The easiest places to leave bags in London are your hotel, the staffed left-luggage offices at the big railway terminals, and TfL's own luggage room at Victoria Coach Station, which charges from £2 for up to an hour to £10 for up to 24 hours per item. App-based storage in shops and hotels is a third option, but always check hours, insurance and the exact address before you hand over a suitcase.
Left luggage (also called luggage storage or baggage storage) simply means paying someone to look after your bags for a few hours or days. For visitors to London it solves a common problem: you have checked out of your hotel at 11:00 but your flight or train leaves in the evening, or you arrive early in the morning and cannot check in until the afternoon.
London has fewer station lockers than many European cities. Instead, most storage is staffed, which means it has opening hours, bags are handed over at a counter, and there may be a security check. This guide explains where to find it, what it costs where prices are published, and what to check before you leave anything valuable behind.
Storing bags in London: the essentials
- Hotels
- Most will hold bags before check-in and after check-out; ask when you book
- Railway terminals
- Staffed left-luggage offices at King's Cross, Paddington, Euston, Waterloo and Victoria (Excess Baggage Company, per Network Rail)
- Victoria Coach Station
- TfL luggage room: £2 (up to 1 hour) to £10 (6-24 hours) per item, plus £6 per extra 24 hours
- Storage apps
- Bags left at partner shops, cafés or hotels; book and pay in the app
- Lockers
- Rare at London stations; do not rely on finding one
- Check first
- Hours on the day, weekend hours, price per item, security checks, compensation limits
Ask your hotel before paying anyone
The cheapest option is usually the one you already have. Most London hotels, from budget chains to grand hotels, will keep luggage for guests before check-in and after check-out, often in a locked room behind reception. Many do this free of charge for guests; a few charge a small fee or offer it only on the day of arrival or departure. Hostels usually have lockers or a luggage room too, although you may need your own padlock.
Ask when you book, or at least the day before you check out, and ask three questions: until what time can I collect, is the room locked, and do I need a ticket or a tag? If you are staying in an apartment or short let, there is usually no reception, so you will need a different plan. Our guides to London's hostels and to apartments and short lets explain what to expect from each type of stay.
If your hotel is near a major station, returning to collect bags is easy. That is one reason travellers with early or late trains like staying near King's Cross or Paddington.
Photo: David Martin / Waterloo station: concourse gallery development · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized
Left luggage at the main railway stations
Network Rail, which manages London's biggest terminals, lists a staffed left-luggage service at five stations. All five are run by the same company, Excess Baggage Company, according to Network Rail's station pages.
| Station | Operator (per Network Rail) | Hours listed by Network Rail | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| King's Cross | Excess Baggage Company | Monday-Friday 07:00-23:00 | 020 3468 4690 |
| Paddington | Excess Baggage Company | Monday-Friday 07:00-23:00 | 020 3468 4709 |
| Euston | Excess Baggage Company | Monday-Friday 07:00-23:00 | 020 3468 4670 |
| Waterloo | Excess Baggage Company | Monday-Friday 07:00-23:00 | Not shown |
| Victoria (rail station) | Excess Baggage Company | Monday-Friday 07:00-23:00 | 020 3468 4551 |
Network Rail's station pages are an incomplete guide: they list Monday to Friday hours only, and they leave out four of the nine London offices. The operator's own site is the one to use. It gives every London station office as open seven days a week, 07:00 to 23:00, and publishes the prices. Check the operator's own website or phone the number above on the day, especially if you plan to collect late on a Saturday or Sunday.
Liverpool Street and St Pancras International both have offices, even though Network Rail's own pages do not show them. St Pancras is not a Network Rail station at all: it is run by HS1, trading as London St Pancras Highspeed, which is why it is missing from that list rather than missing from the station. Our overview of London's railway terminals explains which station serves which part of the country.
The station offices open seven days a week, 07:00 to 23:00. Network Rail lists only weekday hours for the station luggage offices. If you are collecting bags on a Sunday evening before a flight, confirm the closing time with the operator in advance rather than finding a shutter down.
TfL's luggage room at Victoria Coach Station
Victoria Coach Station, on Buckingham Palace Road about 300 metres from Victoria Tube and rail stations, is run by TfL and has its own left-luggage service opposite the ticket office. It is one of the few places in London with prices and hours published on an official page.
| Storage time (per item) | Price |
|---|---|
| Up to 1 hour | £2.00 |
| 1-3 hours | £5.00 |
| 3-6 hours | £7.50 |
| 6-24 hours | £10.00 |
| Each extra 24 hours | £6.00 |
The luggage room is open Friday to Wednesday 08:00-22:00 and Thursday 08:00-20:00. Bags are screened, and TfL says online booking is handled through Stasher. The coach station ticket office accepts pounds sterling only, so bring a card or sterling cash.
Prices are per item, so they add up for families. A couple with two suitcases leaving them from 10:00 to 18:00 would pay £20; a family of four with four cases would pay £40 for the same day. That is still often cheaper and simpler than paying for a late check-out. If you are catching a coach, our guide to Victoria Coach Station covers arrival times and facilities.
Storage apps: bags left in shops and hotels
Several companies run app-based networks where you book a slot, pay online and drop your bags at a partner business: a newsagent, café, hotel reception or shop near a station or sight. These services have spread across central London and can be handy when you want storage near a specific attraction rather than at a station.
They work well for short stops, but quality depends on the individual shop. Before you book, check:
- The exact address and opening hours of the partner, not just the brand's general hours. A small shop may close earlier on Sundays.
