimes request a late check-out time if you feel like sleeping in. If your flight or train arrives early in the morning or leaves late at night, this can be a real pain. Nobody wants to heave their luggage around town, or worse, get stuck in one place for hours guarding their suitcase – especially when all of London is out there to explore!
Your hotel will sometimes allow you to leave your luggage in a secure place at the hotel after you’ve checked out. But this isn’t always possible, and it can really throw out your plans to have to drop by your hotel again before you can move on to the next stage of your journey. Instead of going out of your way, the best solution is to go straight to the train station or airport after you check out and look for the Left Luggage facilities. Drop your bags there and feel free to squeeze in some last-minute sightseeing or shopping before you bid farewell to London.
Train Stations and Luggage Storage
You can find Left Luggage facilities at almost all major London train stations, including Euston, Waterloo, Paddington, Kings Cross and St Pancras International, Charing Cross, Liverpool Street and Victoria.
Euston
Euston station is the ideal train station for those travelling to and from the North West of England. Located close by to the West End of London and Oxford Street, this busy station is surrounded by entertainment venues, massage West End spas and a thriving industry of tourism and media businesses.
For those visiting on business or leisure and travelling through Euston, you can find the Excess Baggage Company inside the station. For directions, ask a member of staff and be prepared for larger queues of up to half an hour at peak times and holiday periods.
Waterloo
For those visiting the South Bank and it’s thriving arts hub, Waterloo Station is the perfect place to store your baggage. However long you’re visiting the city for, you don’t want to be laden with baggage during a tour of the South Bank or the River Thames. That’s why it’s always a good idea to use the station’s baggage service to provide safe and secure storage for your bags, especially when the station is famous for having the most platforms of any other London terminus.
Left Luggage are the company to look out for in Waterloo Station. Here you’ll find a range of handy services to lighten the load of your heavy bags. With 24-hour surveillance and plenty of space, you’ll find great deals on your bags and quick service from the staff.
Paddington
Paddington Station is a famous West London train station that is the prime terminus for trains coming in from the West of England alongside direct trains from Heathrow airport. The latter makes this an even more important train station for luggage storage, and due to its proximity to the busy city centre, is the ideal spot at which to store your luggage if you’re planning on a day exploring this beautiful, historic district of the London.
Left Luggage is again the company that provides storage for Paddington Station. You’ll find their kiosk by platform 12 in the station and can find great deals on storage. Of note is their £7.50 for two hours and £20 for 24 hours, good value, especially if you’re in need of quick and easy but safe stashing during your London trip.
Kings Cross
With St Pancras International across the road, this is an incredibly busy international train station that serves much of North London’s commuters. With many connecting underground services, those who don’t want to dart around the city with their Eurostar’s bags can leave them at a Left Luggage Company storage locker located within Kings Cross station.
Charing Cross
Located on the banks of the River Thames, Charing Cross Station is the perfect station for guests staying and visiting central London. With amazing hotels and restaurants near Piccadilly, the Excess Baggage Company in Charing Cross Station will provide you with relief from your bags on a short-term lease, all so you can enjoy everything the centre of London has to offer unburdened by your bags.
Liverpool Street
At Greater Anglia rail services, you can have the option of left luggage service. You can Drop off your luggage at the Excess Baggage Company office near platform 10.
Costs
It costs just £6 per bag to store for up to 3 hours and £10 to store a bag for up to 24 hours, with an additional £5 for every subsequent 24 hours of storage. Keep prices low by packing smaller bags inside other bags if you can, or wearing a backpack around the city to carry smaller and lighter items.
London Airports and Luggage Storage
You can also find these facilities at all London airports. At Heathrow they are available at Terminals 2-5 at a charge of £7.50 per item for up to 3 hours, £12.50 for up to 3 – 24 hours and £5 for every subsequent 24 hours. At Gatwick you can find Left Luggage at the South Terminal Arrivals hall (reached easily by a short monorail shuttle ride from the North Terminal), charging £6 per item for up to 3 hours, £11 for 3-24 hours and an additional £7.50 for every subsequent 24 hours. Left Luggage at Gatwick is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
London City Airport’s Left Luggage facilities can be found at the Information Desk, open 24 hours a day and charging a flat fee of £2.50 per bag for 0-2 hours. £4 per item below 20 kgs for 2-24 hours. £6 per item over 20 kgs for 2-24 hours. At Luton, look for the Outsize Baggage Unit in the check-in hall, and expect to pay £6 per item per 24 hours. At Stansted, look for the airport services desk near International Arrivals Landside, charging £10 per item per 24 hours and open 24 hours a day.
Coach Stations and Luggage Storage
You can also find Left Luggage facilities at Victoria Coach Station, where coaches and buses leave to destinations all over Britain. The facility here is open from 7 am until 10:45 pm and charges £2.50 per item for up to 2 hours. To store bags for 2-24 hours, it charges £4 for each item under 20kg in weight and £6 for items over 20kg.
London facilities for long term storage
Whilst staying short term in London might mean that transport terminuses are ideal for luggage storage, longer-term visitors might find it more useful to rent out storage lockers. Whether you’re visiting the city for a new job contract or are studying in the city, special offer London hotels might be great for short term leisure stays, but you’ll need to find more permanent accommodation if you’re staying for longer periods of time. It can take a while to find that perfect bedroom or flat; as anyone who knows or has visited, there are 32 boroughs and over 1500 square kilometres from which to find that perfect London accommodation.
Long term storage then, can be very useful indeed and could save you more money in the long run than the short-term lockers in airports, train and bus stations. Companies such as Safestore provide between 10 and 500 square feet of storage space and only cost just over £23 per square foot a year. This makes for excellent savings when it comes to storage. With many companies across the city providing great value service, longer stays with luggage in the city can be extremely easy to find and organise.
Whilst most of the main points will have been covered above, there are always some unique situations in which you might find yourself in a different part of London, or indeed a tube station where you have no choice but to store your luggage. Whatever the reason for your visit to the city, safe and secure luggage storage will always provide you with peace of mind, thus making your trip run that little more smoothly. Below are some of the frequently and less frequently asked questions about luggage storage.
FAQ
Are there luggage lockers at St Pancras?
At Brussels-Midi/Zuid, you can find lockers at the SNCB luggage office. You’ll find lockers for your luggage at the very end of the station. Opening hours from 07:30 to 20:00.
Does Marylebone station have left luggage?
Luggage storage Marylebone Station. Opening time is from 07:00 am to 10:30 pm.
Marylebone Station is a Central London Railway terminus. It is connected to London’s Underground station in the Marylebone.
Do hotels store luggage for non-guests?
Whilst hotels won’t provide non-guests with storage space directly, you can utilise companies such as Stasher, who acts as a go-between for those looking for somewhere cheap to stash their luggage. Stasher not only works with hotels but shops and businesses as well, providing a safe and secure luggage storage space at a trusted business within your vicinity.
Where can I store my luggage when travelling on the train?
Most trains in the UK will have storage compartments on them. Overhead baggage can be stored on a ceiling shelf above your seat, but this will only be large enough for hand luggage. There are usually shelves and racks at the front and back of a train carriage that provides space for larger items of luggage.
Where can I store my luggage when travelling by bus?
Usually, bigger bags can be stored at the front of the bus. Here you’ll find an area designated for larger items that would not fit in the aisle seats. If you’re travelling by bus with lots of luggage, then try to avoid rush hour and peak times, when you’ll find the vehicles far more crowded and therefore unsuitable for large amounts of luggage.
