Walks you can reach from Luton Airport Parkway by train

Recommended

St Albans Cathedral

Verulamium Roman City Walls

Ruins of Gorhambury House

St Albans

Time: 4h–8h

1 lunch spot: Ye Olde Fighting Cocks (30m–1h in)

6 end-of-walk rewards: the Six Bells, the Lower Red Lion, the Snug, the Boot, the Mad Squirrel Tap, or the Peahen

Warnings: A third urban.

Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).

Recommended: Mostly fields and country lanes. Some beautiful new bluebell woods, stunning historic city streeets, commons, golf courses and parkland.

Heartwood Forest

St Albans Cathedral

St Albans

Time: 4h30–9h

4 lunch spots: Sandridge (2h–4h in) — the Green Man (excellent; reservations recommended), Heartwood Tea Rooms (busy!), the Rose & Crown, or the Queens Head (not great)

5 end-of-walk rewards: the Lower Red Lion, the Mad Squirrel Tap, the Peahen, the Snug, or the Boot

Best months: in April (bluebell season).

Warnings: A quarter urban.

Source: Trains2Green.

Similar walks: the Saturday Walkers Club and Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Woodland: a fifth under tree cover.

St Albans

Time: 3h30–6h30

3 lunch spots: the Swan (1h–2h in), the Bull (1h–2h30 in), or the Wicked Lady (2h–4h in)

2 end-of-walk rewards: the Marquis of Granby, or the Amble Inn

Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).

River valley, wooded wetland fringes, quiet villages, rolling fields, escarpment ridge, nature reserve lakes and ancient woodland.

Time: 5h30

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Largely flat riverside paths, fields, woods, parks and pedestrianised town centre.

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

River Nene towpath, gravel quarry-edge paths, fishing lakes, grassy fields, nature reserve, four villages and Swanspool Brook parkland.

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Villages and countryside.

Time: 5h–10h

5 lunch spots: Broughton (3h30–7h in) — Best Plaice, the Red Lion, Broughton Fish and Chips, or the Broughton & Cransley WMC; plus the Overstone Arms (1h30–2h30 in)

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

A walk through London's history around the square mile, past the Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral and the Guildhall.

Time: 2h30–5h

Warnings: Two thirds urban. Several sets of steps, cobbled streets and narrow alleys.

Walk details: Walking Post (tips, photos and local insights).

Meadows, solitary chalk hills, ancient woodlands, steep chalk escarpments, chalk downland, Neolithic hill forts, ancient trackways, rolling grassy fields and hilltop village.

Time: 5h

Warnings: Steep chalk escarpments.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Steep rolling downlands, chalk escarpments, hilltop views, grassy fields, pastures and ancient woodland.

Time: 5h

Warnings: Can be hilly.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Riverside paths along the Nene, meadows, quarry lakes, arable fields, villages, urban riverside, nature reserve and raised flood embankments.

Warnings: Prone to flooding.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Common woodland, farmland tracks, river meadows, water meadows, quiet residential roads and historic city streets.

Woodland: a fifth under tree cover.

St Albans

Time: 3h30–7h

3 lunch spots: Moor Mill Watermill & Inn (1h30–3h30 in), the Overdraught (2h30–4h30 in), or Rumbles Fish Bar (2h30–4h30 in)

2 end-of-walk rewards: the Horn, or the Robin Hood

Warnings: Can be very muddy.

Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.

Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.