With flights to many European destinations, including the Canary Islands, East Midlands Airport has become a popular choice for travellers from both Britain’s East Midlands and further afield. Many travellers choose to take the train there, to save on both money and time.

The airport is located between Leicester, Nottingham and Derby. Convenient 24/7 Skylink East Midlands Airport shuttle buses run from these three cities. All buses run every 20 minutes through the day and hourly through the night. Leicester, Nottingham and Derby lie at the heart of the East Midlands. These cities are well connected to the UK rail networks, which makes East Midlands Airport easily accessible via train.

Read on to learn more about buying train tickets, timetables and possible connections.

Getting to East Midlands Airport by train

Using Trainline, you can book cheap train tickets to Leicester, Nottingham, Derby or other nearby stations. This will save you time and you won’t have to pay out for taxis or airport parking, meaning more spare cash for your holiday. Booking well in advance of your journey will get you the lowest price fares. National Railcards can save you a further 1/3 off an adult’s journey and 60% off kids’ fares.

All the stations mentioned below are well connected to the UK rail network, making East Midlands Airport readily accessible from mainland Britain. Using the convenient Skylink East Midlands Airport shuttle buses, you can easily get to East Midlands Airport from Leicester (via Long Eaton), Nottingham and Derby stations. All shuttle buses run 24/7 at intervals of up to every 20 minutes during the day and every hour at night.

Buses run directly from Derby train station and Nottingham Broadmarsh bus station (5 minutes’ walk from Nottingham train station) to East Midlands Airport. In both cases, the journey takes 30 minutes. A single fare from Derby costs £4.60 and from Nottingham £6. Unfortunately, if you’re travelling from Leicester, the bus departs from the other side of the city as Leicester train station. However, you can simply get the train from Leicester to Long Eaton station (30 minutes’ journey) and take a Skylink shuttle bus from there. The bus journey lasts around 20 minutes and costs £3.60.

If you have an early flight the next day, a Jurys Inn lies only a few minutes’ walk from East Midlands Airport terminal.

Useful travel tips

We want to make travel easier for you, which is why we’ve compiled a selection of useful travel tips to help you on your way.

Off-peak fares

Learn more about peak and off-peak fares, and how they can affect the cost of your journey.

Mobile App

Download our app for real-time information, tickets and live departure times.

Seat reservations

Need information about seating? Read our guide to find out more about what's available.

Railcards

Want to see how much you could save by using a railcard? Read our handy guide on all the different railcards available.

Things to do in East Midlands Airport

East Midlands Airport is the largest airport servicing the East Midlands. So naturally, it has plenty of places to eat, drink and shop. For eating and drinking, it has Starbucks, Burger King, Frankie and Bennie’s and a further selection of coffee shops, restaurants and bars. It also has a WHSmith, Boots, Dixons Travel and a few other shops for you to buy what you need before your flight.

After the security gates, you’ll also find a World Duty Free with a selection of spirits, confectionery, cosmetics and other products. If you’re planning a holiday in Europe, then why not take the train for a memorable experience? You can use Trainline to book cheap fares to major European cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, Brussels, Barcelona and Rome.