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Travelling to your Accommodation

Once you arrive in Newcastle, if you are not using the Airport Meet and Greet service, there are several ways for you to travel to the city and your accommodation.

How to get to your accommodation

Please be aware:
  • the Great North Run will be taking place in and around Newcastle city centre on Sunday 8 September
  • this may cause significant travel delays and disruption to your journey

Arriving by air

There are several ways to travel to Newcastle from:

Newcastle International Airport

If you are arriving at Newcastle International Airport, you can:

  • get a Metro train into the city centre. The price is approximately £4.50
  • take a taxi to your accommodation, which should cost around £20–£30. Arrow Cars have a desk inside the terminal, near to international arrivals. You can book and pay for your taxi at the desk or you can book and pay in advance on their website

If you're arriving between 10-12 September 2024 and are an international student:

London Heathrow Airport

By air:

  • British Airways flies to Newcastle direct from London Heathrow. The journey time is approximately 1 hour 10 mins

By train:

  • take the Heathrow Express train to London Paddington
  • then take London Underground (the Tube) from Paddington to Edgware Road via the District Line (green line)
  • at Edgware Road, change to the Circle Line (yellow colour) to get to London King's Cross station
  • from London King's Cross station you will be able to take a train to Newcastle Central station

There are frequent trains throughout the day. The average journey will take between 3.5 - 4 hours.

We recommend that you buy your train tickets in advance. To book, please use the Trainline or London North Eastern Railway (LNER).

By coach:

You may need to change coaches during your journey. There are departures each day and the journey time takes between 8 - 10 hours.

Manchester International Airport

By train:

  • trains go from the airport to Manchester Piccadilly and Victoria stations in the city
  • from these stations you will be able to take a train to Newcastle Central station

There are frequent trains throughout the day. The journey will take approximately 3.5 hours.

We recommend that you buy your train tickets in advance. To book, please use the Trainline or Transpennine Express.

By coach:

  • National Express operate coach transfers from Manchester International Airport to Newcastle

You may need to change coaches during your journey. There are departures each day and the journey time takes between 6 - 9 hours.

Edinburgh International Airport

By train:

  • take the airport express bus to Edinburgh Waverley train station
  • then take a train direct to Newcastle Central Station

There are frequent trains throughout the day. The average journey will take 1.5 hours.

We recommend that you buy your train tickets in advance. To book, please use the Trainline or London North Eastern Railway (LNER).

Teesside International Airport

By train:

  • take a taxi to Darlington train station.
  • from here you can take a direct train to Newcastle

There are frequent trains throughout the day. The average journey will take 45 minutes.

We recommend that you buy your train tickets in advance. To book, please use the Trainline or London North Eastern Railway (LNER).

By taxi:

  • you can take a taxi direct to Newcastle. It will cost approximately £70 and take up to 50 minutes

By coach:

  • you will need to take a taxi from the airport to central Darlington
  • from here, National Express operate coaches to Newcastle

There are many departures each day and the journey time takes 2 hours.

Arriving by train

If you are arriving by train into Newcastle Central station, you can:

  • get a Metro train to the stop nearest your accommodation, this should cost approximately £4.50
  • get a taxi from Central station to your accommodation, this should cost approximately £15

Travelling with Lumo?

There are strict luggage limits on Lumo trains:

You can also courier your luggage to your destination - for more information visit the Lumo Onboard Luggage Policy webpage

Entry into the UK from the Republic of Ireland (ROI)

The Republic of Ireland (ROI) is part of the Common Travel Area (CTA). This means:

  • there is no immigration control between the Republic of Ireland and the UK
  • if you arrive via the ROI you will not pass through passport control on arrival in the UK
  • you may have to keep evidence of your entry to the UK and present this as part of your registration at Newcastle University
Students arriving from the ROI with entry clearance

If you arrive in the UK with entry clearance (a vignette in your passport), your passport will not be stamped on your arrival in the UK.

To complete the registration process at Newcastle University, you will need to present:

  • your boarding pass or flight booking details as evidence of your journey to the UK
  • your passport and biometric residence permit card (for leave of over 6 months)
Students arriving from the ROI without entry clearance

Some students will not need entry clearance to enter the UK for a programme of 6 months or less. Please check whether you need entry clearance for the UK before you travel.

If you arrive in the UK via the ROI without entry clearance, you:

  • will be considered to have entered the UK with the immigration permission granted to you when you entered the ROI
  • should keep your boarding pass or flight booking details as evidence of your date of entry to the UK. These are required for the registration process at Newcastle University
  • can stay in the UK with permission to study for up to 6 months. This will reduce to 2 months if you entered the Republic of Ireland while you still had immigration permission for the UK, but this has since expired
Students who do not have entry clearance and are not granted immigration permission in the ROI

You should contact the visa support team immediately if you have:

  • not been granted immigration permission in the Republic of Ireland
  • been given a visa which limits your stay to a ‘short visit’

These may limit your right to stay and study in the UK. Email the team: visa@ncl.ac.uk.

Contact the team

For more help with travel to Newcastle: