Getting to Leeds

Leeds is easily accessible to both domestic and international visitors via air, train, ferry, bus or car. The city is served by both the Manchester airport and the Leeds-Bradford International Airport, which is located 10 miles from the city and offers both domestic and international flights. There is a regular bus service from the Leeds-Bradford airport into the city, or visitors can alternatively take a cab.

Leeds also has a modern railway station just off the City Square to service visitors coming in from any number of destinations within the UK. Visitors arriving from London can take the East Coast passenger train service, while those coming in from other cities and towns in the UK can take the National Rail, Northern Rail or First TransPennine Express. Train journeys from London take approximately two hours.

Visitors arriving from Belgium and Holland can catch the ferry to Kingston Upon Hull and then either drive or take the train to Leeds, which is approximately an hour away.

Visitors arriving from destinations within the UK can also get to Leeds by coach using the National Express, which has routes to and from London and other cities in the UK and occasionally offers discounted promotional tickets that can be purchased online a few weeks prior to the specific trips. Megabus, which has a London-Leeds route, is another alternative, as is the Yorkshire Liner, which takes passengers to and from York. Bus trips to and from London take approximately four and a half hours.

Getting to Leeds by car naturally depends upon your starting point, but as the city is centrally located within the country, it is extremely well-connected by road, primarily by the M1, M6, M62 and M621 motorways. From London, motorists can take the M1 motorway approximately 290 kilometres before turning off on the M621, following the signs for Leeds Centre. The trip takes about three and a half hours.