Transfers from Newcastle Airport
Travelling Between the Airport and Newcastle City Centre
Transfers between some international airports to the nearest city can be painfully slow. The same can't be said of travelling between Newcastle airport and the city.
Its close proximity to the city makes transfers from Newcastle Airport simple, so if you’re visiting the North East of England from elsewhere in the world, or travelling to Newcastle to fly elsewhere, reaching the airport couldn’t be easier.
There are two main options for transferring between Newcastle and its airport: metro and taxi. There is also a bus service, though this is limited and slower than the other options, and so would not be recommended.
The Metro
The Metro is the cheapest option for travelling between Newcastle Airport and the city and, throughout the daytime, usually the quickest.
The Tyne and Wear Metro serves Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland as well the immediate coastal region. There are 60 stations in total on two lines (Yellow and Green), and unlike the London Underground or the New York subway, mobile phones can be used in all the underground stations and tunnels.
From the arrivals gate at Newcastle Airport, turn left and walk past the check-in desks, under the concourse to the far end of terminal building. Here you'll find the entrance to the Metro station. A single fare to Newcastle on the Green line is currently £2.70 ($5.40) and trains run every few minutes.
There are several stops on the Green line in Newcastle city centre;
- Haymarket: this stop is at the top of Northumberland Street, Newcastle’s busiest thoroughfare
- Monument: from here you can walk down Grey Street (voted the UK’s best street in 2002 for its Georgian architecture) to Newcastle’s famous Quayside. You can also walk to Newcastle United's football ground Saint James Park from here, or transfer to the Yellow line to reach it.
- Central Station: this is Newcastle’s main railway station. It forms part of the East Coast mainline, one the UK’s major train lines, linking Edinburgh to London.
Travelling between Newcastle Airport and Central Station takes just over 20 minutes, however the Metro system is not 24 hours and there are no trains running past 2359 on any night.
Taxi
The road network between the airport and Newcastle is excellent, however at peak times the traffic is sluggish and the six mile drive can take over half an hour. The best time for taking a taxi is early in the morning when the roads are quiet, or at night when the Metro is not running.
The taxi rank is directly outside the terminal building. From the arrivals gate, walk out through the revolving doors ahead, and the taxi rank is across the road and to your left.
Depending on your destination in the Newcastle area, you can expect your fare to cost between £12 and £20 ($24 and $40).
