Travel to Nottingham

Nottingham is situated right in the middle of England. Thus, it is accessible from a variety of different airports. Here will provide our recommendations and guidance from testing different airports when travelling to and from Nottingham. They are listed in order by distance from Nottingham (shortest to longest) approximately.

East Midlands Airport: (https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/) Yes, there is an airport in Nottingham. However there are not many flight options for this one. It is recommended if you can find a good flight option that works for you. There is a public bus from the airport to Nottingham city center. It takes about 30 minutes although the distance is not very far. An Uber is also possible.

Birmingham Airport: (https://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/) Birmingham airport is probably the airport we recommend the most. It’s not very far away and offers a good selection of international flights as it’s a larger airport. Passengers can take the train from the airport to Birmingham New Street which is Birmingham’s central train station (10-15 minutes). From there, there is a train to Nottingham, about 90 minutes. A word of caution: Birmingham airport, like the London airports, is awkward and a bit chaotic. It will take some extra time to find your way from the arrival gates to the airport train station. Don’t be afraid to ask for guidance along the way.

Manchester Airport: (https://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/) Manchester Airport is also possible. It’s about 2.5 hours to Nottingham via train. It does not offer as many flight connections as the London or Birmingham airports generally speaking.

The London Airports

London Luton Airport: (https://www.london-luton.co.uk/) London Luton airport is also fairly close. It offers the advantage of not requiring an underground train through London city. In other words, you can reach this airport without going through London. However, it does not offer as many flight options as the other London airports. It’s a 1.5-2 hour train journey to Nottingham. Check the last train time to Nottingham if flying in the evening.

London Stansted Airport: (https://www.stanstedairport.com/) Although Stansted is not very far away, the train connections between Nottingham and Stansted are awkward. You usually have to connect in London city via Tottenham Hale and then London St. Pancreas/London King’s Cross. Plan a 3-3.5 hour train journey for this one.

London Heathrow Airport: (https://www.heathrow.com/) Heathrow is generally a popular choice because is has so many flights and connections. However, it does require some work to get to Nottingham. That’s because you’ll have to navigate the London underground first. We recommend taking the Heathrow Express to London Paddington (20 minutes). Then take the underground from Paddington to London St. Pancras/London’s King Cross (20 minutes). From London St. Pancras or London’s King Cross it’s about a 2-2.5 hour train journey to Nottingham.

London Gatwick Airport: (https://www.gatwickairport.com/) London Gatwick is also a fairly popular choice due to its large number of flights. Also, it’s not a bad choice for a London airport. That is because there is a direct train called the Themeslink (https://www.thameslinkrailway.com/) that connects directly to London St. Pancras and London Kings Cross (about 30 minutes). It’s also possible to take the standard London Underground/Tube to London St. Pancras, however, it takes longer and requires at least one change. We recommend taking the Themeslink train. From London St. Pancreas or London Kings Cross it’s about a 2-2.5 hour train journey to Nottingham.

Of course other airports are possible, however, we have not tried the other ones from Nottingham.

Trains: You can check the National Rail website (https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/) for train times and tickets. Word of caution: if travelling from London, be sure to check the last train departure time from London St Pancras or London Kings Cross. The last train times may be as early as 10:30pm.

Buses: You can check the National Express website (https://www.nationalexpress.com/) for bus schedules. FlixBus (https://www.flixbus.co.uk/) also operates in the UK as well as Megabus (https://www.megabus.co.uk/). The buses are much cheaper than the train, but generally take 1-3 hours longer.

Both the train and the bus stations are in Nottingham city center. Thus you may walk to your accommodation if it’s in the city center.