- How your bag is secured. A tamper seal and a stock room are better than a corner behind the counter.
- The compensation limit. Many services include cover up to a set amount per bag. Read the terms, and do not leave anything worth more than that limit.
- Cancellation and late collection rules, in case your plans change.
No app is the only option, and prices change often, so compare two or three for the area you need. Victoria Coach Station's own online booking goes through one of these companies, which shows how mainstream they have become.
Lockers, airports and other places to look
Self-service lockers are rare at London stations, so do not plan around finding one. Staffed storage with screening is the norm.
If you are flying out, storing bags at the airport usually makes little sense, because you would have to travel out and back. The exception is a long layover: check your airport's own website for luggage storage in your terminal before relying on it. Our guides to getting from Heathrow into town and to overnight stays at London's airports help with planning around early and late flights.
Planning your last day around the luggage
A good rule is to store your bags on the way to the airport or station, not on the way back from the sights. That way you collect them and continue in the same direction.
- Heathrow: Paddington is the natural base. The Heathrow Express takes 15 minutes to Terminals 2 & 3, and the Elizabeth line takes 28 minutes from Paddington. Paddington also has a left-luggage office.
- Gatwick: Victoria is the obvious choice for the Gatwick Express (30 minutes) and Southern trains, and you can compare the rail station office with the coach station luggage room nearby. See our Gatwick guide for fares.
- Stansted: the Stansted Express leaves from Liverpool Street and takes 48 minutes. There is a staffed office at Liverpool Street, and app storage in the streets around it is cheaper again. Our Stansted guide has the details.
- Eurostar: St Pancras has its own office on the main concourse, and King's Cross across the road has another.
With your hands free, a last half-day in the centre is realistic. Our one-day itinerary works well for a final morning and afternoon.
Black cabs carry suitcases at no extra charge. TfL's taxi rules say there is no extra charge for luggage. If you are collecting several bags and heading to a station, a cab from the storage point can cost less than the stress of carrying them through the Tube at rush hour.
Taxi fares and booking rules are covered in our guide to black cabs, minicabs and ride apps.
Bags at museums and attractions
Do not assume you can bring a suitcase into a museum and leave it in a cloakroom. Many attractions have airport-style security, and several have strict size limits or no cloakroom at all. The Churchill War Rooms, for example, has no cloakroom and does not allow suitcases.
If you plan to visit the Churchill War Rooms or any other attraction on your travel day, store your bags first. Check each attraction's own website for its bag policy, because rules change and differ from place to place. The Houses of Parliament, for instance, uses airport-style security and asks visitors to arrive 20 minutes early.
Eurostar and travelling with big bags
If you are heading to Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam, Eurostar's luggage allowance is generous but has size rules. Standard and Plus passengers can bring two pieces of luggage plus one small item of hand luggage (Premier: three plus one; children: one plus one). On London routes the maximum length is 85 cm per bag. There is no weight limit, but you must be able to carry your bags yourself.
Eurostar recommends arriving at St Pancras 75 minutes before departure for Standard and Plus, so leave time to collect your bags first. Our guide to Eurostar from London to Paris explains check-in in more detail.
What not to leave in storage
Left luggage is for clothes and souvenirs, not for anything you cannot replace. Keep these with you:
- Passports, visas and your ETA confirmation email
- Cash, cards, jewellery and other valuables
- Laptops, cameras and phones
- Medicines you need that day
- Keys, and the ticket or code for collecting the bag
Staffed offices that screen bags may refuse items that are banned or dangerous, so do not leave anything you would not take through airport security. Take a photo of your luggage receipt, and note the operator's phone number. For more on protecting your belongings in busy areas, see our advice on staying safe in London.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I leave my luggage in London for a day?
The simplest options are your hotel, the staffed left-luggage offices at King's Cross, Paddington, Euston, Waterloo and Victoria stations, and TfL's luggage room at Victoria Coach Station. App-based services let you leave bags at partner shops and hotels near many sights.
How much does left luggage cost in London?
At Victoria Coach Station, TfL charges £2 per item for up to an hour, £5 for 1-3 hours, £7.50 for 3-6 hours and £10 for 6-24 hours, plus £6 for each extra day. The railway station offices charge £10.00 for up to three hours and £15.00 for up to 24 hours, per item (September 2026); Victoria's first band runs to six hours. Check the operator's site for the current figure.
Are there luggage lockers at London stations?
Self-service lockers are rare at London's stations. Instead, the big terminals use staffed left-luggage offices where bags are handed over at a counter and may be screened. Plan around opening hours rather than expecting a locker.
Is there left luggage at St Pancras for Eurostar passengers?
St Pancras International is run by HS1 rather than Network Rail, which is why it is absent from that list, but it has a staffed office on the main concourse. King's Cross, directly opposite, has another listed by Network Rail.
Will my hotel keep my bags after check-out?
Most London hotels will hold bags for guests after check-out, often free of charge, but policies vary. Ask when you book or the day before you leave, and confirm the latest time you can collect them.
Sources
- Transport for London - Victoria Coach Station facilities (checked September 2026)
- Network Rail - London King's Cross station facilities (checked September 2026)
- Network Rail - London Paddington station facilities (checked September 2026)
- London St Pancras Highspeed - Station facilities (checked September 2026)
- Eurostar - Luggage (checked September 2026)
- Transport for London - Taxi fares (checked September 2026)
- IWM - Churchill War Rooms visitor information (checked September 2026)