Surrounded by lovely green countryside, and a short drive away from lots of excellent days out, there are plenty of reasons to spend time in Luton.
Discover Stockwood
An award-winning museum that's dedicated to being environmentally friendly and entirely sustainable, the Stockwood Discovery Centre – formerly the Stockwood Craft Museum – is a fascinating day out.
Just a 10-minute drive from the centre of Luton, this museum is a fun and interesting place to visit for all the family.
With ever-changing exhibits focused around archaeology, engineering, social history, geology and rural crafts, it makes for entertaining free day out with an extensive collection of interesting and rare items on show.
While you’re here, take the time to explore the adjoining Stockwood Park with its period gardens which include medieval, Dutch and Elizabethan gardens.
A zoo with a view
Set across some 600 acres of land, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is Britain’s biggest and most impressive zoo. Whipsnade is just 20 minutes’ drive from Luton and offers not only the most comprehensive range of amazing animals to watch in wonder, but a whole host of immersive experiences to enjoy too.
There are some 23,000 animals and almost 800 different species represented at Whipsnade, including chimps, cheetahs, zebras, lynx and brown bears.
The zoo offers opportunities to ‘meet the animals’ and get up close and personal. You can also book amazing ‘safari sleepovers’ at their Lookout Lodge and even become a zookeeper for the day. All this is just an easy 12km drive from Luton town centre.
Wonderful Woburn
For almost 400 years now Woburn Abbey has been the home of the earls and dukes of Bedford, but its illustrious history dates back much further than that.
Originally built as Cistercian monastery way back in the mid-12th century, this spectacular country house has since played host to some very high profile dignitaries including prime ministers and presidents. It also lays claim to being the very house where the great English tradition of afternoon tea was first born.
Painstakingly and lovingly restored to its former glory after some years of disrepair, this abbey and its stunning 28 acres of formal gardens makes for an especially enjoyable day out. This is especially true if you visit during one of the many annual events such as one of the classic car or vintage aviation rallies.
The greater Woburn estate compromises of much more than just the abbey and its gardens. There’s also one of Britain's top deer parks and a famous safari park that over 1,000 species of animal call home.
Whether you plan to stay local and visit the sights of the nearby area or spread your wings and explore the rest of the UK, car hire in Luton gives you the freedom and convenience to do it all at your own pace.