Getting around Durham

Serviced by two international airports, Durham’s closest as the crow flies is Durham Tees, located 25 miles south of Durham.

One of the smaller UK airports hosting nearly 200,000 passengers a year, you can fly to over 200 destinations including daily connections to Amsterdam and regular flights to Scotland via Eastern Airways.

The north east’s largest airport is Newcastle International, 25 miles north of Durham. With nearly five million passengers a year, the airport is serviced by big international airlines including Emirates, KLM, Ryanair and TUI Airways and is connected to Newcastle by the Tyne & Wear Metro, or via the A1(M) and A194(M) by road from Durham.

Trains take around 55 minutes from Durham, including two changes, but there are several of our hotels near Newcastle Airport too. There are several large on-site parking options including express and long-stay options, with parking up to 15 minutes free for all.

There are three public park and ride schemes servicing Durham spread along key routes into the city at Belmont, Sniperley and Howlands, with buses running every 10 minutes into the city centre. Buses run from 7am to 7pm Monday to Saturday costing a few pounds per person, with under-16s free.

Take advantage of unlimited travel via the Durham bus network for just £1 per person, with one of the most useful routes being the Durham Cathedral Bus, linking Durham train station, marketplace and the city centre.

Part of the East Coast Main Line, Durham is well-connected north and south with hourly trains to London and an hourly connection to Newcastle that then connects to Scotland.

Thanks to a big refurbishment in 2008, the two-platform Durham train station is well-equipped with a large taxi rank outside, cash machines, baby changing facilities and a café for your morning cuppa. The station car park has 358 spaces with full reasonable full day prices, while the station is only a short walk from our Durham City Centre (Walkergate) hotel.

With the River Wear casually winding its way through the city, exploring its river banks is one of the best ways to get around Durham. From casual strolls along the banks under the watchful eye of the cathedral to punishing off-road mountain biking trails, there’s plenty of walking and cycling fun to be had in Durham.