LLA Runway Observation

You'll find yourself at the end of a runway at Luton Airport watching planes thunder past at eye level - it's genuinely brilliant if you're mad about aircraft. The observation area gives you an unobstructed view of takeoffs and landings, which means you're essentially watching a procession of Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s doing their thing mere metres away. The noise is colossal, the whole ground shakes, and if your kids are plane spotters this will be the highlight of their month.

It's free to visit and you can stay as long as you fancy, though realistically most people spend between one and two hours here before the novelty wears off. Go mid-afternoon when there's steady traffic but it's not chaotic. The spot works best for families with children aged five to fifteen - younger kids find the roar frightening, older teenagers often can't be bothered.

Hitchin is just a few miles south, so you could easily combine this with a wander around that market town. Almshoe Glamping sits conveniently close by if you're basing yourself in the area for a few days. The observation deck is all-weather but genuinely miserable in heavy rain, so pick a decent day. Bring a camera with a decent zoom if you're serious about spotting aircraft registration codes.