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Travelling to Durham

Inbound Transport to Durham

Durham’s location in the heart of the North East means great cities and stunning countryside are only a short distance away. Excellent accessibility from across the UK, Europe and beyond.

By Air

Newcastle International Airport is one of the UK’s fastest growing regional airports. There are direct flights to around 16 domestic destinations including London Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Bristol, Aberdeen, Belfast, and Cardiff. Durham Tees Valley Airport also has direct flights. Both airports are less than 40 minutes drive from the city.

Some estimated travel costs and times from key sites in Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific and South America are:

  • Europe:
    • Amsterdam to Newcastle, 1 hour, direct, £150;
    • Berlin to Newcastle, 4-5 hours, change varies (Amsterdam, Heathrow), £250 to £300;
    • Paris to Newcastle, 24 hours, change (Amsterdam), £250;
    • North-America:
      • New York to Newcastle, approx., 11 hours, one change (Heathrow), £750;
      • Los Angeles to Newcastle, 13-15 hours, one change (Heathrow), £1200;
      • San Francisco to Newcastle, 17+ hours, change (Amsterdam), £800 to £1500
    • Asia-Pacific:
      • Tokyo to Newcastle/ Tees Valley, 14-22 hours, change varies (Amsterdam, Dubai, etc.), £1000 to £1300.
    • South America:
      • Sao Paulo to Newcastle, 14 – 16 hours, change varies (Heathrow, CDG, Amsterdam), £1300 to £1500.

By Sea

Ferry services operate between North Shields and Ijmuiden (Amsterdam) throughout the year (overnight trip, from £138 £70 – £330 per adult)

By Uber

One easy way to reach Durham, is to book a uber from Newcastle international airport or Newcastle train station, the fare is £35-40, and the trip takes around 30-35 mins.

Airport Taxi

Taking a journey to and from Newcastle International Airport is quick and easy with Arrow Cars, our dedicated on-site Taxi service.

Book your journey quickly and easily by phone on 0191 2449966 or via email on [email protected].

By Rail

Every day, 60 InterCity trains from all around the country stop in Durham, including 16 trains from London. The National Express high-speed service from London King’s Cross on the main East Coast line takes under 3 hours. The Transpennine Express connects Durham to Manchester, Sheffield, and Leeds on a regular basis, while Cross Country connects Durham to Scotland, the Midlands, and the SouthWest.

Journey times to major cities: London 3 hours, Birmingham 3 hours, Edinburgh 1 hour 30 minutes, York 1 hour. There are also frequent trains from Durham to Newcastle, which makes it easier to commute

The Trainline Application, a ticket browsing application, assists in purchasing tickets online and with price comparison. This application is user-friendly and provides free access to live train times and railway station information through its website and mobile application, which is available on Android or iOS platforms.

The link is as follows: https://www.thetrainline.com/

By Road

Another way of reaching Durham is to take a bus, from the Newcastle Airport, Ponteland Road, there is a bus leaving every hour that takes 20 minutes to reach Eldon Square Bus Station, which is about 1.1km from the Newcastle Train Station. From there, you can take a train to Durham, and reach in 12 minutes. The estimated fare is approx. (5 pounds) The journey between Newcastle Airport-Durham is on an average 1 hr through this mode of transportation.    

Durham city centre is only two miles from the A1(M). Leave the motorway at Junction 62 on the A690 Durham-Sunderland Road and follow signs to Durham City Centre. There are several express coach services daily from most major cities. Durham is well served by both regional express services and the local bus network. From the city bus station – a short walk from the railway station – a bus service runs every 15 minutes past the Colleges on South Road.