You've checked out of your first hotel at 11am, your next place won't let you in until 3pm, and you're standing in the lobby with a roller case and a daypack. Or your flight lands at Heathrow at 7am but your room isn't ready until mid-afternoon. Or you're switching from Shoreditch to South Kensington midweek and don't fancy dragging two bags across the Tube in rush hour.

This is where left luggage comes in. VisitLondon confirms that London's main train stations, airports and Victoria Coach Station offer left-luggage facilities so you can store bags for hours or days and explore bag-free. Official, staffed counters at places like King's Cross, Paddington, Heathrow and Gatwick give you somewhere safe to drop your cases while you keep moving.

This guide covers the 2025 left-luggage options most useful for travellers planning a split-stay London week especially if you're making one midweek hotel switch and need somewhere to park your bags between check-out and check-in.

TL;DR: Staffed left-luggage facilities at major London stations (King's Cross, Paddington, Euston, Victoria) and airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton) typically charge from around £10–£15 per item for a few hours or a full day, with 24-hour CCTV and security screening. Use them to bridge hotel switches, fill time on arrival/departure days, or explore bag-free when your room isn't ready yet.

How left luggage works in London

Left luggage in London typically means a staffed counter run by an operator like Excess Baggage Company or Luggage-Point. You hand over your bag, pay per item, get a receipt, and collect it later the same day or several days on. Left Baggage explains that storage at airport and rail-station facilities starts from around £7.50 or £10 per item for a few hours, with manned sites, 24-hour CCTV and security screening at every location.

Pricing usually works in bands: a short drop-off of 0–3 hours might cost from around £10 per item, while 24 hours can be from around £15. If you're leaving bags for multiple days, the daily rate often applies for each 24-hour period. The FAQ confirms that all units are manned and every bag is security screened, with staff able to request hand-searches and refuse storage if security requirements aren't met.

This post focuses on official, staffed facilities at major transport hubs. We're not covering lockers you might find tucked away in shopping centres, nor third-party booking apps that partner with shops and cafés. The stations and airports listed here offer consistent security standards, extended hours and the capacity to handle cabin bags and full-size cases.

Reality check: Prices, opening hours and even which operator runs a site can change. Always check the latest details on the day, especially if you're planning a tight connection or a late-night drop-off.

Station left luggage: King's Cross, Paddington and other hubs

VisitLondon notes that Excess Baggage Company runs left-luggage offices at Charing Cross, Euston, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, Paddington, St Pancras International and Victoria, all open daily from 7am to 11pm. That covers most of the major rail gateways you're likely to use on a London trip.

King's Cross / St Pancras: Left Baggage's King's Cross outlet sits on the main concourse, using 24-hour CCTV and opening seven days a week between 8am and 9pm. This is ideal if you're arriving on a train from the north or coming in via Eurostar and your hotel room isn't ready. Drop your bags, head out to explore, and collect them when you check in later.

Paddington: At London Paddington, left luggage is operated by Excess Baggage on Platform 12, with the facility open daily from 7am to 11pm. Paddington is the main hub for Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth line into central London, so if you're flying in early and checking into a hotel in, say, Notting Hill or Bayswater later, this is your most convenient option.

The other stations follow similar patterns: staffed desks, extended daily hours, per-item pricing. If you're making a midweek switch between two London areas, you can often check out of hotel one in the morning, drop your bags at the nearest major station, spend the day sightseeing bag-free, then collect your cases and head to hotel two in time for late-afternoon check-in.

Airport luggage storage: Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton

London's main airports all offer staffed left-luggage facilities on the landside (before security), which means you can drop bags when you land or store them on your last day before an evening flight.

Heathrow: Heathrow's manned left-luggage facilities, operated by Excess Baggage Company, offer 24/7 CCTV and per-item storage from £10 for 0–3 hours or £15 for up to 24 hours. Facilities are located in each terminal, usually near the main arrivals or departures area. If your flight lands at 7am and your room isn't ready until 3pm, you can drop your case at Heathrow, take the Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express into town with just a daypack, and either collect your bag later or have it waiting when you return on your last day.

Gatwick: Gatwick confirms Excess Baggage luggage stores before security in both terminals, open 04:00–22:00, charging from £10 per item for up to 3 hours or £15 for 24 hours. Gatwick is well-connected to central London via Thameslink and Gatwick Express, so the same early-arrival or late-departure logic applies.

Luton: London Luton Airport's Luggage-Point offers safe long- or short-term bag storage at the end of the check-in area, open 04:00–22:00, with items fully insured, security scanned and monitored by 24/7 CCTV. Luton is further out than Heathrow or Gatwick, but if you're flying budget airlines and want to head straight into London without your full luggage, this is a practical option.

