International
Travelling to Leicester from abroad
Leicester is conveniently located in the centre of England and is within easy reach of several major airports. There are also direct trains from London St Pancras, meaning that you can travel from Brussels or Paris on the Eurostar with just one change of train.
Travelling to Leicester from UK airports
To plan your journey to Leicester, explore the travel options available by coach, rail, or taxi.
We have partnered with National Express coaches to offer discounted airport transfers to new international students starting at the University of Leicester in September 2024. This offer covers travel from:
- London Heathrow Airport
- Birmingham Airport
- Stansted Airport
- Luton Airport
- Manchester Airport
Eligible students will receive details of this offer via email starting August 2024. Please check your email regularly. Note that prices quoted below do not include this discount. You can find National Express’s Baggage Allowance Policy on their website.
Please note that this offer is not available to exchange students. However, exchange students can find more information about available transfers on our study abroad pages.
Other coach operators, such as Megabus and Flixbus, are available but not covered by our discount. Please ensure you check which operator you have chosen before booking.
Train journeys in the UK can be expensive, especially when booking last-minute tickets, and baggage space may be limited. It is often cheaper to buy your ticket in advance online. Prices provided below are a general indication of train costs throughout the day. Tickets can be booked directly through the train operator or third-party websites like Trainline.
Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport is the UK’s largest airport and a popular arrival destination for our students. Located just outside London, it is well-served by public transport via road and rail. It is located 15 miles to the west of London and there is a direct bus service from Heathrow to Leicester.
Travelling by National Express Coach to Leicester
There is a direct National Express bus service from Heathrow to Leicester, taking approximately 3 to 4.5 hours. Tickets cost £19-£55.
Travelling by train to Leicester
You can travel from Heathrow Airport to Leicester by train. The journey takes just over 2 hours and requires two changes.
Birmingham Airport
Birmingham Airport is only one hour away from Leicester and serves over 180 destinations. Many flights from long haul destinations have a stopover in hubs such as Amsterdam, Paris or Dubai. There are convenient rail services from Birmingham International to Leicester.
Travelling by National Express Coach to Leicester
There is a direct National Express bus service from Birmingham to Leicester, taking approximately 1.5 hours. Tickets cost around £10.
Travelling by train to Leicester
Train tickets cost approximately £9-£50, depending on the time of day. The journey time is approximately 1.5 hours, with a change at Birmingham New Street.
Gatwick Airport
Gatwick is the second largest airport in the UK and operates flights to over 200 destinations. There is a direct bus service from Gatwick to Leicester.
Travelling by National Express Coach to Leicester
The journey time to Leicester is between 5-6 hours with a direct coach available. Coaches depart from both North and South terminals. Tickets cost approximately £20-£80.
Travelling by train to Leicester
You can take the Thameslink train to St Pancras International, where you can take a direct train to Leicester. The journey time is around 2.5 hours. Tickets start at £20 and can go up to £115 depending on the time of travel.
Stansted Airport
Stansted offers flights to and from over 140 destinations in over 30 countries and there is a direct rail service to Leicester. It is located 40 miles (65km) northeast of Central London.
Travelling by National Express Coach to Leicester
There is a direct coach from Stansted to Leicester with a journey time of 2 to 5 hours. Tickets cost approximately £25-£40 and can be booked online in advance on the National Express website. The coach stop is approximately a two-minute walk from the terminal building.
Travelling by train to Leicester
Direct trains to Leicester from Stansted are available, though most services will include at least one change in London. The journey time is approximately 3.5 hours and tickets cost approximately £30-£100.
London Luton Airport
Luton Airport is approximately 30 miles (50km) from Central London and offers flights to several global destinations. There are convenient rail services from Luton Airport to Leicester (via Luton Airport Parkway).
Travelling by National Express Coach to Leicester
The journey time is just over 2 hours with a direct service to Leicester. Tickets cost between £20 and £30.
Travelling by train to Leicester
The train journey takes approximately 1.5 hours and requires at least one change. Tickets cost from £18 to £50.
Manchester Airport
Manchester Airport is the busiest airport outside London and flies to 199 destinations. It is well-served by rail and coaches, making it a convenient gateway to the North of England.
