Find out the quickest and cheapest way to get to Durham, not only from nearby Newcastle but also from other British cities.

By air

Durham does not have its own airport, although in the past the airport Teesside MME was known as “Durham Tees Valley”.

This airport is situated 40 km south of Durham and has only a few flights a day, including an international KLM service to Amsterdam.

A much more significant and also more easily accessible airport is Newcastle NCL with a large number of routes across Europe.

There is no direct public transport from Newcastle Airport, but the journey via Newcastle city centre to Durham will take no longer than an hour.

The metro from the airport to the main railway station takes about 30 minutes, and the train to Durham takes an average of 15 minutes, running several times an hour.

By train

Durham railway station is situated about 1 km from the city centre (see location on the map) and can be reached on foot or by local bus number 40 (see the Transport section).

The cheapest and easiest way to buy train tickets across the UK is via a comparison website thetrainline.com. The best time to buy is around 2–10 days before departure. Tickets may be slightly more expensive on the day of departure.

Trains are the fastest way to travel to Durham from the following cities:

• Newcastle upon Tyne
  • Price: from 3,70 gbp
  • Journey time: 12 to 16 minutes
  • Frequency: 3–5 times an hour
  • Read our guide to Newcastle
• London
  • Price: from 50 gbp
  • Journey time: 3 hours
  • Frequency: 1–2 times per hour
  • Read our guide to London
• Leeds
  • ​​​​​​​Price: from 22 gbp
  • Journey time: 75 minutes
  • Frequency: 1–2 times per hour
• Middlesbrough
  • ​​​​​​​Price: 3 gbp to 10 gbp
  • Journey time: 1 hour
  • Frequency: direct trains once an hour
• Darlington
  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Fare: 5,50 gbp to 7 gbp
  • Journey time: 18 minutes
  • Frequency: 3–4 times an hour

Book a train ticket to Durham

By bus

Bus services are a convenient option for travelling to the nearest neighbouring towns, and regional buses also run toNewcastle, where they offer a slightly cheaper alternative to the train, albeit a considerably longer journey.

However, unlike trains, the TNE Day Saver ticket ( 7,50 gbp) is valid on all bus routes between Newcastle and Durham.

Regional services

All regional buses stop at the central bus station on North Road, just about 500 metres from the historic city centre (see location on the map).

The price of a single ticket for all regional services within the Durham, Newcastle, Sunderland and Consett zone is 2,50 gbp. Durham is within the TNE Day Saver zone ( 7,50 gbp), which you can use on all regional services to Newcastle, Sunderland or Hadrian’s Wall.

Single tickets to other destinations cost 3 gbp or 3,50 gbp.

These buses are a good option for travelling to the following places:

• Sunderland
  • Go North East routes 20 and 20A
  • Journey time: 50 minutes
  • Frequency: 2–3 times an hour
  • The TNE Day Saver ticket can be used
• Newcastle​​​​​​​
  • Go North East routes 21 (towards the city centre – Eldon Square) and X21 (towards Gateshead Interchange with a change to the underground)
  • Route X12 (towards the city centre – Eldon Square) operated by Arriva
  • Journey time: 50 minutes on routes X12 and X21, or 70 minutes on route 21
  • Frequency: 2–4 times per hour
  • The TNE Day Saver ticket can be used
• Consett
  • ​​​​​​​Go North EastroutesX15 and 16B
  • Journey time: 45 minutes
  • Frequency: twice an hour
  • The TNE Day Saver ticket can be used
• Hartlepool
  • ​​​​​​​Arrivaroutes22, 24 and 58
  • Journey time: 95 minutes
  • Frequency: 2–3 times per hour
  • The TNE Day Saver ticket cannot be used

Long-distance services

Long-distance operators National Express and Megabus also run services to Durham.

To get the lowest fares, always buy your tickets online 2–5 weeks in advance.

National Expressstops near the central regional bus station on Sutton Street (see map).

Buses run once a day from Durham on the following routes:

• Durham – Blackpool
• Durham – Darlington – Manchester – Manchester Airport
• Durham – Darlington – Milton Keynes – London
• Durham – Newcastle – Edinburgh
• Buy a ticket at nationalexpress.com

Megabus stops only in the south of the city at the Durham University Palatine Centre stop (see map) and runs only once a day on this route:

• London – Sheffield – Leeds – Durham – Newcastle – Dunbar – Glasgow
• You can buy tickets on themegabus.co.uk website