Pricing at all three airports follows similar bands, typically from around £10–£15 per item depending on how long you're storing. Always treat these as indicative figures and check the operator's site for the latest rates, especially if you're leaving bags for multiple days.

What you can and can't store

Left-luggage operators apply airport-style security rules. Every bag is X-ray screened when you drop it off, and staff can refuse items that don't meet their requirements. Luggage-Point's terms state they won't accept prohibited, restricted or perishable items and may immediately destroy left luggage containing leaking liquids or hazardous substances.

In practice, this means no aerosols under pressure, no loose batteries, no food that's going to spoil, and nothing that would be banned from an aircraft hold. Standard cabin bags, checked cases, backpacks and small personal items are all fine. If you're carrying anything unusual camera equipment with lithium batteries, sporting goods, musical instruments check with the desk staff before handing it over.

Keep your passport, wallet, phone, any prescription medication and anything genuinely irreplaceable with you in a small daypack. Left-luggage facilities are secure and monitored, but you don't want to be separated from essentials if there's a delay collecting your bags or an unexpected change of plan.

Using left luggage on a split-stay week

If you're planning a two-area London week say, three nights in Shoreditch, one midweek switch, then four nights in Kensington left luggage can make the logistics much smoother. Here's how it typically works:

On switch day: Check out of hotel one at 11am. Drop your bags at the nearest major station (Liverpool Street if you're in Shoreditch, for example). Spend the day exploring, grab lunch, visit a museum. Collect your cases around 3pm and head to hotel two in time for check-in. You've turned a potentially awkward half-day into useful sightseeing time without dragging two bags across town.

On arrival day: If your flight lands early and your room isn't ready, store your luggage at the airport or the first station you reach. Head into the city with just a daypack, and collect your bags later when your hotel can receive you. This works especially well during shoulder weeks when hotels are busy but you want to make the most of every daylight hour.

On departure day: Check out in the morning, drop your bags at a station near your second hotel, and keep exploring until it's time to head to the airport. You're not racing back to collect luggage from a hotel that's now in the wrong part of town, and you're not sitting in a departure lounge for three hours because you had nowhere else to put your case.

Hotel Splitter typically shows one total package price in £ for a week with one midweek switch. Left luggage is run by separate third-party operators Hotel Splitter doesn't control their pricing, hours or availability but knowing these facilities exist makes it easier to plan a flexible-fit split stay that works around real train times, flight schedules and hotel check-in rules.

Left luggage FAQs (London 2025)

Is left luggage in London safe?
Official facilities at major stations and airports use 24-hour CCTV, manned desks and security screening for every bag. Staff can refuse items that don't meet security standards. While no storage option is risk-free, these are among the most secure options available in central London.

How much does left luggage cost in London?
Pricing typically starts from around £10 per item for a short drop-off (0–3 hours) and from around £15 per item for 24 hours. If you're storing bags for multiple days, expect to pay the daily rate for each 24-hour period. Always check the operator's site for current pricing before you drop off.

Can I leave bags overnight or for several days?
Yes. Most station and airport facilities accept multi-day storage. You'll pay per 24-hour period, and you'll need your receipt to collect your bags. Some travellers use left luggage to store bags midweek while they take a day trip outside London, then collect them when they return.

Can I store valuables and electronics?
You can store laptops, cameras and similar items, but operators typically advise keeping passports, cash, medication and anything irreplaceable with you. If something is genuinely valuable or essential, carry it in a small daypack rather than leaving it in storage.

Do I need to book left luggage in advance?
Most facilities operate on a walk-up basis, though some allow online pre-booking. During busy periods event weeks, bank holidays, peak summer pre-booking can save you queuing time and guarantee space.

How does this work with one midweek hotel switch?
On switch day, check out of hotel one, drop your bags at a nearby station, spend the day exploring, then collect your cases and head to hotel two in time for check-in. Left luggage turns a potentially awkward logistics gap into free hours you can use to see more of the city 🧳

Ready to plan a bag-free switch?

Left luggage at London's major stations and airports gives you the flexibility to check out on time, keep exploring, and check in when your room is ready without dragging two bags through the Tube or sitting in a hotel lobby for three hours. Combined with one midweek hotel switch, it makes a split-stay week feel much easier to manage.

If you're planning 5–7 nights in London and want to stay in two great areas for one total price, start planning your split stay and work left luggage into the day you switch. You'll spend less time worrying about logistics and more time enjoying the city.

St Pancras Station, Euston Road, London, UK — Store your bags, switch hotels calmly and keep your London week light.

Last updated: 28 November 2025.