Travelling by National Express Coach to Leicester
The journey from Manchester Airport takes approximately 3.5 to 5 hours and requires changing buses, as there are currently no direct services to Leicester. Tickets cost approximately £20 and can be booked online in advance on the National Express website.
Travelling by train to Leicester
The train journey takes around 3 hours. Tickets cost between £30-£60. You will need to change trains at least twice as there is no direct service to Leicester.
East Midlands Airport
East Midlands Airport is the closest airport to the city of Leicester; however, it only operates flights to and from a select number of countries (mainly within Europe).
Skylink buses take passengers to and from Leicester every 30 minutes during the day and once an hour at night.
Arriving in the UK by air
You will not need to complete a landing card when you arrive in the UK. If you hold a biometric passport from an EU country, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA you will be able to use the eGates for faster travel through the UK border. Your passport won’t be stamped so please keep your boarding card as you’ll have to be able to show staff at the visa checkpoint the date you entered the UK.
Please note, you cannot use the eGates if you are traveling with a child under 10.
Travelling by taxi from all airports
If you plan to travel by taxi we recommend these local Leicester taxi companies who provide a door-to-door service from the airport to your accommodation:
Airport Taxis Narborough
We have negotiated a set price so you can be sure that you are paying the correct fee for your journey (costs quoted are correct as of July 2024).
- London Heathrow airport (LHR) to central Leicester = £140 plus £13 ULEZ charge from 29 August 2023. Plus any parking charges and bank charge if appropriate.
- Birmingham airport (BHX) to central Leicester = £68 plus any parking charges and bank charge if appropriate.
To book, please send an email to airporttaxisnarborough@hotmail.co.uk with the following details:
- Full name
- University of Leicester course details
- Arrival airport
- Accommodation address in Leicester
- Flight number, date, and time
Airport Taxis Narborough will then respond with how to pay. Confirmation of your booking will be complete once they have received full payment for your taxi service. Please note there may be a charge to send payment from a foreign bank account.
Waiting time is charged £18 per hour, which starts 1.5 hours after the flight lands unless instructed to arrive later than the estimated flight arrival time.
Take Me Ltd (formerly ADT Street Cars Leicester)
We have negotiated a set price so you can be sure that you are paying the correct fee for your journey (costs quoted are correct as of July 2024).
- London Heathrow airport (LHR) to central Leicester = £154 plus any service charges and bank charge if appropriate.
- Birmingham airport (BHX) to central Leicester = £70.50 plus any service charges and bank charge if appropriate.
- Leicester train station to central Leicester = £4.50 plus any service charges and bank charge if appropriate.
To book, please complete the online form or call an advisor on +44(0)116 2555222 with the following details:
- Full name
- Arrival airport
- Accommodation address in Leicester
- Flight number, date, and time
Alternatively, you can download their passenger app. Confirmation of your booking will be complete once they have received full payment for your taxi service. Please note there may be a charge to send payment from a foreign bank account. Find more details on how to pay.
Travelling to the University by taxi
We highly recommend that you pre-book your taxi before you travel, however if this is not possible you will be able to hire a taxi when you arrive in Leicester city to travel to the University or to your accommodation. Please note, it is more likely you will pay a higher price than pre-booked journeys with these Leicester companies.
We advise you to have your mobile phone data plan in place for your arrival so you can call home, or book a taxi, or an Uber.
Please remember if you are arriving early in the morning or late at night, you must check you will be able to get into your accommodation by contacting your accommodation provider before you arrive.
Leicester train station has a taxi rank clearly signposted and advanced booking is not normally necessary unless you arrive early in the morning or late at night. The larger black cabs have a fare meter and wait in the taxi rank inside the station entrance located on London Road. Leicester train station is staffed during opening hours 5.20am - 1.00am daily.
Coaches arrive at St Margaret's Bus and Coach Station and the station offers a taxi rank outside the entrance on Gravel Street. There is no direct bus route to University accommodation making taxi journey the easier way to reach your destination. The fare will be approximately £7 and £12 depending on your destination. The coach station is open Monday to Saturday 5.00am - 11.45pm, Sunday 9.00am - 11.45pm.